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The Thrilling Journey of Polaris Industries: From Snowmobiles to Global Powersports | 70 Years in 2024
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The 1960’s brought the design of the legendary snowmobiles including the Polaris Comet, Super Pacer, and Mustag. These machines were designed for extreme speed and with competition in mind.
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61st WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SNOWMOBILE Derby (Looking back on the racers over the years)
The Eagle River World Championship!
Friday, January 19 – Sunday, January 21, the 61st Derby is on!
In honor of the 70th Polaris Anniversary being held August 16-18, 2024. We would like to highlight some of the World Champions who live or have lived in Roseau County or were driving the Polaris snowmobile to win the prestigious race.
The 1977 World Championship start of the race at Eagle River, Wisconsin. The top ten finalists for the world championship event included
Polaris Race Team members (on the right), Jerry Bunke, Brad Hulings, and Steve Thorsen.
The World Championship Derby Complex in Eagle River Wisconsin, considered “The Snowmobile Capital of the World”, hosts oval, snocross, and vintage racing. The World Championship Snowmobile Derby is not only the largest and most prestigious snowmobile competition in the sport, it is one of the highest-ranking winter sports events in the Midwest and is recognized around the world.
“Eagle River” is known as the Indianapolis 500 of snowmobile racing. The Derby attracts more than 40,000 spectators annually. Fans travel from all over the United States, Canada and beyond to watch more than 500 international drivers race their high-tech snowmobiles at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour on a solid ice oval track. For over 50 years, the race has been held on a fully contained, half-mile banked oval track located in the heart of one of Wisconsin’s most popular resort areas., Eagle River.
The Polaris snowmobile and Roseau County residents hold claim to many Eagle River Derby World Champions!
1964 winner of the “World’s First Snowmobile Derby, Stan Hayes
15-year-old Stanley Hayes was driving an experimental Sno-Traveler from Polaris Industries.
The next eight years would be run by a variety of other snowmobile brands, including Evinrude, Ski-Doo, Arctic Cat and Yamaha
Polaris Race Team legend Bob Eastman of Roseau, MN is the 1973 Eagle River World Champion!
A lack of snow failed to ruin the 1973 championship derby on Sunday, January 21.
Eastman drove his sled to victory lane not on ice or snow, but on a sawdust race track!
A fan favorite, Eastman’s trophy presentation in Victory Lane was received with thunderous applauding from the crowd!
The top ten qualifying drivers for the finals in the 1975 World Championship
Back row, left to right, Gordon Rudolph, Sam Sessions, Ed Schubitzke, Stan Hayes, Larry Coltom, Front row: left to right: Jim Adema, Don Omdahl, Giles Vileneuve, Larry Rugland, and Jim Bernat.
1975 World Champion
Jim Bernat
Bernat, living in Roseau, MN since the early 1960s, known as “Smiling Jim”, was a Polaris Race Team member since 1968.
Jim took home the world championship trophy on a Polaris 650 factory race sled.
1977 and 1978 Champion
Steve Thorsen
Polaris Race Team driver, Steve Thorsen from Fergus Falls, MN was the second driver to win back-to-back championships.
Fun fact: 1977 was the first year of the Polaris IFS rather than the leafer suspension.
1990 World Champion
Dave Wahl from Greenbush, Minnesota driving a Ski-Doo , wearing Bib #74,
Dave and his brother Durmont established Wahl Brothers Racing in 1981, after the closing of Arctic Cat and the break-up of Team Arctic. Their shop was located in Thief River Falls, MN. The team switched to racing a Ski-Doo twin track in 1987.
1996 and 1997 World Champion
Dave Wahl
Dave Wahl, Greenbush, Minnesota driving a Ski-Doo to victory
In 1985 Wahl Brothers Racing relocated their business to their hometown of Greenbush, MN.
1998 World Champion
Terry Wahl
A resident of Greenbush, MN, Terry won his championship title on a Skidoo Champ 440 sled.
