Press Release –

While most high school juniors hope to scrounge up gas money or get a prom date, Polaris snowmobile racer Nick Van Strydonk is focused on loftier goals such as adding a snowmobile racing World Championship to his already impressive resume.

Just 17 years old and a high school junior, Van Strydonk was recently named “Driver of the Year” for the USSA racing circuit, and the T & N Racing team for which he runs was named USSA Family of the Year.

Van Strydonk won season points titles in the Pro Champ 440, Pro Sprint 600 and the Semi-Pro Champ classes and was the overall High Point Driver of the season on the USSA circuit.

Despite this remarkable success in just his second season of competing in any Pro classes, Van Strydonk still has a major goal in racing: A World Championship at the Eagle River [WI] Snowmobile Derby, the historic race contested a short drive from Van Strydonk’s home in Tomahawk, Wisconsin.

“Nick really wanted to be the youngest kid ever to qualify for the World Championship, and he wanted so bad to win it this year,” said his father, Alan Van Strydonk, whose Polaris-Victory dealership in Tomahawk is Erv’s Sales & Service. “He also wanted to be the youngest kid to ever win a Pro Champ race, which he did this season.”

Nick qualified for the prestigious World Championship at the 2008 Derby, but finished 10th in his first try for the sport’s oval racing hold grail. That finish did nothing to diminish his confidence or long-term goals.

“I was confident enough that I would make the race at Eagle and pretty confident that we would finish in the top three, but that was short-lived,” he said.

“It was [largely] because of the cold weather. It was the coldest day of the season so far, and I have trouble finding gloves to keep my hands warm… My hands got so cold I couldn’t feel them anymore and I hit a rut in Turn 1 and my handlebars broke right off. That was on lap 18 [of 25]”

But he got a taste – at a very young age – of competing in the World Championship, and he plans to return year after year. He hopes to not only match the current record of three career WC wins, but to surpass it and win the title five times.

“To win an Eagle River World Championship was always my ultimate goal.”

Early Start to Racing Career

Van Strydonk got started in racing at age 4, after him and his father discovered youngsters racing youth-sized snowmobiles on a lake near Minocqua, Wisconsin. They returned the following week with Nick’s sled and he won his first time out.

He proceeded through several levels of youth racing, and then ran in the USSA Junior classes. Four years ago he was named USSA Junior Racer of the Year and he soon began racing in Semi-Pro classes.

During the 2006-2007 race season, the Van Strydonks petitioned USSA officials to allow Nick to run in some Pro classes. He wasn’t yet old enough, but the family felt he was ready, and he proved as much by winning several Pro-class races on other race circuits before the USSA season got underway.

“The older racers didn’t want me there at all at first, but as the season went on, they accepted me as one of their own based on my performance and didn’t care about age,” Nick said.

Historic 2006-’07 Race Season

He split time between the Pro and Semi-Pro classes last season, and in January 2007 he made history on the legendary ice oval at Eagle River by winning four classes at the 2007 Eagle River Derby – Pro Sprint 600 and 500 and Semi-Pro Sprint 600 and 500. That tied the record for most class titles at a single Derby, and was a highlight of a season that included 36 first-place finishes.

This winter Van Strydonk achieved goals of winning a Pro Champ 440 race and of qualifying for the World Championship. He competes on sleds comprised of Wahl Bros. racing chassis powered by LRM-built Polaris Liberty® engines. His sponsors include Polaris, River Valley State Bank, Advance Compressor Technologies, Woody’s, LRM, Blue Marble Oil, Castle and Spy.

Pro Champ 440 is his favorite class because of “the speed, how the sled handles and the competition,” he said.

Time to Avoid the Garage & Run

Van Strydonk said few of his high school friends understand the racing success he has had so far. But with the race season completed, he’ll now spend more time with friends and the Tomahawk High School track team than in the garage prepping his race sleds.

“Right now my focus is to stay out of the garage,” he laughed. “I have spent too many months in there. Right now I’m focusing on track, school work and working. I work construction for my uncle.”

He runs pretty much any event they ask him to at track meets, and is extremely excited for his senior cross-country season next fall. He is the team’s No. 1 runner, and since the top four team members will be seniors next season, they are determined to return to the Wisconsin state meet.

Once his cross-country season ends, he’ll head back to garage to prep his sleds and focus anew on his ultimate goal, that of World Champion.

Press Release –

The all-new king of back-country riding, the 2009 Polaris 800 Assault RMK, will be in extremely capable hands as it gets launched, hucked, whipped and powered through wind whipped cornices and spring powder for the next batch of extreme back-country videos.

The purpose built 2009 800 Assault RMK will be ridden by professional athletes including Randy Sherman, Dan Adams, Dan Phillips and snowmobile distance jumping world record holder Paul Thacker this coming spring and next winter for some of the most talented back-country snowmobile video producers in the world.

