Factories provide contingencies

Story by Snowmobile.com Nov. 28, 2007

Snowmobile competition races into new season with new sleds, rules

A big winner in various racing venues last season, Polaris enters the new racing season with a new sled and engine combination to capitalize on new rules and regulations. Gone is the 440cc category. Replacing it is an all-new 600cc class designed to mimic the reality of today’s snowmobiles, where 600cc engined models are the largest selling category.

Like Arctic Cat and Ski-Doo, Polaris announced an all-new 600cc motor specially tuned to power its snocross entries for the 2007-08 racing season. In addition, Polaris recently announced a contingency program worth more than US$350,000 to support its army of Polaris racers in amateur and professional events.

“Polaris is offering one of the sport’s most lucrative racing contingency programs to Polaris racers who this season win weekend titles, season points titles or special events such as the Winter X Games and the Jackson Hole World Championship Snowmobile Hillclimb,” says Polaris spokesperson Marlys Knutson.

Showing strong support for its contingent of Western riders, Polaris offers a prize of US$10,000 for a Polaris ‘hillclimber’ who wins the Stock King of the Hill title at Jackson Hole. This continues Polaris’ long-running support of this historic event, which is viewed as one of the premier events in all of snowmobiling.

Polaris will support other key snowmobile competitions with generous cash awards as well. Among the largest contingency awards for the 2007-08 season are $5,000 for the Pro Open winner at the X Games and $5,000 for the WPSA season points title in Pro 600 (formerly Pro Stock) or Pro Open.

“We view our contingency program as both incentive and reward for our racers,” says Polaris racing manager Tom Rager Sr. “The contingency awards give our racers additional drive to pursue race wins and prestigious titles.”

Polaris racers can get complete details about eligibility and requirements from the Polaris Racing office. More than $350,000 in contingency awards is available to Polaris racers in select snocross, ice oval, cross-country and hillclimb circuits and events.

“We would love to have such overwhelming success that we ended up paying it all out,” says Rager.

Polaris payouts for:

Hillclimbs Polaris hillclimbers can earn contingency money for winning or finishing second at RMSHA events in Stock, Improved Stock, Modified and Master’s classes. Winning an RMSHA King of the Hill title at a weekend event is worth $1,000.

At the premier event in snowmobile hillclimbs, the Jackson Hole World Championship Hillclimb, first place is worth $1,500 and second is worth $750 for Polaris racers in the Stock, Improved Stock and Modified classes. A Polaris racer who wins the King of the Hill title in these classes will earn $10,000 (Stock), $5,000 (Improved Stock) or $5,000 (Modified).

Ice ovals In the Millennium V-Force Challenge, winning a title (Pro Stock 600 or Pro Champ 400) earns a racer $500. On the MIRA circuit, winning the Pro 600 Enduro title is worth $750 in contingency funds, and second place is worth $500.

At the Eagle River World Championships, a Polaris racer will earn $1,000 in contingency funds for winning the Pro Stock 440 or the Pro Stock 600 title, and winning the Pro Champ crown would be worth $2,000.

Special events Polaris racers can also earn contingency awards by winning or earning a podium spot in the sport’s premier events. In the high-profile ESPN Winter X Games, podiums positions are worth contingency awards of $5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second and $1,250 for third.

For winning the Iron Dog race across Alaska, a two-driver team would split $3,000, while a racer who wins the USCC 500 Pro 600 class would earn $3,500.

Snocross With its top classes televised, snocross competitions provides a vast audience for the Polaris snocross race teams, which have good reason for optimism as they approach this coming season. First off, they have momentum provided by last season’s domination of the premier WPSA classes. Polaris racers won the Pro Open, Pro Stock and Pro Women’s titles last winter and earned more podium positions than racers on any other brand of sled.

Says Knutson: “Polaris racers head into the new season on the new 600 IQ Race Sled, which features an improved version of the race-proven IQ chassis and a powerful new Liberty 600 engine.”

