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Race team excels
For the last several years Polaris has been on the podium in just about every snocross race across the country and the positive momentum is there again this season. Fortunately, or unfortunately for the Polaris national Pro riders, Arctic Cat’s Tucker Hibbert will be racing the entire season and, barring injuring, is the hands down favorite to win the majority of the races he enters and the points race.
However, Polaris has plenty of snocross weapons of its own.
“We’ve got Ross Martin and TJ Gulla, who we lost to injury after Duluth last season, coming back, and I feel Levi Lavallee will be the healthiest he’s been heading to Duluth in the past two years. With those guys and Brett Bender, well, we’ve got a pretty good ‘front four’, if you will,” said Polaris Snowmobile Racing Manager Tom Rager, Sr. On the Semi-Pro side of the snocross card Polaris has some incredible racers too. “I think we’ll be fine in the Semi-Pro classes as well. Mike Bauer won one championship and was a couple points away from winning the other, and we’ve got Colby Crapo, so we should be pretty well set there, too,” said Rager.
Polaris rider Ross Martin won the Pro Open points title last year and was second in Pro Stock points and was second at the Winter X Games. While Polaris rider Levi LaVallee was second in the Pro Open points race and took home a gold and a bronze medal from the X-games. So there is no doubt that the snocross talent is there for Polaris this year.
In cross country racing Gabe Bunke (See p. 50) continues to ride well for Polaris on the 600 Rush. He was third in the USCC Pro Open points standings last year and hopes to do better this season. Teammate Aaron Christensen finished fourth in the USCC Pro Open points last year and Polaris Vet 30+ rider Corey Davidson won the title for that class last year and plans to capitalize this year.
Team Polaris will also be competing on the ice ovals this year in the USSA Pro Star Oval Racing Series and at the Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby, and the Canadian Power Tobogan championships in Manitoba. Team Wahl will the driving force behind Polaris’ oval endeavors and driver Dustin Wahl leads this small group of elite racers.
Out west, the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association will have plenty of RMK riders in their ranks. Keith Curtis is the top dog for Polaris racers out west and won The RMSHA points titles last year in 600, 700, and 800 Stock and 800 Mod. He was also second in 1000 Stock points and won the 1000 Stock title at Jackson Hole. Riders Cole Willford and Erin Buekelman are also formidable hillclimbers as well and will be on the Red team again this year.