POLARIS STORSATSAR INFÖR DEN NYA SÄSONGEN

DET RIKIGT RYKER OM POLARIS SATSNING INFÖR DEN KOMMANDE RACINGSÄSONGEN I NORD-AMERIKA.

Team Polaris laddar upp I Nordamerika inför den kommande säsong. Ett nytt namn är att Shaun Crapo kliver av från Ski-Doo blir ny förare igen hos Polaris.
Polaris har pusslat ihop en imponerande lista av nya förare i sitt team och det ser riktigt bra ut, säger givetvis stallbossen Tom Rager.
Och den pressrelease som Polaris skickat till oss på skoter.se lyser av stolthet. Vi låter resten av texten handla om de olika namnen – på engelska.



Top Team Polaris snocross racing teams:

HENTGES RACING
Rager orchestrated the shift of two of the sport’s top Pro racers – TJ Gulla and Levi LaVallee – onto the Hentges Racing team after their previous major sponsor (TEAM Industries) withdrew from racing.

“To me the number one priority was to find a home for Tim Bender, Levi LaVallee, TJ Gulla and Brett Bender,” Rager said. “We put the whole deal together with Hentges Racing and it is going to be a very impressive team.”

There will actually be three race teams under the Hentges Racing banner, each with its own crew chief and race transporter.

“One trailer will have Rob Schatzle as crew chief for Johnny Hentges and Bobby LePage, both Semi-Pro racers,” said Rager. “A second trailer will have Glen Kafka as crew chief for Levi LaVallee and Semi-Pro Chris Kafka, and a third trailer will have Tim Bender as crew chief for TJ Gulla and Semi-Pro racer Brett Bender. Tim Bender will oversee the whole operation as Team Manager.”

“We have 6 great riders – a lot of depth – and we’re looking for big things,”
Tim Bender said. “On top of that, the guys up in Roseau are doing an outstanding job with the race sled – and we’re very excited to be with Polaris this year.”

Team Co-Owner Nate Hentges said snocross and cross-country legend Todd Wolff will have the title of Athlete Manager. “Todd will work with the Semi-Pro racers to bring them along and he’ll work with the Pros on the track to help them choose the best line and get the best starts,” Nate Hentges said. “We’re very excited about this coming season.”

Rager is also optimistic about the Hentges racers’ potential.

“TJ Gulla won a points championship in ‘05, Levi came within a whisper of winning X Games and he won two Pro races last year. We think they’re going to be very strong,” Rager said.

Race fans can follow the team at: www.hentgesracing.com.



SCHEURING SPEED SPORTS
Steve Scheuring, owner of Scheuring Speed Sports, rocked the sport with the May signing of proven Pro-class winner Shaun Crapo to a multi-year deal. Crapo will team with the highly successful long-time Polaris Pro DJ Eckstrom.

“I am extremely excited about bringing Shaun on board as DJ’s teammate. We now have two racers who can win consistently and race for the championship," Scheuring said. “Shaun is a great racer and brings a personality to the team that creates harmony within the team. Shaun was a multiple winner last year in the WPSA Snocross worldwide series in addition to being on the podium numerous times.”

Rager and Eckstrom feel the addition of Crapo to the Scheuring team has the potential for tremendous success.

“Shaun was with us for years, then he was gone and we’re glad to have him back,” said Rager. “Steve Scheuring is a great motivator and we think Steve will really help draw the most out of Shaun’s driving ability.”

Said Eckstrom: "Shaun is a great racer and we'll feed off of each other to elevate both of our careers."

The team’s website is located at: www.scheuring-speedsports.com.

CYCLE WORX
There’s a buzz of anticipation and excitement in the St. Johnsville, New York, shop of the Cycle Worx race team. That’s because Cycle Worx racers will compete on Polaris race sleds this coming season and team co-owners Lisa and Ray Hulten are optimistic about Danny Poirier’s chances of winning the Rock Maple Racing (RMR) Pro-class title.

“My husband Ray raced Polaris sleds years ago and owned 26 Polaris sleds over the years even though he was working at an Arctic Cat shop, so he’s always truly been a big Polaris fan at heart,” said Lisa. “We’re fortunate about how everything came together and we’re thrilled to be working with Polaris and such a professional racing manager as Tom Rager, Sr.”

Poirier grew up one mile from the Ski-doo factory in Valcourt, Quebec, and Lisa said “This is personal for him. He’s on a mission to do well for Polaris. He’s an extremely dedicated racer. There’s no need to push him. He does it all himself and is already training for next season.”


Poirier is a past RMR Pro champion who was runner-up in Pro points last season.

“He has been a dominant force on the Rock Maple circuit,” said Rager. “His joining Polaris along with his Cycle Worx teammates is probably the biggest single thing that’s ever happened to us in Rock Maple racing.”

“And it’s not only just Danny on our team,” Lisa noted. “We also have Cullen Howe, Tyler Sedlmeier and Adam Sedlmeier.”

Howe, who was the RMR Semi-Pro champ two years ago, ran Semi-Pro and ventured into Pro racing for the first time last season. This winter he’ll run Pro classes full-time, as will Tyler Sedlmeier, “and we’d like to see them both in the top five,” said Lisa.

Adam Sedlmeier is a young, extremely talented racer who will step up to run a full Semi-Pro schedule this winter.


TEAM AVALANCHE
Team Avalanche is on the move – literally – as it has relocated its race shop to the West Fargo, ND, area, where it will be able to maintain practice tracks of wood chips and, come winter, snow for extensive testing and practice.

“We understand that testing and riding are the keys to success for our team, and the Fargo location will allow us to maintain practice facilities that are right out side our shop,” said Mike Glefke, co-owner of the team with his wife Bonnie.

Team Avalanche Racing will field strong racers in the top three classes, led by Pro racer Mike Schultz. Last season on the WPSA National circuit, Schultz finished 13th in Pro Open points and 12th in Pro Stock and he’s optimistic about improving on those finishes this coming winter.

“We’re very excited about the team and about bringing back Mike Schultz for his sophomore season. He has already qualified for the Winter X Games based on his performance in Iceland [at the end of last season],” said Glefke.

Tom Rager, Race Manager for Polaris, said Andrew Johnstad, who is joining Team Avalanche and who will run the Semi-Pro classes, “should have a break-out year this year in Semi-Pro.”


“Andrew gives us another solid X Games contender - he should be a top contender in Semi-Pro, said Glefke and we look for David to have a breakout season this year.” he said in reference to Sport class racer David Glefke.

“We’re looking for big things from the team,” the co-owner said. “The chemistry on the team is fantastic and we truly are a team. With the support of Polaris and all of our sponsors, we have the ingredients to put it all together this season.”

Jamie Cheney is the team’s Crew Chief and Chad Kyllo is head mechanic. Additional crew members Mike Burgad and Chris Glefke round out the team.