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RMM News
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Wisconsin's Martin Beats Pro Stockers; Morin Atop Open Grid during Pro Qualifying at Eagle River Snocross National
EAGLE RIVER, Wis. (Feb. 23, 2007) -- Pleasant Prairie, Wis. native Ross Martin won the top spot in Pro Stock, and second-year racer Marthieu Morin grabbed the point in Pro Open during qualifying Friday for tomorrow's Pro Snocross racing finals at the AMSOIL Eagle River Derby Track. The event is part of the WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Eagle River Snocross National being held this weekend at the storied snowmobile racing facility.
Martin (No. 837 Judnick Motorsports/Polaris) swept all three rounds of qualifying of the Pro Stock final, which is scheduled for tomorrow at 11 a.m. Mike Schultz (No. 5 Avalanche Racing/Polaris) and Ryan Simons (No. 67 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat) completed the top three.
Morin (No. 27 Formula XP-S/Ski-Doo), in his second full year of Pro competition, topped the Pro Open trials, with a first and two second-place finishes in his heats. Martin is second on the grid, ahead of Simons. The Pro Open final is scheduled for tomorrow at noon.
Rylie Hogue (No. 432 Woody's/Polaris) won the Sport Open race, ahead of Dusty Miller (No. 400 Miller Construction/Arctic Cat), and Joseph Fallen (No. 127 Scott USA/Polaris). Logan Christian (No. 443 Christian Brothers Racing/Arctic Cat), competing in his first National Sport event, finished fifth. Christian fought his way from the back of the field after transferring from the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ).
Matthew Bristow (No. 113 Bristow's/Polaris) finished first in the Sport Stock final, ahead of Miller. Kyle Pallin (No. 324 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat) finished third, earning a podium in his first National Sport Class start.
This weekend's events feature two full Pro races, with Pro Open and Stock finals on both Saturday and Sunday. Tomorrow's action will also feature a Pro autograph session at 4 p.m. Great tickets are still available at the gate, starting at just $20. The track also features indoor seating, a huge vendor's row, and many other exciting entertainment opportunities.
MEDINA, MN (Jan. 16, 2007) - Polaris snocross racer TJ Gulla (Hentges Racing) won Pro Open and finished second in Pro Stock on his IQ® race sleds during a busy weekend of racing at the Polaris BIR Championship January 12-14 in Brainerd, Minnesota. It was a doubleheader weekend for Pro racers, as they ran finals on Saturday and Sunday, and Polaris racers used the opportunity to earn valuable points and tune up for the upcoming Winter X Games.
"We had some guys who ran well and we were happy to earn some points to put several of our racers right in the middle of the points races," said Polaris Racing Manager Tom Rager, Sr. "We hope to use the busy weekend as a springboard toward strong finishes at the X Games."
PRO RACERS CROWD THE TOP 10
Polaris Pro racers earned numerous top 10 finishes throughout the weekend. In Saturday's racing, Gulla took first in Pro Open as four Polaris racers finished among the top eight. Gulla's Hentges Racing teammate Levi LaVallee finished third, Mike Schultz (Avalanche Racing) took seventh and Ross Martin (Judnick Motorsports) finished eighth. In Pro Stock on Saturday, Gulla finished second, Martin took fifth, Schultz was seventh and Shaun Crapo (Scheuring Speed Sports) was ninth.
On Sunday, Crapo led the way in Pro Open with a second-place followed by Gulla in fourth, Schultz in fifth and LaVallee in eighth. In Pro Stock, three Polaris racers finished among the top seven, led by Schultz in fourth. Gulla was sixth and Martin was right behind in seventh.
POLARIS RACERS DOMINATE SEMI-PRO OPEN
Brett Bender (Hentges Racing) won the weekend's Semi-Pro Open title. He finished second in the first round, then won the next two rounds to win the class. Polaris racer Dylan Martin (Judnick Motorsports) was fourth, Bobby LePage (Hentges Racing) was sixth, Andrew Johnstad (Avalanche Racing) finished ninth and Chris Kafka (Hentges Racing) was 10th, giving Polaris the most top 10 finishers of any brand. In Semi-Pro Stock, Bender (eighth) and LePage (ninth) once again earned top 10 spots.
POLARIS RACERS SWEEP BOTH SPORT CLASSES
In Sport Open, Polaris racer Derek Ellis (Rocky Mountain Motorsports) finished first every time he took to the track to win the class title. Other Polaris racers who finished in the top 10 were Rylie Hogue (Rocky Mountain Motorsports) in fifth, Kurt Heiser in sixth, Jon Hoese in eighth and Joseph Fallen in 10th. Joseph Fallen won the Sport Stock class while Matt Bristow (Bristow Racing) finished fifth, Jon Hoese was seventh and Ryan Carey took eighth.
