the blair watch project continuesamp8230
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Although nobody in the industry will talk to us on the record, it would seem by the subtle pauses and sighs during conversation that perhaps Blair Morgan will not be riding an Arctic Cat factory sled this coming season. To date, we have heard many rumors and speculations about where the guy will end up, but our gut feeling has him on a Ski-Doo by the time Spirit Mountain comes.
Why Ski-Doo? Well, Polaris officials seemed unsure about how much they wanted to gamble on their sled by signing a proven winner. "If he loses, whether he fell off or got boxed out in a corner, the perception would be that it was the sled's fault," commented an anonymous rep. Plus, Polaris has been systematically picking up a full contingent of up-and-coming racers as well as seasoned talent to mentor the kids. The pockets must be getting empty.
Ski-Doo lost its best shot at the title when Vincent and Warnert Racing parted company last winter. The yellow guys need a marquee rider in their stable, and have the power of Bombardier's checkbook to back it up. The MX Z has proven itself a winner in the past couple of years, giving little reason to doubt whether Blair could succeed on it.
Why not stay at Arctic Cat? Money. Blair's a racer, not a snowmobiler. That makes a difference in the scheme of things. While a sledhead may stay with a brand just because it's what he or she started riding as a kid, a racer has to be more interested in winning and making money. There's a relatively small window of opportunity for a racer to cash in on his or her talents and when there's a chance to earn more, a racer's gotta do what a racer's gotta do.
From the sounds of things, Arctic Cat has presented its offer, and that's that. When you've got the boss' kid whacking the daylights out of the circuit in between term papers, why put an outrageous amount of money into another rider who may be peaking any season? It doesn't make a lot of financial sense.
And so, we close this week's installment of the Blair Watch Project. There hasn't been any indication of a decision being made, nor any inkling of a timeline. All we can do is sit back and wait.