*The National Geographic series "Explorer" on the National Geographic Channel aired the new show called "Secrets of the Tornado" on Sunday evening, September 18th. The show featured the research/probe deployment work of AMSOIL sponsored storm chaser Tim Samaras and his colleagues over the past couple of years.

My name is Tim Samaras, and I chase the most powerful storms on the planet. My passion and research is to intercept tornadoes in progress and deploy small probes directly in their path to record the extreme weather conditions inside the tornado core. Last year our team measured the largest barometric pressure drop ever recorded on June 24, 2003 of over 100 millibars as it destroyed the small hamlet of Manchester, South Dakota. The data has revealed several “secrets” of the inside of a violent tornado. I’m also featured in the April 2004 issue of National Geographic magazine, where a photographer was with me during the deployments and has captured some of the most astounding tornado images ever on film.

Every year my pursuit takes me to the great plains where I journey over 35,000 miles over 12 states within a period of two months. Using a petroleum-based motor oil, I used to change my motor oil every couple of days! Based upon these frequent changes, I decided to switch to AMSOIL synthetic motor oil, where I have extended my oil changes to over 7,500 miles! My vehicle has already seen some incredible abuse so far this year with over 15 tornadoes intercepted, where I’ve only had to change the oil three times, as my vehicle has already accumulated over 24,000 miles in May alone!

Tim Samaras
June 2004