IQ® Chassis & Liberty Engine are a Proven Winning Combo

Among members of the Polaris snowmobile engineering staff, there’s no such thing as resting on your laurels.

So even though Polaris snocross racers dominated their racing discipline last season, Polaris engineers spent the off-season immersed in developing the best-handling, quickest and most-durable snocross racing sled possible.

The result is the new 2008 Polaris 600 IQ® Race Sled, a super-strong, easy handling rocket with an improved steering system, all-new Liberty® 600 engine and the most durable chassis ever developed for Polaris racers.

“Our goal is to provide Polaris racers with the most durable sled on the track,” said Polaris Race Development Manager Mike Bedard. “You can’t win if you can’t finish the race, and we are trying to give our guys the strongest sled possible. We felt it was the most durable sled out there last year, and we’ve focused on some areas where we felt we could improve.”

The 2008 600 IQ Race Sled has already impressed several top Polaris snocross racers and Polaris Snowmobile Racing Manager Tom Rager, Sr.

“When we validated the sled in early July, the mandate was that our racers had to ride it 300 laps so we could find out what’s going to break before we went into production,” Rager said. “Well, we put over 400 laps on two sleds and we never broke one part. Not one! That tells you how strong a sled the guys in Roseau developed for our racers.”

Rules changes have triggered two significant changes from last season. Pros racing in the sport’s premier circuit, the WPSA, will run 600-class engines in their Pro Stock sleds this season, an increase from the 440 engines used in the past. Plus, longer finals – 25 minutes instead of 18 – resulted in an increase in fuel tank capacity. The 2008 tank will hold 4 gallons of fuel, up from 3.2 gallons in the 2007 racer.

THE FOCUS REMAINS ON DURABILITY
Among the steps Polaris engineers took to enhance the durability of the 2008 600 IQ® Race Sled are:
-The driveshaft is now a slip shaft, which will reduce stress on the chaincase. This is of premium importance considering the tremendous impact transmitted through the drive system when snocross sleds land after long, high jumps.
- The lower spindle has been strengthened.
- The rear torque arm link is stronger.
- The coupler blocks in the rear suspension are stronger and more durable.

AL-NEW LIBERTY 600 ENGINE
Polaris engineers are tight-lipped about the new Liberty 600 engine that will power the 2008 race sled. They prefer to let the engine speak for itself on the race track, where they are optimistic that it will carry Polaris racers to another season of excellent results.

The engine is all-new. It is not a derivation of the Liberty 600 H.O. engine used in several Polaris production models, nor is it a bored or stroked version of the previous 440 race engine.

The engine is new from the cases on up and it was developed to provide Polaris snocross racers with exceptional acceleration.

Plus, in keeping with the team’s approach to 2007-2008, the new engine has proven to be extremely durable during long-term testing.

NEW COLING AND STERING SYSTEMS
The 2008 race sled also has a redesigned cooling system that has coolant following new flow patterns for consistently optimized cooling without the addition of any extra weight to the sled.

The new race sled also has an EZ Steer steering system that provides racers with multiple benefits. The new system requires less steering effort so Polaris racers will enjoy quicker, lighter steering and less fatigue. The new system also significantly reduces the energy transmitted to the driver when the sled impacts the ground after a jump.

The 2008 race sled will ride on a new track with a track pattern designed specifically to enhance holeshot performance.

THE WINNING IQ® CHASIS
This is the fourth season the Polaris snocross race sled is being built on the innovative Polaris IQ Chassis, and the results to date have been impressive. In each of those years, the Polaris race team has earned numerous race wins and points titles.

As in the past two seasons, the 2008 600 IQ Race Sled will be equipped with aluminum Walker Evans shocks in the front and rear. These shocks’ 16-position compression adjustability lets Polaris racers tune their suspensions to suit their individual riding styles and the specific track conditions they’ll encounter from race to race.

These shocks use remote reservoirs to optimize oil cooling and deliver consistently outstanding performance in all conditions. They help the 600 IQ achieve 11.5" of front suspension travel and 13.9" of rear travel.

About Polaris
With annual 2006 sales of $1.7 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), Victory motorcycles and the Polaris RANGER for recreational and utility use. Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. The Victory Motorcycles division, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new Americanmade motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, is rapidly making impressive in-roads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.

Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index. Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.