Backing up Polaris racers is a support team operating out of a new Polaris Racing technical support transporter, to be on hand at WPSA race events this winter. The 18-wheeler is outfitted with a complete machine shop as well as an assortment of race sled parts. Polaris Racing support technicians are at events to support all Polaris racers.

The transporter also provides Polaris Racing personnel with an on-site workspace where they can conduct meetings and formulate race strategy.

In addition to on-site technical support, Polaris’ US$350,000 contingency program provides Polaris snocross riders with incentives.

Snocross cash available For winning a class title on a Sunday at a WPSA National event, a Polaris racer will earn as much as $3,500 in contingency funds for a win, $1,750 for second and $875 for third place. (These dollar amounts are for the two Pro classes.) In WPSA racing, contingency is available for Sunday wins in these classes: Pro 600, Pro Open, Semi-Pro 600, Semi-Pro Open, Pro Women’s and Master’s (Pro Vet WSA).

Contingency funds are also available for Sunday winners in events on these circuits: Rock Maple Racing (Central Division, points races only), CSRA, SCM and Mountain West Racing. On these circuits, contingency funds are available for class winners in the two (600 and Open) Pro and two Semi-Pro classes.

For winning a WPSA season points title in Pro 600 or Pro Open, a Polaris racer will earn $5,000 in contingency funds; a Semi-Pro points winner (600 and Open) will receive $1,500; and the Pro Women’s and Master’s points champ each qualify for $500 in contingency funds.

For winning a class title on a Sunday at a WPSA National event, a Polaris racer will earn as much as $3,500 in contingency funds for a win, $1,750 for second and $875 for third place. (These dollar amounts are for the two Pro classes.) In WPSA racing, contingency is available for Sunday wins in these classes: Pro 600, Pro Open, Semi-Pro 600, Semi-Pro Open, Pro Women’s and Master’s (Pro Vet WSA).

Snocross awards Contingency funds are also available for Sunday winners in events on these circuits: Rock Maple Racing (Central Division, points races only), CSRA, SCM and Mountain West Racing. On these circuits, contingency funds are available for class winners in the two (600 and Open) Pro and two Semi-Pro classes.

Polaris snocross racers began their quest for titles and contingency rewards last weekend (Nov. 23 to 25) at the traditional WPSA season-opening event at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minn. This was the first of the WPSA’s eight-race national schedule.

The 2007-08 Snocross circuit

The WPSA conducts a series of national races as well as state and regional racing in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Here is the upcoming WPSA National schedule (subject to change):

Jan. 11-13, 2008 Air Force Canterbury Snocross Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn. • This is a Double Header Weekend with two sets of Pro races

Jan. 18-20, 2008 West Yellowstone National West Yellowstone, Mont. • This is a Double Header Weekend with two sets of Pro races • Races are held at the old airport on the edge of town

Jan. 24-27, 2008 ESPN Winter X Games 12 Buttermilk Mountain, Aspen/Snowmass, Colo. • This is an annual invitational, non-points event

Feb. 8-10, 2008 Eastern Championship (New York) • Details to be announced

Feb. 16-17, 2008 Ski-Doo Grand Prix de Valcourt Valcourt, Que. • Racers will compete on a .65-mile snocross track

Feb. 23-24, 2008 RydeFX World Championship Snocross Sarnia, Ont. • Racing will take place at the Hiawatha Horse Track & Entertainment Centre

March 8-9, 2008 BIR National Brainerd, Minn. • Racing will take place on a snocross track built at the famous race facility

March 14-16, 2008 Nielsen Enterprises Grand Finale Lake Geneva, Wis. • Racing is run at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa

April 5-6, 2008 MN/WI Border Battle/CJ Ramstad Memorial Spirit Mountain, Duluth, Minn. • This non-points special event is named in honor of the late snowmobile journalist C.J. Ramstad