Polaris Signs WORCS Pro Racer Doug Eichner

[GE4x4]

Minneapolis, February 28, 2007 –Polaris today announced the company has signed World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) Pro Doug Eichner to race the Outlaw 525. Eichner will run the No. 1 plate and should continue the success of Independent rear suspension (IRS) on the WORCS trails.

“Polaris is excited to have a presence in the Pro class for the 2007 WORCS season,” said Jeff LeFever, marketing manager for Polaris. “Doug is a world-class champion whose riding style is complementary to what the Outlaw 525 offers, speed and suspension.”

Eichner has been involved in racing for more than 30 years and is best known for winning the 12-hour Ponte De Vaux in France seven times. He has competed successfully in many other different racing circuits including winning the Mickey Thompson Offroad Championship, the GNC open-Pro Championship three times, White Brothers 4-stroke World Championship three times, SCORE’s Baja 1000, the ITP Quadcross Series and the WORCS Championship five times. In the 2006 WORCS meet, Eichner finished first overall in the nine-race 2006 meet with six first place and three second place finishes.

He's the Bill Ballance of the west coast. Huge signing.

[c450Razy]

there goes his career! lol

[JRP]

Originally posted by c450Razy
there goes his career! lol

hahaha i was thinking the same thing. Hopefully he will prove us wrong..:)

[Dale512]

I think his career is already starting to wind down, maybe his age is catching up to him and he thinks the IRS will help keep him comfortable?

[CHAR250R]

Originally posted by c450Razy
there goes his career! lol

That's a fact. That's what I would want to ride in my senior years, a tank. Must be the money. :rolleyes:

[GE4x4]

I think what might hurt him the most, aftermarket mods. Not much out for the Outaw, so he will be racing many stock parts.

[bradley300]

nah, he's been with roll design so long, i doubt they will drop him just becasue he is on a polaris. my geuss is he will have roll a-arms and fox shocks just like always. in fact polaris signing someone so dedicated to a certain aftermarket company could have been part of the plan

[flyboy62]

why would he want to go with them?!?!:confused:

[ex kid]

$$$$$$$$

[bwamos]

Originally posted by CHAR250R
That's a fact. That's what I would want to ride in my senior years, a tank. Must be the money. :rolleyes:

LoL, you guys crack me up. He's running the #1 plate.. so he must not be that washed up. Also, the 525 Outlaw isn't that heavy. Putting Fox Floats front & rear will shave off a few pounds anyway. I'd wager his quad won't weigh much more than my 300ex.

I guess we'll see.

[Flynbryan19]

Originally posted by bwamos
LoL, you guys crack me up. He's running the #1 plate.. so he must not be that washed up. Also, the 525 Outlaw isn't that heavy. Putting Fox Floats front & rear will shave off a few pounds anyway. I'd wager his quad won't weigh much more than my 300ex.

I guess we'll see.

I believe I remember reading that the 525 outlaw weighs just below 400lbs. 398lbs I think it was. Not unbearable, but thats probably a good 30lbs heavier than his 450R. I wish him luck. I'm interested to see how he does.

[400EXTRA]

Originally posted by c450Razy
there goes his career! lol

YEP :D

[GE4x4]

The 525 weighs 395 and Polaris could of got it to 387 easy. The stock yellow lable wheels with the maxxis radial tires weigh 8lbs more then any of the 450's stock dunflops. So the Outlaw with the same wheels and tires of any 450 would be less then 25lbs heavier other then the YFZ450.

[Flynbryan19]

I was actually trying to take into consideration alittle extra weight on the 450R. They claim like 357lbs for the kicker. So, add 16lbs to that and your up to 373lbs compared to 395 for the Outlaw. Not terrible but still just over 20lbs extra. Again. I'll be interested to see how he does. I'll be pulling for him.

[Rooprick]

At one point he was racing a V-force a few years ago.

[ronnoc47]

I would imagine that they hired him to also help R&D a possible new 450.

[exracer416]

some of you guys and your uneducated hypothesis crack me up....you may be surprised, theyre not racing full on mx. didnt one guy win one of the a-classes on a stock outlaw 500?? i may be wrong but i think so?

[Pappy]

Originally posted by exracer416
some of you guys and your uneducated hypothesis crack me up....you may be surprised, theyre not racing full on mx. didnt one guy win one of the a-classes on a stock outlaw 500?? i may be wrong but i think so?

thats what i was thinking as well. WORCS is a mix type of race correct? could be just the place for the outlaw to shine. i am no polaris fan, but if you all are going to piss and moan about who rides what, we might as well just throw in the towel and go back to 2 models of quads to pick from.

[JOEX]

I've been to a few WORCS races and they seem to be a bit tamer than from the pics i've seen of GNCC and MX races. Not that the WORCS are easy but seem to less grueling than the others.


I think his career is already starting to wind down, maybe his age is catching up to him and he thinks the IRS will help keep him comfortable?
This could be a possibility. I talked to Doug a couple years ago, a real nice guy and from what I got from him was he is nearing retirement or at least slowing down his schedule.

[CannondaleRider]

Doug can win on pretty much everything.

I've watched him ride and race close to every month for the last 2 years, and I believe he will still be able to do well even on an Outlaw 525.

I'd personally rather see him on a Honda then a Polaris, but thats his decision, and I'll support it, as a fan, a fellow racer, and a friend. He's got more determination then any racer I've ever met, and I think he can still show his ability on a Polaris.

The WORCS tracks do have many sections that may allow the Outlaw to shine, the MX sections of the track may be harder for him to be as fast on, but there is rarely ALOT of MX.

I hope he'll prove me right and stay up on the podium.

(Also, yes, Jeff Bertuzzi won the Stock A championship last year on a stock Polaris Outlaw)

[QuadJunkies]

Ill get to witness his WORCS race 1st hand and Im sure you will be seeing an Interview in the near future as well :D

When my Husband raced his Predator he said it felt really nice on the WORCS style racingand is really wanting to try the outlaw out..Its probably not the machine for everyone .
Hes ITCHING to buy the 525 (didnt care for the Predator motor)

I think there is some tracks where it might not shine as well, but I I think at Round 4 will be where this machine will shine....

It will be exciting to see thats for sure !

Im sure if a manufactuer offered 99.9% of us a deal we couldnt refuse, you too would make the switch ;)

[c450Razy]

please take my comment as a joke, doug is a great rider. I think that he is capable of winning on any thing.

I`am shure money was the desiding factor for him.

He may surprize us all and put polar on the racing map.(atleast with him on ot it`s possible)

[JOEX]

Will he still be working with Duncan?

[CannondaleRider]

I recently got a bit of an inside scoop.

He is still working with Duncan. Lenny and the boys are already working on all the major parts for it, and Fox is working on the shocks. Not for sure, but he should be on the Outlaw by WORCS Round 4; Payette, ID.