Minneapolis, MN (08/18/09)-Factory Polaris Rath Duro Rider Casey Martin had one goal when he joined the team a short few months ago, get to the front and put the Polaris Outlaw 450MXR on the podium. After a hard charge in Moto One and a dramatic finish in Moto Two, he did just that, not only earning him a podium finish, but doing so on a new machine after a midyear switch.
As always, Loretta Lynn's was hot, humid and packed! Gates were full, qualifying was brutal and riders were on edge. It was the last round and championships were going to be won or lost after a long hard season. This was it and the riders were going to show what they were made of. The spectators endured the heat to cheer on their favorites, standing at the sidelines to watch the helmets come off and see the look on the exhausted overheated rider's faces that showed success or defeat. The smiles were there through the mud, sweat and dirt that caked faces or the heads were bowed on handlebars after their last valiant effort just wasn't enough. That oh so famous saying ," Well that's racing!" proved over and over to be so true as those gates fell for the last time on the 2009 season.
Martin started his weekend with Pro Am Production qualifying fifth to secure his spot in the Motos. In the first Moto, Martin shot off the line and headed for that first turn making the corner in fourth out of a full field of 20 riders. As he continued to try and make his way through the pack, the third place rider began to feel the pressure and made a slight mistake sending him over the handlebars and, unfortunately, collecting Martin along with him in the crash. With Martin off the bike and riders racing by he found himself back in 17th place, it was time to go to work. He rode an absolute flawless second half of the race picking of riders in as he went finishing in a respectable Ninth position.
Moto Two holeshot was a replay finding Martin once again in one of the top positions as they came out of the first corner. Running some of the fastest lap times in second Moto, he was in a comfortable second place position looking to close the gap on the leader. Then it was time to kick the excitement up, entering into a rhythm section, Martins knee must have knocked the radiator hose lose and with a blast of steam it looked like his weekend was over. Determined not to quit and finish his race he pushed on holding onto his second place with a dramatic, hold-your-breath finish. The third place overall victory was earned with Martin's ninth and second Moto finishes.
AMA ATV Motocross Pro Am Production -
Dirt Days Loretta Lynn's Top Finishers:
1st Bobby Ross - Kaw
2nd Josh Williams - Suz
3rd Casey Martin - Polaris
4th Jeffrey Rastrelli - Suz
5th Chase Snap - Suz
"We were really close a couple times already this year, running one strong Moto, then bad luck seemed to strike me in the second one," said Martin. "I knew I could put the Polaris Outlaw 450MXR on the podium and was committed to doing so. It was great to finish the season on the box and I am already concentrating on next year, I want to be there quite a few times in 2010."
"This was an incredible close to the season," said Eric Nault, race team manager for Polaris. "We congratulate Martin and the entire Rath team on the win and for the continued work and dedication."
Polaris/Rath/Duro Team Partners and valuable sponsors- Polaris Industries - Rath Racing - Duro Tire - Fox Shox -Fly Racing- FMF Exhausts -DWT Douglas Wheel Technologies- Janssen Motorsports - RPM- Fly Racing - S&S Cycle Inc. -Hinson Clutch Components - Xstream Composites- Precision Racing Products - Pure Polaris Lubricants & Fuels - WPS - QuadTech -- Powermadd - Tireballs - Faast Co. - Scott Goggles - PEP -- K&N Filters - Moto X Nutrition- Team Industries -Rebel Gears -DP Brakes - MedZone Products - Klotz Products- AEM Exposed Magazine-CV Products
About Polaris
With annual 2008 sales of $1.9 Billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off road vehicles (ORVs) including: all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the Polaris RANGER, snowmobiles, and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "PII," and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index. Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.