Polaris Racers Pilot the 440 IQ Race Sled To 4 of 6 WSA Year-End Championships

Consistency has been the mantra for TJ Gulla in 2005 and Lake Geneva was no different, pacing his competition and securing the year-end championship. At the close of the weekend, the IQ chassis proved to be the sled to beat, securing 8 of 9 wins and decimating the competition.

MEDINA, MN (March 21, 2005) – Polaris snowmobile racers took full advantage of the awesome power and handling of the new Polaris 440 IQ race sled to win season points titles in four of the top six classes in WSA Racing. Leading the way, as the Polaris Racing Team surged to the top of the sport this winter, were Pro Stock champion TJ Gulla, Semi-Pro Open and Semi-Pro Stock winner Ross Martin and Pro Women champion Julie Thul.

The Polaris racers earned their titles with an incredible weekend of racing at the WSA finale in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where Polaris racers on the 440 IQ race sled won eight of nine classes.

“This is an incredible showing by our racers and it proves the outstanding performance of the IQ chassis,” said Polaris Racing Manager Tom Rager, Sr., “I’m so proud of how our racers battled all season and put themselves in position to make this the best year in recent history for Polaris. Best of all, we feel we’re still in the early stages of our racing program’s evolution.”

TJ Gulla Clinches First Pro Stock Title
TJ Gulla of South Hero, Vermont, entered the final race weekend with a 17-point lead in Pro Stock standings, and he stretched the margin to 23 points as he won the title ahead of runner-up and fellow Polaris racer D.J. Eckstrom of Duluth, Minnesota.

“The competition is fierce in the Pro classes but TJ was consistently strong and determined and had a great season,” said Rager. “He truly deserves his championship, and we’ll continue to look for great things from him.”

After clinching the year-end championship in Semi-Pro Stock, Ross Martin raced his first ever WSA Pro race in Lake Geneva and set the tone for 2006 with a first place performance.

The surprise winner of the weekend’s Pro Stock racing was Ross Martin, who moved up from Semi-Pro to Pro at the final event since he had secured his two Semi-Pro crowns earlier in the season. Martin jumped the gun and had to start at the back of the pack for the weekend’s final Pro Stock moto, but he completely dominated the competition on his 440 IQ and took the checkered flag for his first Pro-class victory.

In the ultra-competitive Pro Open class, Eckstrom finished third in the season points race.

Ross Martin Dominates in Semi-Pro Classes
Martin, who is from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, won the weekend’s Semi-Pro Open racing to pad the margin of his season points title. He skipped the Semi-Pro Stock racing for the weekend to jump up to Pro Stock since he had previously clinched the Semi-Pro title.

“Ross represents the very positive growth and development of the young racers we have brought into our racing program the past few years,” said Rager. “He has developed into a great competitor and as he showed at Lake Geneva in Pro Stock, he should do very well when he moves up to the Pro classes full-time.”

Brett Bender of Colden, New York, dominated the weekend’s Semi-Pro Stock racing, taking three firsts to put himself third in the season’s final Semi-Pro Stock points. Bender was also fourth in Semi-Pro Open points for 2004-‘05.

A win, a smile and a year-end championship was the order of events for Pro-Women Polaris pilot Julie Thul. She took over the points lead with a victory in Geneva, opening up a 9 point margin after the snow dust settled.

Julie Thul Surges to Pro Women’s Title
One of the weekend’s most dramatic developments was the incredible effort of Polaris pilot Julie Thul in the Pro Women’s class. She entered the weekend one point behind the season’s points leader, but finished third and first in her motos to win the weekend title and clinch the Pro Women’s championship by a 9-point margin. Thul, who is from Chisholm, Minnesota, set the pace for fellow Polaris racer Amanda Wolfe of Burlington, Wisconsin, who finished third in the season’s points standings.

“Julie never gave up, never stopped riding her hardest all season and it paid off with a very well-deserved points title,” said Rager. “She raced smart and raced hard and we are extremely proud of her.”

Great Weekend for Polaris Racers
Polaris racers in all classes showed off the outstanding performance of the 440 IQ and the all-new IQ chassis. Along with the winners named above, other Polaris racers who were winners at Lake Geneva included Earl Reimer, who won the weekend’s Pro Plus 35 title; Polaris racer James Keillor took third.

Kyle Strandlund took first in the Sport Open classes followed by fellow Polaris racer Josh Verhaeghe. Andrew Johnstad and Matt Bristow finished 4-5.

In Sport Stock, Andrew Johnstad won the weekend title, with Kyle Strandlund, Mike Gibson and Matt Bristow finishing 3-4-5.

In Junior 14-15, Jon Hoese won and fellow Polaris racer Kodi Schultz took second.

440 IQ Race Sled Sets the Pace
As it showed all season in WSA racing across the snowbelt, the Polaris 440 IQ race sled is the clear performance and innovation leader on the racing circuit. The race sled uses a powerful Liberty 440 liquid-cooled twin that delivers incredible torque and acceleration to secure holeshots and give Polaris an edge as they run corner to corner. The Liberty 440 is also the basis for the all-new Liberty 600 HO engine found in several 2006 Polaris models. This new 600 mill is destined to set the new benchmark for 600 class performance.

The 440 IQ sled is built on the innovative Polaris IQ Chassis, which positions major elements such as the suspension, engine and rider to create the ideal balance of power and control. This same ingenious chassis is the backbone for several 2006 Polaris models including the class-leading 600 HO Fusion; turbo charged FST Switchback and deep snow king 700 RMK. Each combines the industry leading innovations and suspension technologies found on the IQ Chassis with proven Liberty power to dominate the trails.

About Polaris
Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories is available from authorized Polaris dealers or from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.

With annual 2004 sales of $1.8 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 the recognized leader in the snowmobile industry and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. Victory Motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive inroads into the motorcycle cruiser 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 and Pacific Stock Exchange under the symbol "PII," and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.