 |
 |
|
|
Interview with Dave Turpen AMSOIL-Sponsored Taurus the Bull Driver Dave Turpen speaks about his sport, his vehicles and AMSOIL products Q: How and when did you get started with monster trucking? Turpen: I started racing Taurus in November of 1998. I had previously won championships in demolition derby’s and bomber car racing, and I was always on the lookout for bigger and more powerful vehicles to race. The mechanic responsible for building my transmissions suggested I purchase Taurus the Bull and give monster trucking a try. Q: How has the sport changed or grown since you began? Turpen: It’s coming back full force. The popularity died off for a while there, but now I’m seeing more and more people getting into it. Many small towns are catching on, and they want to host their own shows. The fans are becoming more educated too. Many know the differences between racing trucks and antique trucks. Q: What are your thoughts and impressions with how AMSOIL products have performed in your trucks? Turpen: AMSOIL has been a godsend for us. We used to change our oil every weekend, but now we only change it every three to four weekends. Not a weekend goes by where other drivers haven’t asked me about AMSOIL products, and I’m constantly handing out catalogs to other race teams. They are in total amazement with how well the products perform. I know your saying is “the first in synthetics”, but AMSOIL is also the very finest in synthetics. There are a lot of imitators, but only AMSOIL is the best. Q: What differences exist between Taurus and Pony Express? Turpen: Taurus is a full-blown GMC race truck with 1600 horsepower and nitrogen gas shocks. It strikes fear in the hearts of my competitors, and they know they had better be on top of their game if they’re going to compete with me. Pony Express is your older, more conventional truck. It’s heavier than Taurus, and really flattens everything in its way. Plus, it’s a Mustang, and people really go crazy for it. Q: Where are your favorite places to perform? Turpen: I love performing in the big markets just because of the sheer exposure I get for the truck and for my sponsors. The Houston Astrodome, the Pontiac Silverdome and the RCA Dome all come to mind. We’re just a bunch of showoffs, so the bigger the venue... the better. Q: What questions do you generally get from your fans? Turpen: They ask about AMSOIL. Many ask why it costs more than conventional oils, and I break it down for them. So many people are “stuck” on the 3000-mile oil drain mindset, but they’re coming around. After I explain how they actually save money by using AMSOIL products, and how much better their vehicles perform, it ends up just spiraling. They tell their friends about it, they tell their friends, and so forth. Q: How much time do you spend on the road? Turpen: We spend 34 to 37 weeks of the year on the road, and we traveled 68,000 miles last year. Q: Do you have any memorable moments you’d like to share relating to shows you’ve performed in? Turpen: Well, we were upside down in LaCrosse (WI), and we turned it over again two weeks later in Louisiana. So, those were definitely memorable moments! Q: What do you do to prepare for a show? Turpen: We make sure to check every nut and bolt to make sure everything’s in top condition. After that, we like to meet with the fans. Our fans are very appreciative, as is evident through our shirt sales. We see a lot of kids running around wearing the AMSOIL/Taurus shirts, and we consistently outsell our competitors. What Dave Turpen uses in the AMSOIL "American Dream" and Pony Express monster trucks. Dave chooses the Synthetic Heavy Racing Oil SAE 60W for the truck's powerful engine. The trucks can go 12 grueling weeks without an oil change. That's performance! He uses AMSOIL Synthetic Powershift Transmission fluid for fast starts, friction reduction, reduced gear and bearing wear and smooth braking. For grease Dave chooses the Synthetic Heavy Duty Grease for outstanding protection to four-wheel drive steering knuckles, heavy-duty springs and joints. This grease is perfect for high-load and low-speed conditions.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||
|
