Disabled Vets and Families Treated to a Great Day on the Range

Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) hosted 126 disabled veterans and active duty military personnel plus family members for the 3rd Annual National Family Day.

This was a massive shooting event at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas, on November 13, 2010. In all, over 225 great Americans participated in the all day event.

Additionally, more than 100 volunteers came to support the event from the outdoor industry, VFW posts and surrounding active military units. Other individuals who just wanted to help flew from Seattle and Portland, Ore., and drove from as far away as Tulsa, Okla., and Shreveport, La. All assembled for one purpose – to honor these American Heroes who gave so much for our country.

The event featured stages of fire for sporting shotgun, rifles, pistols and cowboy action. Smiles and good times abounded from the cowboy stages to the rifles from multiple firearm companies with top of the line optics and accessories as they knocked down automatic resetting steel at 100 yards. And there were great looks of accomplishment as resetting steel groundhogs dropped at 50 yards. There was even a tactical shooting course for youngsters with air soft guns.

“We continue to have an incredible sense of pride to be involved in helping these great American Heroes,” said HAVA Chairman, Tom Taylor. “As we see more and more Wounded Warriors in the field and on the line and the smiles it brings to their faces, it is worth all the effort to host these events for HAVA on behalf of the outdoor industry.”

The participants were also treated to an amazing display of shooting skill from Army Marksmanship Unit members SGT Glenn Eller (2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in Double Trap) and multi-national and world champion SSG Josh Richmond.

The Shotgun exhibition was introduced by Multi Shotgun Champion and NBC Olympic Shooting host Shari LeGate. Competitive shooting champions Jerry Miculek and Max Michel wowed the crowd with their competitive and speed shooting skills. They also did a fun competition with participants selected from the attendees.

Hosting sponsors for HAVA and this event were Smith & Wesson, Yamaha, Surefire, Hornady, Mossberg, Leupold, Crimson Trace, FMG Publications and NRA. Other major contributors involved with this event were Corbon, Colt, XS Sights, Aimpoint, Savage, Sig Sauer, LaRue Tactical, Remington and Flip ‘n Targets.

About HAVA:

Easy-to-Navigate Site Features More Product & Fitment Information

The new Pure Polaris website makes it quick, easy and efficient for riders to find the premium-quality accessories and branded apparel they want to enhance their riding experience.

With more information than ever about Pure Polaris products customers can choose from among several easy, flexible ways to search for everything from windshields to plows and full cab enclosures.

Pure Polaris accessories are Polaris and Victory riders’ best choice because they install easily, provide premium fit and finish, and enhance a vehicle’s function.

And with the new site riders have access to the most up-to-date lists of vehicles, making it easy to search only for accessories that fit their ride. Accessories can be found according to product type (performance, comfort, cargo, etc.) or by the vehicle model name or model year.

In addition, there are maintenance guides that will help riders care for and better understand their vehicles, and convenient links that provide access to owner’s manuals and safety and service bulletins. There are also convenient links between Pure Polaris pages and the Polaris and Victory vehicle information pages so consumers can research a vehicle and accessories at the same time.

Accessories and apparel for Polaris off-road vehicles and snowmobiles are featured at www.purepolaris.com

“Our new website gives customers what they’ve asked for: More information that’s easier to find through simple search tools,” said Scott Swenson, Vice President/General Manager PG&A and Snowmobile Division. “We also significantly enhanced the vehicle fit information to ensure it’s clear to customers which accessories fit their specific vehicles.”

The Pure Polaris website gives riders 24/7 access to detailed product information, and after researching products online, a rider can take a list of part numbers to a dealership for a personalized shopping experience.

The new Pure Polaris website features:

• Easy Navigation & Product Searches: Customers can search for Pure Polaris products by product type, by vehicle model name or model year, or by vehicle “Family.”

• Easy to Find Vehicle Info: There are convenient links between vehicle information pages and pages featuring Pure Polaris accessories for those vehicles.

• Easy Vehicle Customization: The Polaris and Victory “Customizer” tool lets customers customize virtual 2010 and 2011 models online. The “Customizer” shows how selected accessories look installed on vehicles, and a list of the accessories can be printed and brought to a dealership.

• Parts & Maintenance: Riders will find Frequently Asked Questions about maintenance procedures, quick reference guides, and videos. There are also links to online parts catalogs, vehicle safety and service bulletins, and the Pure Polaris Oil website.

About Polaris – With annual 2009 sales of $1.6 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use, and has recently introduced a new on-road electric powered neighborhood vehicle. Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry, and one of the largest manufacturers of ORVs 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 inroads 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 MidCap 400 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

Jason Dunkelberger closed out a strong 2010 ITP/Yamaha Quadcross season by capturing the Open Pro class championship.