DELENE DIPPEL IS THIRD IN PRO WOMEN
Polaris racer Delene Dippel had a strong second moto to finish third in Pro Women, while Christina Herheim was ninth and Diedra Dippel was 10th and Kylie Abrahamson ran 13th.
SOLID POSITIONS IN WPSA POINTS
Following the Brainerd race, Polaris racers had four of the top 10 positions in Pro Open and Pro Stock points. In Pro Open points, the Polaris positions include: 2. Ross Martin; 3. Levi LaVallee; 4. TJ Gulla; 6. Shaun Crapo; and 12. Mike Schultz.
In Pro Stock, the Polaris positions are as follows: 1. Ross Martin; 3. Mike Schultz; 5. TJ Gulla; 10. Levi LaVallee; and 11. Shaun Crapo.
Polaris racers in the Semi-Pro Open points chase include: 1. Brett Bender; 4. Andrew Johnstad; 5. Dylan Martin; and 10. Bobby LePage. In Semi-Pro Stock, their positions are: 3. Brett Bender; 4. Chris Kafka; and 6. Andrew Johnstad.
In Pro Women points, Kylie Abrahamson is third, Delene Dippel is sixth and Diedra Dippel is 10th.
MEDINA, MN (Nov. 27, 2006) – Second-year Pro Ross Martin defied any trace of a sophomore jinx by utilizing the superior ride and handling of his Polaris 440 IQ race sleds to earn victories in the Pro Open and Pro Stock classes in the WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour AMSOIL Duluth (MN) National on November 25-26.
Martin, who races for Judnick Motorsports and finished second in Pro Open and Pro Stock points last season, took first in Pro Stock ahead of fellow Polaris racer Mike Schultz (Avalanche Racing), and totally dominated the Pro Open class – finishing first in every round – to earn first place ahead of Polaris racer Levi LaVallee (Hentges Racing).
“It was a great start for me, for Polaris and for our Judnick team,” Martin said. “We’ve got the sled and the determination. Now we want to win consistently.”
The Polaris factory racers’ Polaris 440 IQ race sleds use the innovative, smooth-riding, easy-handling IQ suspension that trail riders can enjoy on their Polaris snowmobiles.
Along with the Pro-class Polaris sweep, Brett Bender of the Hentges Racing team won both Semi-Pro classes and Polaris racers won the weekend’s Pro Women and Sport Open classes. In Pro Open, Pro Stock , Semi-Pro Stock and Sport Open, Polaris racers finished 1-2.
“It was a great way to start the season. You always want to get out of the gate strong, and our racers and teams really showed they were ready to race,” said Polaris Racing Manager Tom Rager, Sr. “To place so many racers in the Pro finals demonstrates our racers are in great shape and even more importantly, thje Polaris 440 IQ is the sled to beat this season.”
MARTIN SWEEPS THE PRO CLASSES
Martin finished first in all three rounds of Pro Open qualifying on the Spirit Mountain track in unseasonably warm weather. Martin adjusted to the changing track conditions on his Polaris 440 IQ and led the way for the five Polaris racers in the 15-man final. Along with runner-up LaVallee, the other Polaris finalists and their finishes in Pro Open were: TJ Gulla (Hentges Racing) fourth, Mike Schultz in sixth and Shaun Crapo (Scheuring Speedsports) in 11th.
Martin wasn’t as dominant in Pro Stock, but he placed well in preliminaries and won the final, which featured seven Polaris racers in the 15-sled field. Schultz finished second followed by these Polaris racers: Matt Judnick (Judnick Motorsports) in seventh, Crapo in 10th, Dennis “DJ” Eckstom (Scheuring Speedsports) in 11th, LaVallee in 14th and Gulla in 15th.
BENDER SWEEPS IN SEMI-PRO CLASSES
Brett Bender was perfect in Semi-Pro Open, winning every time he took to the track, and he also won the Semi-Pro Stock class, where he led a 1-2 Polaris finish as Andrew Johnstad (Avalanche Racing) came in second.
In Semi-Pro Open, five Polaris racers finished in the top 14. Following Bender were: Johnstad in fourth, Tyler Sedlmeier (Cycle Worx) in seventh, Dylan Martin (Judnick Motorsports) in 10th, and Brett Abrahamson (Abe Racing) in 14th.
In Semi-Pro Stock, Bender and Johnstad ran 1-2, Chris Kafka (Hentges racing) came in fifth and Brett Abrahamson was 12th.
