Polaris Snocross Racers Use Strong Canterbury Finishes to Position Themselves for Points Races
Press Release –
Polaris snocross racers earned podium spots in all four premiere race classes and amassed valuable points in ISOC racing at the Air Force National presented by Polaris on January 9-11.
The race held at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, was the final race before a mid-season break in the ISOC schedule, and Polaris Pro and Semi-Pro racers are poised for a second-half push toward several points titles.
In Semi-Pro racing at Canterbury, Derek Ellis (Avalanche Racing) of Clayton, Idaho finished third in both the Open and Super Stock classes.
Reaching the podium in the Pro classes were Hentges Racing teammates TJ Gulla of South Hero, Vermont, who took third in Pro Open, and Levi LaVallee of Longville, Minnesota, who was third in Pro Super Stock.
Gulla is currently second in Pro Open points while LaVallee is second in Pro Super Stock points.
PRO OPEN: Five in the Top 10 at Shakopee
The Polaris racers competing aboard their 600 IQ® Race Sleds powered by Liberty® 600 engines earned half of the top 10 finishing spots in Pro Open.
Gulla took third and was followed by LaVallee in fourth, Ross Martin (Judnick Motorsports) in fifth, Brett Bender (Hentges Racing) in sixth, and DJ Eckstrom (Amsoil/US Air Force) in eighth.
Martin is third in Pro Open points heading into the break. He is the defending points champion in the class.
PRO SUPER STOCK: Polaris Racers Dominate the Points Race
In Pro Super Stock, Polaris racers filled six of the top 10 places at Canterbury, and there are six Polaris racers among the top nine spots in the points race.
In racing at Canterbury, LaVallee finished third followed by Bender in fourth, Eckstrom in fifth, Shaun Crapo (Amsoil/US Air Force) in sixth, Bobby LePage (Hentges Racing) in eighth and Matt Judnick (Judnick Motorsports) in ninth.
In the Super Stock points race, LaVallee is second, Eckstrom is third and Crapo is sixth, followed by Martin (seventh), Gulla (eighth) and Judnick (ninth).
SEMI-PRO OPEN: Polaris Racers Finish Strong
Six Polaris racers finished among the top 10 in Semi-Pro Open as they earned key points to get in position for a second-half run for the points title.
Derek Ellis finished third at Canterbury followed by Chris Kafka (Hentges Racing) in fifth, Mike Bauer (Judnick Motorsports) in sixth, Bobby LePage (Hentges Racing) in eighth, Matt Bristow (Bristow Racing) in ninth and Dylan Martin (Martin Racing Inc.) in 10th. LePage is currently second in points, Kafka is fourth and Martin is 10th.
SEMI-PRO SUPER STOCK: Ellis Earns Another Podium Position
Polaris placed three racers in the top 10 in Semi-Pro Super Stock at Canterbury, with Derek Ellis earning his second podium position with another third-place finish on the weekend.
Mike Bauer (Judnick Motorsports) finished eighth and Dylan Martin finished in 10th. Martin is currently third in Super Stock points and Kafka is eighth.
X Games, Then the Final Push
The sport’s leading racers will compete in the ESPN Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado, January 22-25. This if a non-points event, but because it is televised live worldwide, it’s a prestigious, high-profile event.
The ISOC National Tour resumes February 6-8 with the Brainerd (MN) International Raceway National, the first of five races in the final seven weeks of the season. This late-season cluster of events is when the points titles will be determined.
About Polaris – With annual 2007 sales of $1.8 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all terrain vehicles (ATVs), including the Polaris RANGER™, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles 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 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 are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.
