Factory Polaris rider Daryl Rath of Rath Racing finished the day strong with an overall Utility Podium position. Rath has been relentless in his hunt for the podium and has continuously finished within one position the entire season.

Rock Run, Patton, Penn. was a new stop on the GNCC National Cross Country Schedule this year, and the name alone was intimidating to most. Racers are given the opportunity to walk a racetrack Friday afternoon to see what they are up against and this track was going to be a challenge with lots of rock sections and long sweeping open grass fields.

Rath didn’t get the start he was hoping for. Following fellow racers into the first turn he know he had his work cut out for him. He continued to charge through the other racers gaining position after position.

With the leader in sight, he experienced a small issue causing him not only to stop but to make a quick repair. Once repaired, he worked twice as hard to regain the time he lost making his way through his fellow competitors and lapped traffic.

With the white flag waving, the riders had one last lap to finish strong. As Rath came out of a short wooded section, he could see second place rider which he followed closely until he saw the opportunity to make a daring inside pass to take over the second place position in his class, and allowing him to finish third overall out of all Utility riders who had entered the event.

When asked about his accomplishment Rath stated, “My finish today proves that the people standing behind me and working with this team are determined to continue to improve this bike and push me to be the best rider I can be. We spend a lot of time testing and trying new things. Fox Shox has been great dialing in my suspension and adapting to the changes Dave and I made to the front end. Also, the weather is starting to cooperate in Minnesota so I can get out and train more on the bike, and my lap times are showing we are improving each round. I just want to keep the momentum going.”

After this round, Rath currently sits third in overall points with just a few points separating the top three positions.

Factory Polaris Rath Partners – Polaris Industries, Rath Racing, Fox Shox, Maxxis, DWT- Douglas Wheel, Baldwin Motorsports, Fly Racing, WPS, SSI Decals, DASA, Quad Tech, Maxima Oils, Hinson Clutch Components, Scott Goggles, CV4, Precision Stabilizers, Powermadd, Faast Handlebars

BRP has entered into a new relationship with National Bank Financial Group to provide promotional retail financing to its retailers throughout Canada.

This new resource enables Canadian dealers who carry Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and boats, Evinrude outboard engines and Can-Am ATV, side-by-side vehicles and roadsters to offer additional competitive retail financing options with expedited approval processes.

National Bank Financial Group is an integrated provider of financial services, combining retail advisory and brokerage services with institutional brokerage, investment banking, corporate finance and securities clearing services for third parties. National Bank Financial Group is present in all regions of Canada and has operations in the U.S. and Europe.

“National Bank Financial Group has been partnering with Canadian businesses for over 150 years to ensure economic growth and development in all regions where it operates,” said Kathleen Zicat, senior vice-president, Sales and service, Retail, National Bank Financial Group. “Consumers are to benefit from this new agreement between two key players in their respective markets.”

“We continue to leverage our relationships with key lending institutions to provide our dealer network the best options for financing when selling our products,” said Yves Leduc, vicepresident and general manager for BRP’s North America division. “Retailers still face many challenges when securing retail financing options for customers. National Bank Financial Group is now a key resource that will ease the selling process for our dealers.”

BRP dealers are well positioned to meet consumer demand and supported with the proper financing resources and buying incentives. From our “Ultimate Playground” demo events to the final purchase, consumers have an enhanced and complete buying experience from BRP.

Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), a privately-held company, is a world leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorised recreational vehicles. Its portfolio of brands and products includes: Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and boats, Evinrude and Johnson outboard engines, Can-Am all-terrain and side-by-side vehicles and roadsters, as well as Rotax engines. BRP products are distributed in more than 100 countries.

The loan of a Polaris EV LSV to John Day Fossil Beds National Monument will enable park staff to test energy self-sufficiency

Recently, at Byron’s John Day Polaris, Jim Hammett, Superintendent of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and Scott Ritner, the National Park Service Ranger at Painted Hills, took delivery of an electric Low Speed Vehicle from Polaris Industries.

The vehicle, a Polaris EV LSV, will be on loan to the park for a year and will enable the park to test whether the Painted Hills Unit of the monument, located near Mitchell, Oregon, can become carbon neutral in its operation and self-sufficient in its energy use.

With the recently completed construction of a new park house that generates far more energy than it uses, park staff hoped to make the Painted Hills Unit carbon-neutral and energy self-sufficient in housing, administration and transportation.

Due to fiscal constraints, the monument did not have sufficient funding this year to both construct the house and purchase a rechargeable electric vehicle. However, through a generous loan from Polaris, they will be able to test their energy calculations in the coming months and see if reality will match engineering calculations.

Creating a renewable energy economy is one of the nation’s top goals, and one which the Interior Department and National Park Service takes seriously. Last year, Jon Jarvis, the NPS Director, challenged each park superintendent, “…to reduce their carbon footprints, to set a very high standard for carbon neutrality, and to be an example of sustainability for the entire world.”

