Team AMSOIL Takes on 2024 King of the Hammers

Brad Lovell crushes the King of Hammers in his Bronco race truck.

_by Lindsay Tousignant|January 26, 2024

Bragging rights and a case of beer

Each year, tens of thousands of hardcore spectators and nearly 1,000 competitors flood Johnson Valley to create the city affectionately known as “Hammertown.” Its off-grid location emulates “Mad Max,” setting the stage for what seems like pure chaos, with some racing sprinkled in.

King of the Hammers includes racing throughout an entire week, with the mack daddy of them all, the Nitto Race of Kings, taking place Saturday, Feb. 3. A race known for its carnage and chaos, only about 15% of racers who take the start finish the race.

The event was conceived by a pair of racers in search of bragging rights and a case of beer. It combines desert racing and rock crawling throughout 200 miles of grueling trails. It’s no wonder almost 80,000 people flood this otherwise deserted valley to witness the havoc.

Win and earn the title of King. Lose and the walk of shame could be your vehicle lifted out of the desert by helicopter (trust us).

Let’s take a look at where Team AMSOIL is competing this year.

A force to be reckoned with

Kyle Chaney has been called a “surgeon” when it comes to navigating the rocks. The three-time King of the Hammers UTV champ took the lead early in last year’s race and finished at a ferocious pace, crushing all lap time expectations — in a stock UTV. This year he seeks his fourth crown aboard Can-Am’s new Maverick R, a recently released model that generated a lot of buzz this past fall.

Chaney gave us a breakdown of the custom 4400 Can-Am that he raced in last year’s Race of Kings. He worked his way into the top ten before losing his transmission at Chocolate Thunder.

Runs in the family

Brad Lovell looks to keep his legendary streak alive by competing in the Every Man Challenge. Having already won the Every Man crown a total of three times, and the 4800 class 4 times, this will be Lovell’s 19th trip to the lakebed.

Historically, Brad had his brother Roger co-driving, but for this year’s Every Man Challenge, Brad’s son Adam will co-pilot for his first King of the Hammers race in their newly wrapped Bronco. The duo will also take to the start line of the Desert Challenge. Trading places, Adam will take the wheel and Brad will navigate.

Last year, Brad and his brother Roger showed us their 4600 Ford Bronco. The brothers finished second in their class last season, and fifth overall.

King of the Hammers 2024 Event Schedule

Here’s a breakdown of where you can find Team AMSOIL next week:

Saturday, Jan.27 & Sunday, Jan. 28 is opening weekend, with the Toyo Desert Challenge presented by Monster. Adam Lovell will get his first taste of what it’s like to race at King of the Hammers, with his dad by his side as his co-driver.
Thursday, Feb. 1 Bryce Menzies will also be competing alongside Chaney in the UTV Championship. Menzies led lap one of last year’s race before Chaney took the lead.
Friday, Feb. 2 is the Every Man Challenge with Brad and Adam Lovell aboard their newly wrapped Ford Bonco.
Saturday, Feb. 3 is the big race — Nitto Race of Kings. Two-time champ Erik Miller and three-time champ Shannon Campbell will line up with Chaney at the start.

Be sure to follow AMSOIL for daily updates and behind-the-scenes action from the lakebed, and don’t forget to tune in to the livestream on race day.

We’ll see you in Hammertown!

What’s the Best Oil for My Snowblower?

Using a high-quality, purpose-built oil can provide extra protection for your snowblower’s engine.

_by Brad Nelson|November 10, 2023

When a snowstorm hits, you need your snowblower to fire up and help you get the job done. But snowblower engines face unique challenges that can reduce their dependability, horsepower and longevity. Fortunately, there are maintenance practices that can vastly improve reliability, including using a specially engineered small-engine oil.

Using a high-quality, purpose-built small-engine oil can help improve the reliability and performance of your snowblower.

Tough on Oil

Although snowblower engines are used less frequently than other engines, they’re tougher on oil than most people realize.

Compared to liquid-cooled automotive engines, small engines usually lack oil filters, run hotter, operate under constant heavy load, generate more oil-damaging contaminants and are exposed to snow, water and extreme temperatures.

Snowblower engines are often stored in unheated garages or sheds where cold temperatures cause the oil to flow slower at startup, a key driver of engine wear.

Using a high-quality, purpose-built oil can provide extra protection for your snowblower’s engine, reducing the risk of component damage and prolonging its life.

However, most small-engine oils we’ve tested are nothing more than re-labeled automotive oils, which are formulated in large part to enhance fuel economy, not to survive the brutal operating conditions of a snowblower engine.

Although small engines are often used infrequently, they’re tougher on oil than most people realize.

Purpose-Built Protection

AMSOIL 100% Synthetic Small-Engine Oil isn’t a re-packaged automotive oil. We specially engineered it from the ground up for small-engine dependability. It’s built to solve the problems that plague small engines, including wear, power loss, oil consumption, harmful carbon deposits and stuck rings and valves.

Excellent Wear Protection

AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil is a shear-stable, high-film-strength formulation fortified with a heavy dose of anti-wear additives. It does not thin out due to mechanical shear, ensuring a thick lubricating film. It forms a durable barrier that protects against metal-to-metal contact.

Formulated for Power

Engine wear, carbon deposits, valve sticking and piston-ring sticking reduce engine power. AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil prevents ring and valve sticking while helping eliminate carbon deposits from forming. As a result, engines produce maximum power throughout their service lives, helping you move more snow faster.

Extreme-Temperature Performance

AMSOIL 100% Synthetic Small-Engine Oil is formulated with a saturated molecular structure that offers outstanding extreme-heat resistance.

In addition, we’ve fortified the oil with potent antioxidant additives that provide further resistance to damaging heat.

Its powerful detergent additives fight carbon, varnish and sludge to maximize engine life.

In extreme cold, the oil’s naturally high viscosity index and lack of paraffins (waxes) ensure it remains fluid and flows quickly, providing easier cold-weather starts and fast startup lubrication for reduced wear.

Reduces Oil Consumption

In lab testing, AMSOIL 10W-30 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil reduced oil consumption 61% compared to three leading 10W-30/SAE 30 motor oils.¹

Its heat-resistant synthetic base oils provide low volatility, excellent viscosity stability and strong oxidation resistance.

Engines run longer between top-offs, providing peace of mind your engine won’t fail due to oil starvation and will run dependably.

Let it Snow

Prepare your snowblower engine for the next big storm with a specially engineered small-engine oil. AMSOIL 100% Synthetic Small-Engine Oil provides extra protection for your snowblower engine so you can throw snow like its no big deal all winter long.

¹Based on 125-hour lab tests of small engines using AMSOIL 10W-30 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil and three leading 10W-30/SAE 30 motor oils.

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