Polaris Unleashes the Outlaw 500
Company announces Outlaw rider
sponsorships and racing contingency programs
Minneapolis,
MN (2/20/06) - Polaris
Industries today announced its 2006 ATV racing sponsorships,
the continuation of industry's largest ATV contingency
program for Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) ATV
classes, and the addition of a contingency offering
for three races in SCORE International's Off-Road
Racing Series.
Along with re-signing
GNCC Racing Pro Matt Smiley, Polaris has added seven
new factory riders including six new GNCC racers and
one World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) rider.
Most riders will race the newly-released Outlaw, the
first high-performance ATV with independent rear suspension
(PRO-IRS), which should excel on GNCC and WORCS' cross
country courses. With its revolutionary suspension,
unmatched ground clearance and exclusive PRO steering
system, the Outlaw is purpose-built for aggressive
trail riding, making it the perfect off road racer.
The ATV already has received various top honors including
ATV Guide's 2006 ATV of the Year-Sport & Performance,
ATV Rider's Sport ATV of the Year and All-Terrain
Vehicle's 2006 Best New Concept.
"Our expanded 2006
racing roster and contingency program are part of
our ongoing commitment to the high performance ATV
market," said Mike Dougherty, general manager
for the ATV Division at Polaris. "Pairing the
trail tough Outlaw, and its independent rear suspension,
with some of the best riders will break new ground
in off road racing."
GNCC Racer Sponsorships
Polaris re-signed
Matt Smiley, a 13-year veteran and a top five GNCC
racer the last nine consecutive years. Smiley and
his Polaris Predator 500 finished fifth overall in
the GNCC standings for 2005. For 2006, Smiley will
pilot an Outlaw and is backed by Chestnuthill Trailers,
a Polaris dealership in Effort, Penn.
Stephanie Parton is the
second Pro GNCC racer to be added to Polaris roster.
A fan favorite, Parton finished second in the "Women's"
class, only two points out of first. Her racing accomplishments
include 2004 ATVA Female Rider of the Year, Three-Time
Morning Overall Champion, Two-Time Women's National
Champion and she has 34 Women's National wins. Parton's
employer, Don Wood Polaris in Athens, Ohio, also is
a sponsor.
Polaris also has signed
"4-Stroke Stock A" Racer Todd Rothermel,
"Super Senior (50+)" Racer John Gallagher
and will sponsor the Wilson Racing Team. Rothermel
and Gallagher both finished on top of their respective
class standings for 2005. Wilson Racing consists of
"4-Stroke A" Racer Mike Sroka, "Pro
Am" Racer Frank Grimplin and "Youth"
Racer Jerry Welch, who will race a Youth Predator
90. Polaris dealerships supporting the racers include
Schreffler Equipment Inc. in Pittman Penn. (Rothermel),
Bair's Polaris-Victory in North Canton, Ohio (Gallagher)
and Andy's Motorsports in Smithton, Penn. (Wilson
Racing).
The first race of the
2006 GNCC series is The Orange Crush GNCC, March 4-6,
in De Leon Springs, Fla.
WORCS Racer Sponsorship
Expanding its racing roster to the West Coast, Polaris
signed WORCS "Stock A" Racer Jeff Bertuzzi
to blaze the trails on an out-of-the-box Outlaw. A
20-year veteran to racing, Bertuzzi's career highlights
include winning the Desert and MX championship In
Utah in 2000. Bertuzzi also is backed by Polaris Dealer,
Stephen Wade Powersports in St. George, Utah.
Bertuzzi's first race
aboard the Outlaw was WORC's opening weekend, January
20-21, in Phoenix, Arizona, where he took the Stock
A Class by almost six-and-a-half minutes. The Outlaw's
second WORCS outing was in Taft, Calif., resulting
in another victory for Bertuzzi by almost four minutes.
"Polaris is excited
about the early success of the Outlaw on the off-road
racing circuit and we look forward to many more podiums.
Adding the perspective and race experiences of various
racers also provides invaluable information used to
further enhance the machine," added Dougherty.
Contingency Programs
For the 2006 racing season, Polaris also expanded
the company's contingency program with the addition
of the SCORE International Racing Series. The company
is offering the following contingencies for three
SCORE races:
San Felipe 250
First Place: $5,000
Second Place: $1,000
Third Place: $500 |
Baja 500
First Place: $10,000
Second Place: $2,500
Third Place: $1,000 |
Baja 1000
First Place: $25,000
Second Place: $5,000
Third Place: $2,500 |
Polaris also will continue
to offer the largest ATV GNCC contingency program,
offered for all GNCC ATV classes, including youth
racing. The potential pay out for GNCC is more than
$250,000 across all GNCC ATV classes, including the
class champion. The maximum per race pay out is $2000
for the Pro class. Polaris currently is the only manufacturer
offering a contingency program for the Youth circuit.
The potential pay out for Youth is $10,000 and is
available to all three classes, with a maximum per
race pay out of $150.
Upcoming races and details
on the contingency programs are posted on www.polarisperformance.com,
the GNCC Racing Web site, www.gnccracing.com
and SCORE International's Web Site, www.score-international.com.
WORCS racing information can be found at www.worcsracing.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.