These riders make their living by piloting snowmobiles off mountain ledges, by soaring over crests between peaks and by whipping their sleds after ripping uphill through cornices. To do so they need the ultimate combination of power, toughness and handling in some of the most precarious situations, and the new 800 Assault RMK delivers.

The Assault is a race-bred RMK chassis powered by the 154-Hp, liquid-cooled Liberty® 800 Cleanfire4™ twin. Exclusive premium Walker Evans shocks can be found on all four locations, including all new piggy-back Walker Air shocks up front. For the ultimate traction in spring snow conditions, the Assault RMK rides on an aggressive 146” Competition track with 2.125” lugs.

As soon as the new Assault became available, some of the sport’s best xtreme riders headed for the back-country with film crews to shoot videos that will be available starting this fall.

The featured riders who will be piloting the Assault for the cameras include:

Paul Thacker: In February 2007, this Alaskan braved a blinding snowstorm to set a snowmobile distance jumping record of 245 feet on a Polaris IQ sled. One year later (February 16, 2008), he re-set the record with a jump of 271 feet. Both records were set at a Shakopee, Minnesota, race track, but Paul is much more at home at high altitudes, in deep snow, wringing the power out of an Assault while launching huge jumps and soaring over peaks for the Slednecks cameras.

Randy Sherman: As soon as an Assault was made available, Randy left his Anchorage, Alaska, home and met the Compound Films crew in the Colorado Rockies. He flight-checked the Assault and gave it a double thumbs-up. Videos of his first rides – which are loaded with jumps and whips – are featured on the Polaris website. Randy is featured in several Slednecks films, was featured in the “2 Stroke Cold Smoke” videos and can be seen in clips on YouTube.

Dan Adams: This Wyoming-born Slednecks team rider is at home on deep snow and soaring high above it. He has been featured in numerous xtreme riding films and is considered by many to be the God Father of backcountry free riding.

Dan Phillips: Dan is a veteran of numerous xtreme riding films, including “2 Stroke Cold Smoke” videos, and he competed in the 2006 Red Bull Fuel + Fury competition. Dan currently wrings out his custom Polaris in the backcountry of Alaska and is eager to get aboard the new Assault RMK.

The new 800 Assault RMK 146 is current available for order during the Polaris First to Own Snow Check program. Details about the new sled – including action videos from the Randy Sherman Sessions in Colorado – as well as a dealer locator are available at www.polarisindustries.com.

Press Release –

The 2008 CSRA race season is coming to a close with the CSRA National Finals at Horseshoe Resort on April 5-6.

This year the Ryde-FX National Snowcross Championships will be bigger and better than ever with more special events for racers and spectators.

Be sure to invite all your friends to this world class event and facility.

Horseshoe Resort 1-705-835-2790 – www.horseshoeresort.com

NEW EVENTS AT HORSESHOE

– ATV Quad Terrain Racing with 4X4 ATVs. Try it!!! (See enclosed rules & entry form).
– (3) Vintage Snowmobile racing classes. Invite dad !!! (see enclosed rules & entry form).
– Free Yamaha Power Tour Snowmobile demo rides.
– See the Yamaha USA Factory Team in action.
– Free Ski-doo Test rides on the new Ski-doo E-TEC 600 and the new 1200cc 4-TEC Four Stroke snowmobiles.

The CSRA / CPRA will be promoting (2) Quad Terrain Racing classes on Sunday April 6 at Horseshoe Resort.

The Quad Terrain racing course will be a closed course with a variety of challenging terrain including small jumps, logs, rocks, snow, dirt, etc.

ATV Race Classes:

At Horseshoe there will be (2) racing classes for 4X4 Sport Utility ATVs.

– Sport 0-600cc 4X4
– Sport 0-800cc 4X4

ATV Rules & Safety requirements:

– ATVs must have a number plate and race number on the front and rear.
(Number Plates and race numbers are available on site at the CSRA concession trailer).
– ATVs must have a functional tether cord kill switch and thumb operated kill switch..
– Head lights and tail light must be covered with clear tape.
– Studs are not permitted.
– Maximum width is 50” inches.
– Cargo racks and seat back supports must be removed if possible.
– Suitable OEM Floorboards or after market Nerf bars are required to prevent the riders feet from
going below the foot mounts.

ATV Competitor Rules:

– Must be 18 years of age or older unless approved by the CSRA / CPRA race director.
– Must wear a DOT 2000, SNELL M 2000 or 2005 approved Full coverage Helmet and goggles.
– Must wear a MX Chest protector or Tekvest.
(Helmet & Tekvest rentals are available on site at the CSRA trailer).
– Must wear protective pants and long sleeve jersey or jacket and protective boots.

Notice to ATV racers:

No one except riders officially entered may ride or practice on any portion of the course or property.

Practice or warm up is limited to the designated competition course during designated times. Competitors riding or allowing their machines to be ridden, outside these boundaries will be excluded from the event.

See the Quad Terrain Entry form to register in advance at Snowcross.com