Terry is the nephew of Dave Wahl and son of Durmont Wahl. Terry joined Wahl Bros. Racing in 1993 as a team member.
Since 1998 Wahl Bros. have been racing for Team Polaris. “It has been an exciting change that has produced a World Championship Title in the Mod 500 Class, among other prestigious victories in oval races on Polaris race sleds.”
2010 World Champion
Matt Schulz, Wausau, Wisconsin
Matt was the first Polaris driver to win the Championship since Steve Thorsen in 1978.
2012 World Champion
Nick Van Strydonk, Tomahawk, Wisconsin driving a Polaris with an engine built by former Polaris racer Larry Rugland.
Nick was just 21 years old.
2017 World Champion
Bib # 13 Nick Van Strydonk, Tomahawk, Wisconsin driving a Polaris, won the 30-lap feature by almost
leading from start-to-finish!
2018 World Champion, 2019 World Champion, 2020 World Champion, 2021 World Champion
Photo taken in 2021
Blaine Stephenson!
Blaine Stephenson from St. Cloud, Minnesota takes home FOUR championship titles on a Polaris race sled back-to-back-to-back-to-back!
Blaine is a professional ice oval snowmobile race driver for Wahl Bros. Racing, Greenbush, Minnesota and Polaris Racing.
The 2022 World Champion
Jay Mittelstaedt, La Valle, Wisconsin Driving a Polaris
Fun Fact: Jay met his now wife Paige Decker at the Eagle River Race Track, which was previously owned by her extended family, so they decided to have their wedding at the facilities.
Eagle River is set to thrill with the 61st World Championship Snowmobile Derby
See you at the races
Researched by Carmen Przekwas, References: Roseau County Historical Society, Warriors of Winter, The Legend of Polaris, Mike Hetteen, Polaris Post Company newsletters, Starfire Kids, Snow Goer, Wahl Bros. Racing, World Championship Derby Complex, Photos: Randy Larson, Karolyn and Bob Eastman Collection All Rights Reserved
Polaris How it all began in 1954 – The Story of a Company in the making.
Polaris How it all began-the story of how three men in a shop laid the foundationfor a fortune 500 company in Roseau, MN. From Snowmobiles, ATV, Boats and watercraft Polaris has built it all.
Continue readingPolaris Snowmobile Racing- Meet the Official 1st Race Driver
December13, 2023
As the snowmobile racing season is about to start, we would like to look back at Polaris and the first official race driver. This year also marks Polaris’s’ 70th Anniversary and we plan to dig deep into the history showing you a collection of photos and memorabilia that has not been seen before. Let’s start by telling a little story about a Polaris legend!
DAVID JOHNSON
CO_FOUNDER of POLARIS
Did you know David Johnson, one of the founders of Polaris Industries, was the first official Polaris race driver?
1956 Polaris Sno-Traveler with David Johnson
1958 photo includes (left to right): David Johnson, Art Lisell, Mitchell Johnson, Steve Rugland
Note the all-aluminum Sno-Traveler Steve is standing by: was one of the first sleds made from aluminum patterned after the trailblazer’s nose (on left) only bigger.
In 1958 David Johnson, with a contingent of drivers from Polaris met up with the Harry C. Paul’s group from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Harry was a promoter and owner of the Autoboggan. The engine is inside the rear track unit, pushing forward as shown with the toboggan in the front with Mr. Paul steering.
Harry Paul’s 1958 Autoboggan.
The group set out to demonstrate the usefulness and design of the Sno-Traveler and Autoboggan. They chose to attend The annual Pas, Manitoba Fur Festival, a wintertime gathering with large crowds celebrating the bountiful harvest of fur pelts while having fun in the snow. There were a variety of contests, including dog sled racing.
