Can-Am ATV and side-by-side racers competed at the 2014 Heartland Challenge endurance race, the Vegas To Reno Best In The Desert series and round eight of the New England ATV Motocross series, earning podiums in all three events.

“Our team of Can-Am ATV and side-by-side racers had a busy-but-successful weekend across the US. The Murrays earned a hard-fought third-place finish in a very difficult Vegas-to-Reno race while our other sibling teams, in the Pratts and Millers, notched big wins in Iowa,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “From endurance racing in Iowa and the Nevada desert to motocross in Maine, our racers again proved Can-Am is an excellent choice for serious competitors.”

Heartland Challenge

The 2014 Heartland Challenge endurance race in Carlisle, Iowa, featured classes for side-by-sides and both 4×4 and sport ATVs. Three classes (800cc, 900cc and Open) of side-by-sides competed during a four-hour format, while the ATVs, which included Pro, Series Challenge, 4×4, Ironman, Women’s and age classes ran for 10 hours.

Marcus and Mouse Pratt of Team Jack’s Excavating / Can-Am won the UTV Open class in their Maverick. The Pratt brothers excelled during the four-hour side-by-side portion of the Heartland Challenge, winning their class and taking the overall victory as well.

The team didn’t get the best start and ended up taking a wrong line, which ultimately forced them to make up time. However, they stayed focused, remained patient and meticulously picked off competitors one at a time on their way to the front.

“We had a hiccup at the beginning, but we just took our time and started picking them off one at a time and conserving our vehicle. The Maverick was unbelievable today, and between Mouse and it, they were a force to be reckoned with today,” said Marcus Pratt.

Hunter Miller and Cody Miller (Louis Powersports / Can-Am) competed In the ATV Series Challenge class, representing Team Texas Quad Racing Association (TQRA). The two-man team won their class and ended up second overall, logging 36 laps in a time of 10:11.01.

“We had an awesome race. Our Can-Am DS 450s ran great with Elka shocks. We just tried to keep it consistent, because it got a little rough at the end. We got the lead after about eight laps and just ran a good race and took the win,” said Cody Miller.

Team Trantham (Kevin Trantham and Mike Edwards) claimed the 4×4 Pro class win for Can-Am and took fourth overall out of 70 teams. The team led the 4×4 pro class from start to finish, and ran so well that they used the same Outlander for all 10 hours. The Hicklin Elite team claimed second in the 4×4 Pro class on a Renegade 4×4.

BITD Vegas To Reno

The No.1917 Murray Racing / Can-Am Maverick piloted by brothers Derek and Jason Murray, claimed third in the 1900 P class at the 2014 General Tire BITD Vegas-To-Reno race. The Murrays compiled a time 25 minutes faster than their winning time of a year ago, but the 2014 V2R course was more challenging and competition more fierce.

Derek Murray started in 18th and covered the first 200 miles rather easily, picking off roughly 10 other teams along the way. Jason took control from there and, over the course of 200 miles, put the team into third place. With Derek back behind the wheel, the team held onto the No. 3 spot all the way to the finish. It was the Murray’s best BITD finish of the year.

“The Can-Am Maverick ran great out there, especially with all the elevation changes,” said Jason Murray. “It feels great to get a third-place finish with this race counting for double points. It really gives our team a good boost of motivation for the rest of the racing season.”

NEATV-MX 8

The NEATV-MX series stopped at MX207 in Lyman, Maine, for round eight, a rain make-up date. Can-Am racers Travis Moore, the defending Pro class champion, and Mike Troiano both scored podiums. Travis Moore tallied 4-3 moto finishes for third place in the Pro class, allowing him to keep his points lead. Troiano returned to the NEATV-MX series after taking a personal break. He notched his first Pro-Am overall victory with a 2-1 scorecard.

“It’s super exciting to be able to get my first overall win and especially on the Can-Am, which I love racing. This year has been super hard on me. I just needed some personal time to take off from racing and recoup, and it showed here today,” said Troiano.

For more information on 2014 Can-Am racing, the contingency program and all amateur racer support programs, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII), the leading manufacturer of off-road vehicles, today announced the company has donated a customized pink RZR XP 1000 to the American Cancer Society as part of their Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign.

“Too many of us have been affected by cancer, whether through a personal battle or an afflicted neighbor, co-worker or family member,” said Scott Wine, Polaris’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The American Cancer Society works tirelessly toward the eradication of this dreaded disease, and we hope that, through this donation, we can help them raise the funds needed to continue this noble fight.”

Unveiled at the 2015 Polaris Summer Dealer Show in Minneapolis, Minn., the one-of-a-kind RZR XP 1000, valued at approximately $32,000, is customized with Polaris Engineered Accessories such as brush guards, Polaris Pro HD 4500 LB Winch, MTX Audio Kit, 35-inch LED Light Bar, performance seats, HEXLR 15″ Titanium rims with Kanati Mongrel tires, a custom pink graphics package and several other custom accessories. The vehicle will be raffled off at the American Cancer Society’s Legacy Ball, at the Minneapolis Depot, on October 25.

