Mitch Guthrie Jr. Picks Up First Career King of the Hammers Win,
Defeating His Father and Six-Time Event Champion
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Polaris Factory Racing continued its electric start to the 2018
season with a podium sweep at the Can-Am King of the Hammers UTV Race,
the world’s toughest one-day off-road race.
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Polaris Factory Racing continues 2018 success with second consecutive podium sweep at the Can-Am King of the Hammers UTV Race in Johnson Valley, CA. Pictured: Polaris Factory Racing athletes Mitch Guthrie Sr. (left), Mitch Guthrie Jr. (center) and Branden Sims (right). Credit: Polaris
Following Ronnie Anderson’s win last week at WORCS season opener in the
all-new RZR® RS1, Mitch Guthrie Jr.’s victory
kept the Polaris Factory Racing team atop the podium. Guthrie Jr. was
joined by fellow Polaris teammate Branden Sims in second and his father,
Mitch Guthrie Sr., taking third. With multiple victories already secured
early in this season, the Polaris team is primed to build upon its
incredibly successful 2017 season.
From an early age, Mitch Guthrie Jr. has pursued his father’s pedigree
of racing success and excellence – as Mitch Guthrie Sr. is a six-time
King of the Hammers UTV champion and UTV racing legend. Despite having
won multiple marquee races in his young career, including the Mint 400,
UTV World Championships and Baja 1000, the coveted King of the Hammers
title has eluded Guthrie Jr. until now. With his incredible victory at
this year’s King of the Hammers event, it appears that a changing of the
guard is in order from father to son.
“It’s been a long road getting here with countless hours spent
practicing and even participating in this race with my dad a few times.
To finally not just be in the race, but to walk away a champion is a
huge honor for me and an experience that I will cherish for the rest of
my life,” said Mitch Guthrie Jr. “My dad is my biggest inspiration and
my toughest competition. We had a good plan coming in to run a smooth
course, and the Polaris RZR was awesome and allowed us to come
out on top.”
“We want to congratulate our entire team for their performance at this
week’s event. To come back to King of the Hammers and sweep the podium
for the second consecutive year is truly a testament to not just the
Polaris RZR, but to each of the drivers on our team,” said Matt Boone, RZR
and Marketing Director at Polaris. “We are thrilled for Mitch Jr. on his
first career victory at King of the Hammers. We know what this race
means to him and his family with his dad winning here so many times
before.”
Yesterday’s victory continues the Polaris Factory Racing team’s dynamic
start to the season that already includes victories at the Desert and
Short Courses at the GMZ UTV Winter Nationals Casey Folks Parker 250,
and the WORCS season opener at Orleans Arena last weekend in Las Vegas.
These victories combined with an additional 43 wins and 129 podiums
within the last two years, showcase how the Polaris Factory Racing
team continues to outperform the competition in desert racing.
The Polaris Factory team will look to continue its success when it
returns to competition on February 23 with Round 2 of the WORCS series
at Canyon Motocross in Peoria, Arizona.
More information about Polaris Off-Road Vehicles and Polaris Engineered
Accessories can be found at RZR.Polaris.com.
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About Polaris
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a
global powersports leader that has been fueling the passion of riders,
workers and outdoor enthusiasts for more than 60 years. With annual 2016
sales of $4.5 billion, Polaris’ innovative, high-quality product line-up
includes the RANGER®, RZR® and
Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; the Sportsman® and
Polaris ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle® midsize
and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; and
Polaris RMK®, INDY®, Switchback® and
RUSH® snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience
with parts, garments and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket
portfolio, including Transamerican Auto Parts. Polaris’ presence in
adjacent markets globally include military and commercial off-road
vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in
Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe.
Visit www.polaris.com for
more information.
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180208006397/en/
Source: Polaris Industries Inc.