ABRAHAMSON WINS IN PRO WOMEN
Kylie Abrahamson (Abe Racing) won the season opener in the Pro Women’s class and led the way for five Polaris racers in the final. Abrahamson was followed by these Polaris racers: Delene Dippel (Dippel Precision Racing) in eighth, Jennifer Pare in 10th, Ashley Parliament (Par Motorsports) in 11th and Diedra Dippel (Dippel Precision Racing) in 15th.
In Women’s Stock, Polaris racer Kendra Daniel took second, Melanie Acker was third, Katie Acker took fifth and Kristen Leirmoe (PMK Performance) ran sixth.
BRISTOW WINS IN SPORT OPEN
Matt Bristow (Bristow’s) took first place in Sport Open and also finished fifth in Sport Stock. In Sport Open, Bristow finished ahead of runner-up and fellow Polaris racer Derek Ellis (Rocky Mountain Motorsports). In Sport Stock, Polaris racer Seth Houkom finished third.
POLARIS RACERS HEADED TO WINTER X GAMES
Four Polaris racers were among the 10 WPSA snocross racers to earn invitations to the ESPN-hosted Winter X Games 11, which will be held January 25-27, 2007, at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado. The Polaris racers headed to the high-profile X Games include: Shaun Crapo, Ross Martin, TJ Gulla and Brett Bender. Fellow Polaris racer Levi LaVallee pre-qualified for Winter X by way of a media selected representative. Additional racers will be eligible to earn sports in the X Games or may be invited by the promoter.
NEXT RACE: Polaris Michigan Snocross, Dec. 16-17
The next race on the WPSA national circuit will be the Polaris Michigan Snocross, which is scheduled for December 16-17 on the ski slopes of the Otsego Club & Resort in Gaylord, Michigan.
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New Rocky Mountain Motorsports Racing Team To Campaign Polaris Race Sleds On WPSA Circuit
MEDINA, MN (September 9, 2006) The Rocky Mountain Motorsports (RMM) racing team is temporarily relocating to the Midwest to optimize its competitive position while campaigning Polaris race sleds on this winter’s complete WPSA schedule.
Eight members of the team owned by Jim Hogue of Klamath Falls, Oregon, are moving to facilities in Minnesota for the 2006-2007 racing season. They will establish a new home base where they have lodging, a place to tune their race sleds and access to a practice track.
”We had several talented riders in the West and I wanted to give them the opportunity to race at the national level” said team owner Hogue. “I’m real excited about this new team and new venture and I think I have a real good group of mechanics and racers. We look forward to racing the WPSA circuit.”
Along with moving to the Midwest for the race season, this new team is upgrading equipment such as its team transporter.
”Most definitely this is a big change for us” the team owner said “We’re moving up from a 28’ trailer to a 53’ elite trailer and a full-fledged team for the first time.”
RMM Crew Chief Shawn Ellis feels the move to the Midwest will greatly benefit the team.
”It’s what everybody on the team has wanted and it’s time to step up,” he said. “We have our trailers right there and will get several days of practice a week.”
He expects the RMM racers to have breakout seasons.
”Barring injuries, I think we have a couple of riders who are definitely developing. I feel Willie is right there and capable of winning and Joe is ready to make a break” Ellis said. “They’re all training hard and will be ready.”
YOUNG, ACCOMPLISHED RACERS
The RMM team features four young racers who have previously completed primarily on the Mountain West Racing (MWR) circuit: Willie Elam, Joe Parsons, Derek Ellis and Rylie Hogue.
Willie Elam just turned 20 in August but he is the team’s ranking veteran. After several successful seasons racing out West, he has raced on the WPSA circuit the past three seasons. Last winter he finishing 10th in WPSA Semi-Pro Open points and seventh in Semi-Pro Stock. His Western racing highlights include: 2004 MWR Pro points champion; 2004 RMXCRC Pro points champion; and RMXCRC points champion in Semi-Pro (2002 and 2003) and Sport (2001). He will race in the WPSA Pro classes this winter.
Joe Parsons finished second in MWR Pro (Stock) 440 points last winter and second in Pro Open. He races WPSA Pro Open and Pro Stock.
Derek Ellis finished eighth last season in both MWR Pro Open and Pro (Stock) 440. He will race WPSA Semi-Pro Stock and Sport Open this season.
Rylie Hogue finished second in MWR Semi-Pro (Stock) 440 and fourth in Semi-Pro Open last season. He will race WPSA Semi-Pro Stock and Sport Open this season.
The team’s sponsors include: Polaris, Woody’s, Starting Line Products, B-Line Control, Scott USA, ORE-CAL Land Development, Blue Marble Oil, HMK Boots and Carlisle Belts. The team is incorporated as Rocky Mountain Motorsports LLC and its website address is: www.rmsnocross.com.
About Polaris
With annual 2005 sales of $1.9 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. 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 in-roads 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. 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.