Interested parties can view the vehicle and purchase raffle tickets $20 each at several events throughout the state of Minnesota including:

– Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kick-off, DoubleTree – Bloomington, Aug.13
– Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 21-Sept. 1
– Hay Days, North Branch, Sept. 6-7
– Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Duluth, Sept. 27
– Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Lake Nokomis, in Minneapolis, Oct. 11
– Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, St. Cloud, Oct. 18
– Legacy Ball, The Depot in Minneapolis, Oct. 25

“The American Cancer Society sincerely thanks Polaris Industries for their generous donation. The funds raised through the raffle of this Polaris RZR will help the American Cancer Society get one step closer to finishing the fight against cancer,” said the American Cancer Society’s Executive Vice President – Midwest Division, Dave Benson. “We are excited to continue this partnership with a company that shares our commitment to the community.”

Last year nearly 2,000 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer participants raised more than $250,000 in Minneapolis alone for the American Cancer Society to support breast cancer research, offer free patient/caregiver services, provide in-depth cancer information, and support legislative advocacy to make sure all women have access to the care they need.

This year, more than 3,800 women in Minnesota will be diagnosed with breast cancer. An estimated 232,670 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2014, and approximately 40,000 will die from the disease.

Since 1993, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer has been the American Cancer Society’s rallying cry to build awareness and generate funds to fight breast cancer. In that time, 10 million walkers in nearly 300 communities across the nation have collected more than $594 million.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2013 sales of $3.8 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER and RZR side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles. Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory and Indian Motorcycle brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global on-road small electric/hybrid powered vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Goupil Industrie SA, Aixam Mega S.A.S., and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Polaris Engineered Parts, Accessories and Apparel, Klim branded apparel and ORV accessories under the Kolpin and Cycle Country brands. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PII, and the Company is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime at www.polaris.com.

Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE:PII) received a one-of-a-kind print from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in appreciation for its commitment to a 10-year partnership to provide age-appropriate vehicles, safety equipment and safety instruction to BSA camps across the nation.

This token of appreciation was presented during a special ceremony at Polaris’ 60th Anniversary celebration held in Minneapolis.

“Polaris, like so many of the partners that the Boy Scouts of America has, represents the best when it comes to the growth of young people,” said Brad Farmer, BSA Assistant Chief of Scouts, during the ceremony. “We are proud of this partnership with Polaris that helps us in our commitment to provide programs that build the character of young people and train them for life.”

The original print presented to Polaris Chairman and CEO Scott Wine and Polaris President and COO Bennett Morgan during the ceremony was created by award-winning artist Greg Newbold, who has also created cover art for several issues of BSA’s Boys Life and Scouting Life magazines.

“Polaris is excited to partner with the Boys Scouts of America and work together to implement a program that introduces youth to outdoor sports with an emphasis on safety, responsible riding and respect for the environment,” said Wine. “A special thanks to the entire BSA organization for the beautiful print and the opportunity to help educate the youth of today on these important issues.”

The partnership, which began this spring, stems from Polaris’ commitment to promoting youth safety on its products, environmental respect and the benefits of outdoor activities. Available to BSA’s almost 3 million youth members, the Polaris ATV Safety Program will teach basic riding practices and offer participants a chance to earn safety patches.

Vehicles provided through the program include the easy-to-use Phoenix 200s and Sportsman 570 EXTs. As part of the donation, Polaris will adjust models as needed and replace older units over time to ensure that Scouts always have the most up-to-date and age-appropriate vehicles available.

This partnership with BSA builds on Polaris’ strong history of supporting youth-focused off-road vehicle safety programs including Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, the Salvation Army’s Northwood’s Camp, Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux and the Michigan Department of Resources and sponsorships of 4-H Traveling ATV Safety Classrooms.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2013 sales of $3.8 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER and RZR side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles. Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory and Indian Motorcycle brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global on-road small electric/hybrid powered vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Goupil Industrie SA, Aixam Mega S.A.S., and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Polaris Engineered Parts, Accessories and Apparel, Klim branded apparel and ORV accessories under the Kolpin and Cycle Country brands. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PII, and the Company is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime at www.polaris.com.

Yamaha Racing’s Chad Wienen captured a historic third straight AMA Pro ATV MX Series Championship last weekend, and his Yamaha and Wienen Motorsports teammate Thomas Brown took third overall for the season.

The pair have been riding their YFZ450Rs to the top of the podium all season capping 2014 with first and third place finishes at the finale at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., on Saturday, August 9. Wienen scored 1-2 on the day for an overall win, while Brown grabbed 2-3 giving him third overall at Loretta’s.

“The 2014 season was one to remember – the entire Wienen Motorsports Yamaha Team worked in sync,” Wienen said. “We were able to accomplish big results this year by winning eight out of the nine rounds for our team. Yamaha has provided us with race-winning performance once again with the 2014 YFZ450R, and we are looking forward to the 2015 season aboard Yamaha again.”

Wienen, who has been collecting championships ever since he mounted a YFZ450R in 2012, scored seven overall wins out of nine rounds this year and finished second in the only two stops he didn’t win.

Brown, who earned second place overall in 2013, has been on the podium all year as well. He landed one of the two wins Wienen missed and nearly secured second place overall again for 2014 missing it by a mere two points.

“Chad and Thomas definitely have a winning formula with their YFZ450Rs, placing them squarely at the top of ATV MX racing for three straight years,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha ATV/SxS group marketing manager. “Yamaha is extremely proud of their accomplishments and their character on and off the race track. These guys know how to race, and they are great representatives of the sport for Yamaha and the Wienen Motorsports team.”

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS) a leader in the motorsports market, makes the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of dealers in the United States. Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia.

For more information on Yamaha, visit www.yamaha-motor.com.