“Dunk” rode his GoldenWest Cycle.com Yamaha YFZ450R to a clean sweep of both motos at the season finale at Glen Helen Raceway in Devore, California, to lock up the title.

Jason used ITP QuadCross MX tires throughout the series, claiming four overall victories in nine events. The Trevorton, Pennsylvania, native also posted stellar results in the Pro 450 Production class, including an overall victory at round five and finishing the season fourth in points.

Great work, Jason!

Since 1982, ITP has grown into the world’s #1 ATV/UTV aftermarket tire and wheel source, and continues to provide a complete line of innovative tires and wheels for virtually all ATVs and UTVs. For a copy of ITP’s full-color product catalog, call toll-free: 1-800-859-4740. For other inquiries or technical advice, contact ITP at 930-A S. Rockefeller Ave., Ontario, CA 91761; (909) 390-1905. Or visit ITP’s website at www.itptires.com.

National ACT Members Encouraged to Apply for Individual and Chapter Awards

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., is now accepting applications for its annual scholarship program that provides financial assistance to members of the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT).

ACT is a national college student association with more than 350 members located on 17 college and university campuses across the country. ACT’s mission of fostering professional development is at the core of the Yamaha-ACT Scholarship Program, now in its third year.

The Yamaha-ACT Scholarship Program is broken out into two individual student scholarships and one chapter scholarship. All three awards are aimed at helping students attend the annual Agricultural Media Summit (AMS), which is the largest gathering of ag media professionals in the country and is the ACT students’ primary career development networking opportunity each year.

The conference is hosted by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the American Business Media Agri-Council – potential future employers and colleagues of the students.

“This Yamaha scholarship program supports the professional development of ACT students while encouraging these future professional communicators to carry messages of safe, responsible ATV and Side-by-Side vehicle use into their future careers,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV/SxS marketing manager. “We encourage all ACT members to get involved and submit individual and chapter applications for the 2011 program.”

For the 2009-10 program, the University of Florida received Yamaha’s chapter award for the second year in a row, while Kelsey Fletcher of Texas Tech University and Hailey Harroun of Oklahoma State University earned the individual scholarships.

The University of Florida’s award helped cover costs in bringing six students to the 2010 AMS in Minnesota this year, while the individual scholarships covered all travel and accommodations costs, plus more, for both Fletcher and Harroun. The 2011 AMS will be in New Orleans – a city sure to attract students from around the country next summer.

“This scholarship program is continuing to gain steam nationwide especially as more students see how some of the past winners have benefited from it,” said Dr. Jefferson D. Miller, ACT faculty advisor and associate professor of agricultural communications at the University of Arkansas. “The scholarship money is really helpful, but the program also creates great networking and professional development opportunities for the students who intern at Yamaha’s Info Expo booth at AMS.”

Applicants are judged based on merit, need and quality of submission materials by a review committee consisting of Yamaha representatives and members of the AAEA and the LPC. The 2010-2011 application process will run through the end of February and winners will be announced in early May 2011. More information and guidelines, along with the application form, can be found online at www.nactnow.org.

About Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. – 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, race kart engines, 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.

The ITP QuadCross Series comes to Glen Helen Raceway this weekend for the final round of what’s been an exciting season. Champions will be crowned as some of the best riders throughout the West Coast compete for the final time this year.

In the Pro class, Yamaha’s Dustin Nelson hopes to take home his fourth ITP QuadCross championship, though he’ll be facing strong competition in the form of Beau Baron, Jason Dunkleberger, and Justin Noss. The support classes, from the 50cc class all the way up to Pro/Am, will also feature close racing.

The racing won’t be the only exciting part of the weekend, however – prize raffles and giveaways will be taking place on Sunday, and fans in attendance will be able to take part in Yamaha’s Demo Ride. Then after the last moto is run, fans and competitors are invited to stay for the awards ceremony and the special, end-of-season barbeque presented by Yamaha.

Fans of Glen Helen Raceway on Facebook will be able to download a $1 off admission coupon for one of this weekend’s races, and ITP QuadCross racers who bring a friend who hasn’t competed in the QuadCross series before will receive free entry.

With free overnight camping, as well as the exciting Lucas Oil Regional Glen Helen Short Course Series racing on Saturday, Glen Helen Raceway will be a great setting for a fun weekend away from the house.

For more details, check out:

www.itpquadcross.com
www.glenhelen.com
www.facebook.com/glenhelenraceway

Glen Helen Raceway: Glen Helen Raceway is the premier Off-Road Racing facility in Southern California and is known as a world class racing facility. The 256 acre facility located near the San Bernardino County town of Devore, has featured Motocross, Sand Drags, Short and Long Course Buggies & Trucks, AMA 125/250 MX Nationals, Pro ATV Racing, Off Road G.P. and Endurance races, and the FIM United States Grand Prix, World Championship Motocross event.