John Day Fossil Beds took this challenge seriously. “I think we have a shot at being one of the very first park units with moderately high visitation to be carbon neutral and energy self-sufficient,” said Superintendent Hammett. “Our engineer that did the initial energy calculations showing it was possible used a Chevy Volt as his basis for calculating transportation energy. Obviously, for the gravel roads at Painted Hills, and for transporting trash and maintenance supplies, a Chevy Volt is not very practical. This is why we are thrilled with this generous loan from Polaris – we will have a very functional electric vehicle, ideally suited for our Painted Hills ranger, and we’ll be able to plug it in at the house and use the surplus solar-based energy it generates to charge it.”

The Polaris EV LSV, includes the necessary features to classify the vehicle as a low speed vehicle per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, such as a horn, turn signals, automotive-quality windshield and rear view mirror.

The unit features a 30-horsepower electric motor, up to a 50-mile range, 25 mph top speed, 1,000-pound payload capacity, 1,250 lbs. of towing and a 500-lb cargo box. The unit can be used in three modes; High for speed, Low for towing and hauling, and Max for maximum range to ensure the best use of power and battery life for any application.

The Polaris EV LSV also has VersaTrac with one-wheel, rear-wheel drive for a tighter turning radius that is easier on terrain.

Walker Evans Racing was out in full force at Rounds 5 and 6 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) with their RANGER RZR XP 900 and new V8 Pro Lite truck.

R.J. Anderson was trying to be the first to win UTV, Super Lite and Pro Lite classes in a weekend, and was successful in UTV and Super Lite, but ended up with a fourth place finish in Pro Lite on Sunday.

In Saturday’s Pro Unlimited UTV race, Anderson took second despite not being able to practice on Friday. On Sunday, he battled his way to the front of the class for the win for his second first place finish and third podium appearance.

He had won the Super Lite Class on Saturday in his new #37 Walker Evans Racing / SoCal Super Trucks/ Polaris Super Lite truck. Anderson sits in second for the LOORRS UTV series.

This holiday weekend, thousands of recreational off-highway vehicle enthusiasts will explore trails, deserts and public lands across the country, and ROHVA is calling on all drivers to be safe and responsible while having fun.
   
“Recreational off-highway vehicles are a great way for families and friends to enjoy time together in the great outdoors,” said Paul Vitrano, executive vice president of the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association. “But along with that fun comes the responsibility to drive safely and preserve the environment. ROHVA leads the way in providing ROV enthusiasts with valuable safety education, tips and resources that are available anytime online at www.rohva.org”.
 
Visitors to the website can take ROHVA’s award-winning ROV E-Course. The online training is a free, multi-media, interactive safety course that addresses the risks when driving an ROV and reinforces safe practices that will reduce the chance risk of injury.

A recent study determined that 98 percent of ROV crashes involved at least one of the warned-against behaviors found in ROV operator manuals.

These behaviors include doing stunts, riding at excessive speeds, riding on paved roads, using alcohol or drugs while driving, improper seating of passengers, failing to wear a helmet and failing to wear a seat belt.

The study also found that 23 percent of crashes involved drivers under the recommended age. ROHVA recommends that anyone under the age of 16, or without a driver’s license, should not operate an ROV.
 
“The Safety Rules found at www.rohva.org are common-sense guidelines that everyone should review and follow whenever they drive an ROV,” Vitrano said.  “Those seven rules are key to the safe enjoyment of these great vehicles.”  Those rules are:  

– Always fasten your seat belt, wear a helmet and other protective gear and keep all parts of your body inside the ROV.

– Avoid paved surfaces. ROVs are designed to be operated off-highway.

– Drive only in designated areas, at a safe speed, and use care when turning and crossing slopes.

– Never drive or ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

– Never drive an ROV unless you’re 16 or older and have a valid driver’s license. ROVs are not toys.

– Never carry more passengers than the ROV is designed for, and never allow a passenger who is too small to sit in a passenger seat to ride in the ROV.

– Read and follow the operator’s manual and warning labels.

Sometimes referred to as side-by-sides or utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), ROVs are motorized off-highway vehicles designed to travel on four or more non-highway tires, with a steering wheel, non-straddle seating, seat belts, an occupant-protective structure, and engine displacement up to 1,000cc. Current models are designed with seats for a driver and one or more passengers. ROVs are used for a variety of outdoor recreational activities as well as many work applications.

The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association is a national industry organization that promotes the safe and responsible use of ROVs. ROHVA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop equipment, configuration and performance standards. Based in Irvine, Calif., the not-for-profit association is sponsored by Arctic Cat, BRP, Kawasaki, Polaris and Yamaha. For more information visit www.rohva.org.

Polaris Off-Road Vehicles would like to congratulate and thank NASCAR Driver Carl Edwards and Roush Fenway Racing for an outstanding performance in their Polaris-sponsored No. 60 Ford Mustang this weekend at the Nationwide Series, Iowa 250 held on May 22.

Edwards and Roush Fenway put on an outstanding performance in the No. 60 Polaris Off-Road Vehicles car finishing in second place after leading much of the race.

Polaris Off-Road Vehicles is proud to have sponsored Carl Edwards and Roush Fenway Racing this weekend and thanks them for the opportunity.