What's going on with the crew at Silkolene today?
Well today we're wearing our rider support hats, as it has pretty much been spent on working with many of our racer's answering phones, emails and believe it or not a few faxes. Not everyone uses a computer, we find that kind of funny in this day-an-age.
Not only do you guys sponsor JG Off Road for the GNCC series but you're also a sponsor for Endurocross. With just about a month until that series ramps up, are you getting excited?
Oh yeah, that series has been great and we are very excited to be working with the JG crew again, from what we hear both Geoff and Matt are really enjoying the new bikes and testing has been going well.
We're going to see Endurocross at the X-Games for the first time this year. How do you guys feel about Endurocross being added to the line-up?
We think it's a great stage to showcase this great discipline of Off-Road racing with the opportunity to reach millions of viewers that may have never seen this type of racing, it should be huge for the sport of Endurocross.
Do you think that because it has been added to the X-games, it's going to create more excitement for this discipline?
Yes, it definitely will. We think this will create a greater awareness and as the series travels to different arena's across the country it should help to create even more excitement for the entire series, which hopefully will increase the attendance at each and every event.
Tell us a little bit about your role(s) at Silkolene. What are your duties/contributions for the company?
Well we tend to have many hats, as I mentioned at the beginning today we're wearing our sponsor hats. We also, have a tech hat when we're helping people on the technical side of our products, a sales hat when we're working with our distributors and their sales reps, a ad hat for when we're creating and uploading ads for all the different magazines and programs that we advertise in, a website hat that is really dusty as we've got a lot of updating to the website to be done, and finally is our travel hat that is used 25+ times a year for trade shows and events that we attend.
What does a company like Silkolene stake it's reputation on? In other words, why do you think people use your product?
That's a simple question and what makes our job enjoyable as we work for a company that produces the best quality products there are. Everything Silkolene offers is made specifically for the job it is intended to be used for, which is to lubricate and protect under the most extreme conditions for maximum performance and reliability.
Which Silkolene products are most popular at the GNCCs and Endurocross? Why is that?
First is the engine oil, this is the life blood of an engine, without a good oil you'll reduce your chances of finishing a grueling 3 hour GNCC race. Other supporting products are: Air Filter oil; it must stops the dirt and dust yet still flows air. Pro Chain; penetrates into all parts of the chain for thorough lubrication, that then sets up dry. This prevents the attraction of dirt and mud from sticking to the chain which leads to longer chain and sprocket life. Pro-Prep; is a product that's extremely popular, this product helps prevent mud and dirt from sticking to the bike and also makes that dirty clean up job much easier after a long muddy race.
Which products does JG Off Road use?
The team uses a number of our products such as Pro-4 SX engine oil, Pro-Chain lube, Foam Filter Oil, Pro-cool engine coolant, Pro-Race Brake Fluid, RG-2 Grease, All-in-One, 02 and 05 Full Synthetic Fork Fluids, Pro-Prep and of course plenty of Contact Cleaner.
How have things changed for you in the industry since you first started?
Many things have changed throughout the 37 years that we've been in the industry. In the beginning for us there were four or five oil companies in the industry, and now there are 15 all trying to get their piece of the pie, so it's a very competitive world out there. We would also say that the "internet" is an area that is constantly changing the quickest right now with all the websites, myspace, facebook, twitter, and every other form of instant communication that pops up every 15 minutes, and allows the consumer to be much more informed when it comes to choosing an oil brand.
Why did you make the decision to support JG Off Road both in GNCC and Endurocross?
Sponsoring Riders and Race Teams is an important part of our marketing program. Having a Team like JG Off-Road using our products says a lot about the quality of them as a Team is not going to risk what they have invested by using an oil that won't get the job done for them. The JG Team is one of the most professional teams on the circuit and both JT and Gretchen are really good to work with and they know what they need from us and what we need from them. It's just been a great working relationship that we look forward to keeping for years to come.
What kind of support do you provide to the team?
When things aren't always going well, we're the first ones to give them a kick in the pants. JUST KIDDING.. It's mainly product, but seriously when things are not going as planned we're also there for moral support and to help in any way that we can. Both of us have been around the block a time or two and it is not just about logo placement, it's about relationships that are made through a sport that we are very passionate about.
Is the majority of the support you provide at the beginning of the season or is it the entire year?
For us, it works out best to spread it out throughout the entire year. Oils and Lubricants are probably the most used product for a race team so, to send them everything in one shipment I think JT would have to invest in a small warehouse. Besides we do a good job of keeping our warehouse full so he never has to worry about receiving the product he needs in a timely manor.
Can we expect any big product announcements for next year?
None that we know of right now, we'll continue to focus on the great products we currently produce. Our entire product range for North America can be found on our website; www.silkoleneusa.com and is available through any Parts Unlimited, Tucker Rocky or WPS Dealers nationwide.
If someone wanted to get in touch about products or sponsorship from Silkolene, what should they do?
The easiest way to reach us is by email or feel free to pick up the tele: Jim Ricci Sr, jimsr@jsrind.com 817-581-8616 or Jim Ricci Jr, jimjr@jsrind.com 608-339-9795.
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