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Off-road racing legend Doug Eichner made history in his RANGER RZR on October 25 as he clinched his first World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) UTV season points championship. It was his first season for the ATV legend to race a UTV, and he clinched the title with his strong performance in the WORCS season finale at Taft, California.
"Polaris Racing is very excited about Eichner's first UTV National Championship and his effort with the Outlaw 450 MXR," said Eric Nault, Polaris Race Team Manager. "This is our first full season with the Outlaw 450 MXR in the WORCS series. We learned a lot this season and funneled that information back to our R&D department to make improvements for 2009 season. Next season, Eichner will pilot our new 2009 Outlaw 450 MXR and will battle for another championship."
Eichner finished third in ATV Pro racing at Taft, leaving him fifth in class points for the 2008 season.
Angela Butler Completes Perfect Championship Season
Polaris racer Angela Butler of Laveen, Arizona, won the Women’s A ATV event at Taft, giving her a perfect record for the season – eight wins in eight events – and she walked away with the Women's A points championship. She mathematically clinched the title at the precious WORCS event, but the Taft win gave her a perfect season aboard the Outlaw 450 MXR.
Butler also competed seven times in the mostly-male Pro-Am ATV class during the eight-race WORCS season and ran so strongly she finished seven in season points.
Eichner Caps Consistently Strong Season
In winning the UTV points title, Eichner had three wins, two second-place finishes, one third and one fourth. That earned him 135 points, well ahead of the runner-up, who had 102 points.
In the Taft race, Eichner grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. Eichner led the field across the finish line in his Polaris RANGER RZR to clinch the championship.
At the WORCS awards banquet the following evening, Eichner was presented with five globe awards to signify his five years of WORCS Championship titles. Guests enjoyed an Eichner Trivia Game with questions such as "how many pro wins has Eichner earned in the WORCS Series?" Eichner himself didn't know the answer – which is an impressive 45!
Eichner thanked his team sponsors, crew, friends and family. He also congratulated Pro ATV class points champion Josh Frederick and added, "We learned a lot this year and I am excited to fight for the WORCS crown in 2009."
On Saturday, October 25, Eichner took his first Pro win aboard the Outlaw 450 MXR against a full gate in the Pro Production Class. With a holeshot start, fast lap times and a flawless ride, Eichner earned a dominating win and looked like he would be a contender in Sunday's Pro main event.
On Sunday morning, Eichner did not get the holeshot but made his way past several riders. He fought his way into second with a spectacular pass in a log and tire section that had earlier been the scene of a multi-bike pile-up. Eichner closed the gap and held the lead for a lap and a half before needing to make a pit stop, which dropped him to third. He made up 19 seconds in a lap and while it was not enough to earn him the victory, he put the Outlaw 450 MXR on the Pro Podium with a third-place finish.
More Racing Ahead
Eichner's racing season is not finished, as the Polaris/Lone Star/Eichner Racing Team is gunning for the ITP QuadCross Open Pro Crown aboard the Outlaw 525 S. Eichner currently holds a 12-point lead with the final QuadCross Round scheduled for November 30, at Speedworld Raceway in San Bernadino, California.
Official Sponsors of the Polaris/Lone Star/Eichner Racing Team include: Polaris; Lone Star Racing; Eichner Racing; MAXXIS Tires; Yoshimura R&D of America, Inc.; Rage'n Luxury Toy Haulers; FOX Racing Shox; Douglas Wheel Technologies, Inc.; IMS/PowerMadd; GPR Stabilizer; O'Neal Racing; TAG Metals; WISECO Performance Products; ARC Racing – MX240V Boots/Corona Boots; Tireballs; TRAXXAS – Remote Control Cars; Performance Carbon Products; Rath Racing; ONE Industries; Fullbore Innovations; MasterCraft; iTi Performance Motorsports; Smith Optics; Velocity Filters; MotoX Nutrition; Hinson Racing; Motion Pro; Updog Industries; and Golden West Cycle.
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