Polaris Snowmobile Racers Are Carrying High Hopes Into 2007-'08 Season
Strong ’06-’07 Finishes, New Race Sleds Fuel Optimism
Coming off two of the best seasons in the long, proud history of Polaris snowmobile racing, and armed with an improved IQ® Race Sled, everyone involved with the Polaris Snowmobile Racing program is extremely optimistic about the 2007-2008 season.
Polaris racers had outstanding success in several racing disciplines last season – including snocross, cross-country, hillclimbs and ovals – and virtually all of the racers return to Team Polaris to compete for race wins and points titles this coming winter.
“In snocross racing, the big thing is that we’ve got the entire crew coming back. All of our teams remain basically the same as last season,” said Polaris Snowmobile Racing Manager Tom Rager, Sr. “Usually when you have a bunch of guys who go out and do well like these kids did last year, some of them will get recruited other directions and to other teams. But these kids all came back so we’ll have the same teams as last year. That’s pretty exciting.”
He said the winning experience and the leadership of experienced racers makes the Polaris race teams appealing to young racers.
“They got a really good taste of winning last year and they want to do it again. They’re already in the gym, already working out,” Rager said. “Getting to where we got to last year is the easy thing. Staying there is the hard thing. The cool thing is our younger racers see how hard our veterans are working and training. Their work ethic is incredible, and it has really caught on.”
Because of that, he admitted cautiously, “expectations are really high.”
SNOCROSS PROGRAM ON A ROLL
The Polaris snocross racing program has evolved into a highly successful group of racers on the sport’s premier race sled. On the 440 IQ Race Sled (and its Pro Open offspring) last season, Polaris racers racked up numerous snocross victories and titles:
- Polaris racers won the Pro Open, Pro Stock and Pro Women points titles in WPSA racing and took second in points in both Semi-Pro classes.
- Polaris racers took four of the top six positions in Pro Open points and three of the top five places in Pro Stock points.
- Ross Martin (Judnick Motorsports) won the WPSA Pro Open points title and was fifth in Pro Stock.
- TJ Gulla, (Hentges Racing) won the WPSA Pro Stock points title and was third in Pro Open.
- Kylie Abrahamson won the WPSA Pro Women title.
- Levi LaVallee (Hentges Racing) and Mike Schultz (Avalanche Racing) both finished in the top 10 in points in both WPSA Pro classes.
CROSS-COUNTRY RACERS SHINE
Gabe Bunke had a break-out season in United States Cross-Country (USCC) racing as he ran consistently strong to win both the Pro Open and Pro 600 points titles. In Pro Open, he never failed to earn a podium finish as he won two of six races, took second three times and was third once. As a result, he ran away with the Pro Open title. In Pro 600 racing, he took second place in five of seven races to amass the points needed to win his second class title of the season.
Also winning USCC season points titles were Polaris racers Paul Anderson in Legends 50+ and Spencer Wrightsman in Amateur Open.
“In cross-country racing, we have made a really good comeback the last few years,” said Rager. “Gabe won both titles last year and we have added some players this year so we feel we’re going to field a stronger team than last season.”
OVAL RACING PROGRAM RUNS STRONG
Led by Justin Wahl – who was named 2007 Racer of the Year by Snow Week magazine – the Polaris oval racing program enjoyed a strong season last winter.\
“We had a pretty dang successful year last year in oval racing and we’ve got everybody back,” said Rager. “We feel like our new race sled is going to be even more competitive than the sled we had last year. We feel pretty confident we’re going to do as well as, or better than last year.”
Wahl competed in 19 races last season and earned a podium position 16 times. He won WSA Pro Ice points titles in Champ 440, Pro Formula 600 and the Woody’s Triple Crown. He also won the three-race Millennium V-Force Challenge and finished second in the Eagle River World Championship.
“Dustin Wahl is going to lead the charge for us again,” said Rager, “and Shane Felegy won two championships in WPSA Pro Ice [Pro 600 Liquid and Pro 500 Liquid], so the young talent we have supported is going to come through the ranks and do very, very well.”
HILLCLIMBERS POISED FOR EVEN MORE WINS
“We feel like we’ve got all of our guys back and with the new product, the new RMK sled, we’re going to be in really good shape,” Rager said. “The new RMKs are awesome.”
The Polaris hillclimbing program is directed by legendary hillclimber Rick Ward, who serves as the Polaris Western Race Coordinator.
In Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association points races last season, Tyler Crockett won Pro 600 Stock as Polaris racers finished 1-5 in the standings, and Jeremy Osler won Pro 600 Modified as Polaris racers finished 1-4 in points. Shane Hart won the Pro 600 Improved Stock title.
At the sport’s premier event, the Jackson Hole (WY) World Championship Snowmobile Hillclimb, Polaris RMK racers won 45% of the class titles, 50% of the 700 Class titles and the Mod King of the Hill title.
Jeremy Osler won the 600 Mod and 800 Mod classes and Mod King of the Hill at Jackson Hole. Other Polaris champions included Rick Ward, who won 700 Stock, Pro Masters Improved Stock and Pro Masters Mod and: Kirk Williamson, 700 Mod; Erin Beukelman, 700 Improved Stock; Jay Stickney, 600 Stock; and Kyler Stone, Juniors class.
GLOBAL RACING SUCCESS
In Europe last season, Polaris racer Marcus Evansson won the 2007 Swedish Championship, making it five straight years of Polaris racers winning Sweden’s Pro 440 points title.
At the 2007 X Games, Aleksander Nordgaard of Norway won the silver medal in Snowmobile Freestyle by landing numerous back flips, including one that carried him a world record distance of 106 feet. Four Polaris racers qualified for the X Games Snocross final and TJ Gulla finished third to earn the bronze medal.
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.
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ISOC CANTERBURY NATIONAL
Martin Podiums in Pro Open, Tate Captures Win In Pro Plus 30, Pare Wins Pro Am Women, Kamm Sweeps Pro Lite, Leighton, Johnson, Jasan Podium in Sport At The ISOC Traxxas National Presented By Jimmy Johns At Canterbury.
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