The two parties participated in driving around the lake to prove the snowmobiles would work better than the dog sled teams. A tactic to draw more attention to the snow machines was to have the first “snowmobile race” to make them look more exciting. As David was quoted in Bill Vint’s “Warriors of the Winter”, “We tried to rig them a little bit so we had a zig-zag effect,” he confessed. “One guy ahead, and then the other, and so on. At a terrific speed of about 20 miles per hour!”
David Johnson is doing some zigging and zagging on a 1957 Polaris Sno-Traveler!
Much to the dismay of H.C. Paul, the Autoboggan broke down during the race expedition on the lake. David hooked up some straps and pulled Paul’s machine in with his Polaris Sno-Traveler.
Instead of going a shorter distance to Harry Paul’s truck, David decided to tour The Pas by driving through the town’s main street. Yet another opportunity for Johnson’s to promote Polaris’ brand as being trustworthy and reliable.
Because of that particular weekend, Harry later had a meeting with David Johnson, Allan, and Edgar Hetteen to form an agreement.
Polaris would build the snow machines, Harry Paul would become a distributor with the stipulation the Canadian-sold sleds name remain Autobaggon. The Autoboggans were built for Harry C. Paul, Ltd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to market in Canada by Polaris Industries of Roseau, MN from 1958 through 1966.
In 1959, Johnson led another expedition into northern Manitoba and the Polaris group had plans made for some genuine snowmobile contests. A circular course was marked out with stakes in the snow on Grace Lake. The distance was about 400 yards. Three races were held, it was informal but marked the start of organized snowmobile racing and David Johnson won the race again!
In 1960 the Trapper’s Festival added cross-country snowmobile races to the festivities. Again, David Johnson on the Sno-Traveler was the winner. According to Harry Paul, “No one could beat David. In the cross-country, David would take off right through the small trees!”His sturdy machine blazing his trail. Everyone else was afraid to try it and dodged around the trees. David believed in the power of his machine. “David always won!” reported Harry Paul.
Snowmobile racing had begun thanks to Polaris’ first official snowmobile race driver DAVID JOHNSON!
Autoboggans were similar to Polaris machines but were painted Harvest Gold versus the bright red of early Polaris models. This particular model is a K95C with a 9.5hp Kohler motor.
David was a soft-spoken man, humble and generous. Johnson would remain a regular at the plant his entire life, visiting over coffee. When David walked into the engineering department, “the shop”time was given to talk with him about production and the latest in engineering. The coffee talk was sharing tales and asking for advice. When asked why they designed the sno- traveler, David would laugh and say.
We were pretty much outdoors people, and we did quite a bit of hunting in the Northwest Angle for all kinds of game. We had a lot of snow in some of those winters, so you had to go on snowshoes or walk or whatever. So, I used to tell people that we were lazy, we didn’t want to walk, so we thought of something to ride.” David Johnson told Snow Goer.com on October 9, 2013
It is hard to describe the effect David Johnson had on the industry since he helped build the first Polaris Sno-Cat in 1956. These pioneers left behind a great heritage. David lived in Roseau, the birthplace of Polaris until he died in 2016 at 93. His legacy and beliefs are woven into the small community. You can see many Polaris products at the Polaris Experience Center, in Roseau. Admission is always free. You can also arrange a tour of the manufacturing plant. If you like vintage, consider attending the David Johnson Sno-Cat Spectacular held in December. You won’t just find Polaris there. Take in shop-built, unconventional, and some classics. It’s a day to celebrate the engineering and mastery of putting snow skis and a motor together. Next time your skis hit the snow, think of the ones that rode the trails before you and those visions that are still being designed by people like David Johnson.
In the next article, we will be re-introducing some of the residents of Roseau County and Polaris employees who helped bring the Polaris snowmobiles to the forefront in racing!
You are invited to attend the 70th Polaris Anniversary Celebration on August 16-18, 2024. Book your lodging now.
Historical Content: Carmen Przekwas, Mike and Donovan Hetteen, Roseau Electric Volts and Views, Roseau Times Region and the Roseau County Museum Archives.