Press Release –

Yoshimura’s ATV Product Manager / Test Rider / PR King Kory Ellis has a new title – “ITP QuadCross Champion.”

After 11 grueling rounds – almost one every month – Kory is top dog in the highly competitive west coast series that brings out all the top contenders from California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and beyond.

“This series is different than the WPSA or GNC,” Ellis said. “Those are true national race series that are based in the eastern and central U.S. They draw the Best of the Best, but the ITP QuadCross is definitely the Best of the West.”

The competition was tough and it was not a cakewalk to defeat riders of the caliber of Dustin Wimmer, Dustin Nelson, Keith Little, Cyle Chislock and Josh Creamer. That said, Kory did walk away with 5 top podium spots.

Things got a little dicey for Kory during the last two rounds. A broken foot slowed him down to a pair of third place positions.

For Kory, the perfect match for his blazing speed was a Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki LT-R450 QuadRacer. Similar to what Team Rockstar, Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper riders Gust, Wimmer and Wienen ride, Kory was able to customize his quad to best suit his riding ability.

So what can we expect to see from this 31 year old from Marietta CA in ’08? Well, it looks like he’s taking a desk job and hanging up his A-arms for good. He’ll be more active with the team and just riding for fun.

“I’ve been racing in National events for 12 years. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of traveling. I’m really enjoying my job with Yoshimura and working with the race team. It’s time to just enjoy it all,” Kory said.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Kory and this achievement,” Yoshimura Vice President Brant Russell commented. “It’s been really fun to watch Kory this year take on this series and pound out the wins. He deserves to go out a champion, because that is what he is.”

Arctic Cat’s new Thundercat appears to have captured the imagination of a sizable number of Big Bore buyers.

We hear T-Cats are in short supply with dealers on a strict allocation program until early next year.

We said it before: ATV buyers are looking upscale and they want more power.

Can Am’s new X Package Renegade 800 is a sweet upgrade.

If you’re looking at the mighty Renegade Eight-Oh-Oh, consider the value in the factory installed X-Package.

There’s tons of cool eye candy here and the Renegade X’s KYB aluminum body, adjustable damping, remote reservoir shocks alone are worth more than the entire upgrade.

Here’s what we noticed: After squeezing the Renegade’s throttle on some tough terrain, the upgraded shocks were not just noticeably better, they were totally amazing.

Act accordingly.

Press Release –

Monster Energy Kawasaki ATV rider Josh Creamer rode two solid motos to finish second overall at the final ITP QuadCross at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif.

At the start of the first moto, Creamer was able to get a good jump and exited the first turn in third.

He stayed close with second place and when the rider made a mistake, Creamer capitalized and moved into the runner-up spot where he would finish the moto.

In moto two, Creamer got an even better start moving into second. He rode consistent and finished the eight-lap race in the runner-up position.

“I was happy with my starts today and my Kawasaki has been running really well,” said Creamer. “Coming to these races has really helped us move forward and make this a bike that you’ll see up front come next season.”

Creamer and the Monster Energy Kawasaki ATV team will compete in select events before making their return to the World PowerSports Association ATV Tour in May 2008.

Visit Kawasaki.com

Press Release –

High Lifter-Polaris Racing is pleased to announce the results of its participation and domination in the recent ATV Mud Run presented by Mudder’s Magazine held at Creek Bottom ATV Off-road Park near Doles, Georgia.

By special invitation, the team traveled from Shreveport, La to South Georgia to compete in the event that included a large number of ATV industry companies and attended by some 2500 riders.

There were 2 basic types of competitions. The Mud-a-Cross conducted in an oval shaped, mud and water filled course and the Mud Bog, a straight line mud and water filled pit.

The winners in both events came from single elimination heat races among the approximately 150 competitors in 8 separate classes.

In the Mud Bog competition, Team High Lifter – Polaris Racing entered 5 classes and won first place in 4 of them.

In two of the classes, the Team swept 1st ,2nd ,and 3rd place. Also of significance is the fact that the Team’s lone female member, Maggie Robertson, not only won the ladies Mud Chic competition but beat most of the guys in the 500 class and RUV classes, taking 2nd and 3rd respectively in those classes as well.

The Team is most grateful to Polaris Industries for its sponsorship and providing it such durable machines.

Despite the demanding conditions and wheel to wheel competition, the team suffered no mechanical malfunctions during the competitions.

For more information, please contact Tracie Engi, Public Relations for the team at tracie@highlifter.com or phone: 318-524-2270 ext. 2060.

Press Release –

Cross-country race veteran Andy Lagzdins captured his first number one plate at the final round of the 2007 OMA Nationals ATV Championship Series at Millerstown, Kentucky.

Lagzdins had set the table for this title by winning five of the previous nine rounds, and needed only to put in a solid finish in the series finale to clinch the championship.

The 38-year-old Baltimore, Maryland, native did just that with a conservative second-place ride, taking the checkered flag less than a minute behind three-time and defending champion Rob Zimmerman.

Lagzdins accomplished this feat despite fracturing his throttle thumb at the third round of the series in May while leading the championship, forcing him to miss the fourth round and ride hurt in the fifth.

But Lagzdins rebounded to put his Duncan Racing-backed Honda 450 back on top of the standings by winning rounds six, eight and nine.

Lagzdins used ITP Holeshot GNCC front and rear tires throughout the 2007 OMA Nationals. His tire choice reliably provided an ideal balance of acceleration, braking and cornering performance, as well as a light feel and smooth ride, which reduces rider fatigue during long stints in the saddle.

Press Release –

The Polaris Outlaw continues to flex its muscle in the racing world, this time by finishing the longest Baja 1000 on its first attempt.

Hancock Racing, consisting of Jeff Hancock, Josh Edwards, Nick Nelson, Brandon Brown, Shane Strunk and Shiloh Strunk, finished the grueling, 1296-mile race in fifth place in the Pro ATV class.

The team ran most of the race in third until an engine issue plagued the team in the last 250 miles.

“Finishing the longest Baja 1000 on our first try is a huge accomplishment,” said Joel Notaro, project engineer for Polaris. “I’d like to thank the team for their dedication to Polaris’ racing efforts and hard work prepping and piloting the Outlaw 525 IRS to its finish.”