Mixing two engine technologies together is where Polaris has staked its claim. With Ski-Doo diving head first into clean 2-stroke water and Yamaha with all its eggs in the 4-stroke basket, Polaris has elected to keep its feet on both sides of the fence.

Interestingly, the company’s new clean 755 and 900 2-strokes are not its most profiled models, rather, an EPA compliant, re-invented 600 2-stroke is capturing all the attention.

Both the FST 4-stroke turbo and the lower performance FS work exceptionally well. With 80HP on tap, the FS is targeted at the Polaris dominated 500 class buyer.

Virtually everything Polaris is building this year is in the new and effective IQ chassis. It’s too early to call but we strongly suspect Polaris will keep both engine technologies in its stable in the long term future.

After emerging from a decade long sales slump, the future looks very bright, however, Yamaha still occupies fourth place market share.

The Apex and Vector are a pair of exceptionally impressive 4-stroke snowmobiles and have driven renewed credibility to Yamaha’s front door.

These 4-strokes produce competitive power in their targeted segments and are priced to meet the competition. More powerful and fuel efficient than conventional 2-strokes, while eliminating the need for oil injection, these sleds are truly the best 4-stroke snowmobiles offered thus far.

Although not particularly light, they do an amazing job of masking it. Add in this powerful reality: 4-stroke perception and acceptance is on Yamaha’s side. Another no-brainer. Yamaha is going 4-stroke at WOT.

The market’s sales leader, BRP Ski-Doo has plotted a totally 2-stroke course for the immediate and long term future.

The company’s exclusive SDI and DFI technology proves it has the stuff to meet and exceed EPA emission standards while producing formidable 2-stroke power, light weight and fuel economy equal to 4-stroke mileage.

The platforms Ski-Doo is bolting clean 2-strokes into are not just good, they’re the industry benchmark. “Rider Forward” ergos are now copied by everyone else.

We’ll go out on a limb here and conclude Ski-Doo will continue to advance the state of the 2-stroke engine.

The 600 class has always been competitive, but it’s never been as tight as in 2006. Polaris has singlehandedly taken us back to the glory days of 2000 when the Liberty 600 was the strongest sled in the 600 category.

Of course, at that time AC was still three years away from the insanely quick Firecat 600 and Ski-Doo had yet to grind bigger holes for an HO Series III 600.

This year, even Yamaha’s “600 class” competitor, the 1000cc Vector is a player in the 120 horsepower game.

While it’s too soon to name a new champion of the sport’s most popular displacement class, after initial pulls at altitude with the four sleds mentioned here, we expect the rules to be re-written.

On April 9, 1968, Ralph Plaisted and three of his fellow explorers drove their Ski-Doo Olympic snowmobiles to the very top of the world to become the first to travel to the North Pole by snowmobile.

In the years since Plaisted made his successful run, the prior claim by Robert E. Peary to have reached the pole by dogsled 59 years earlier on April 6, 1909, has been discredited by scientists, polar historians, even astronomers, making the Plaisted Expedition in fact the very first group of men to reach 90 degrees north traveling by surface means.

This story has never been completely told, but our own C.J. Ramstad has recently begun the task of writing the complete history of Ralph Plaisted and his record-setting trek by snowmobile to claim the last great feat of exploration on Earth.

CJ says Plaisted, who lives in Minnesota to this day, is one of the most fascinating individuals you could ever hope to meet and we can’t wait to read the entire account when the book is published in (hopefully) the near future.

Look for an exclusive illustrated excerpt to appear soon, in the pages of Supertrax – snowmobiling’s most-read magazine.

The CSRA has announced a few changes for the upcoming snowcross season including additional race classes.

0-300cc Stock Class:

Provide a fun, safe and inexpensive racing experience for all ages. Entry Fee for all 300cc classes is $35/day.

Novice-A 300 (age 8-10, girls/boys combined)
Novice-B 300 (age 11-13, girls/boys combined)
Junior 300 (age 14-17, girls/boys combined)
Adult 300 (18 and older, adult combined)

Snow Hawk (18 plus) 0-600cc stock Class:

– Entry fee of $50
– No studs
– All other ISR stock class racing rules apply.

Sport Vet:

New age limit of 30 years and older.

All Open Classes:

Effective immediately, all Open racing classes will be limited to 600cc 2-stroke engines and limited to 1050cc 4-stroke engines.

4-Stroke Racing:

There is a 1.75 ratio in effect for 4/stroke snowmobiles (Example: 600cc x 1.75 = 1050cc 4/stroke). The new Yamaha snowmobiles under 1050cc will be permitted to compete in the Trail Sport 600 and Sport 600 Stock classes, as well as, the Open classes.

Qualifying Format- All classes – Moto’s & Finals:

This race season all racers will qualify to finals with the moto system.

Press Release – The planning committee for the annual Way Out Women (WOW) Relay, a cross-country state-to-state relay ride on snowmobiles – with proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, announced that unfortunately, the relay will not be happening in 2006.

As the process of signing up riders for the 2006 WOW Relay evolved, the planning committee noticed a strong response from riders in some states and unfortunately no response from riders in many other states. As the registration deadline drew closer, it became increasingly clear that it was going to be difficult, if not impossible to orchestrate a successful and continuous state-to-state relay in 2006.

“With such a lack of applicants, the core format and mission of this event was not going to work this year – and none of us wanted that to happen,” said Marlys Knutson, External Relations Manager of Polaris Industries and Chairwoman of the WOW planning committee. “This was a very difficult decision to make, but in the interest of preserving the future integrity of this important event, we felt it was the right thing to do.” The WOW Relay will continue across Canada and all riders have been selected.

“The good news is we will attempt to do another WOW Relay in 2007 and the committee is getting a head-start on recruiting riders beginning now,” added Knutson. All women riders who are interested in being a part of a snowmobile ride of a lifetime that supports a great cause are encouraged to call 763- 542-0576 or go to www.polarisindustries.com under the Riders area for more information.

Press Release – LeRoy Cerwinske, owner of the Polaris Dealership known as LeRoy’s Repair, found himself in the industry spotlight at this Summer’s International Snowmobile Congress (ISC). It was there he found out that his 28 year old dealership was selected out of hundreds as the 2005 American Council of Snowmobile Associations’ (ACSA) Dealer of the Year.

This prestigious award is given to a single dealer each year that has made positive contributions to the sport of snowmobiling – and Cerwinske has spent close to three decades doing just that. Cerwinske, through his dealership, has been an active officer and promoter of the Nashua, Iowa Stumpjumpers Snowmobile Club, a group of riders dedicated to the preservation of snowmobiling. In addition, Cerwinske was instrumental in convincing his county to purchase a groomer of all things in the 1970s. “We ran it and started the first trails in this area that were actually groomed.” Today the county has approximately 280 miles of trails thanks to LeRoy’s efforts early-on.

Cerwinske is also committed to bringing newcomers to snowmobiling, and regularly organizes rides for friends and customers. If someone doesn’t have a sled, Cerwinske gives them a loaner for free. “It usually means a sale afterward,” he says. “We’re not a big dealer, we just try to be a good dealer,” Cersinske pointed out about his family-run shop. His wife Sandra takes care of parts, garments and accessories, while his son Kevin serves as the mechanic and service manager.

“Most riders would agree that there’s something very special about doing business with a true mom and pop dealership like LeRoy’s Repair and Polaris is very proud to have them as a part of our family,” said Mike Murphy, Iowa District Sales Manager for Polaris. “He has done so much for this great sport and the personalized, down-home service LeRoy’s offers all who walk through the door is a textbook example of what an experience in a snowmobile dealership should be.”