June 13, 2008
Minneapolis, MN - The 2008 season is quickly becoming a memorable year as the Polaris/Rath relationship is off and racing. Once again, the Polaris/Rath/Dunlop team made a little history. The anticipation has been growing since the announcement Daryl Rath would not only be piloting a Polaris Sportsman in the rapidly-growing Utility Class at the GNCC, but fielding a Cross Country Team as well. It was an impressive first showing as Rath raced his way to a third place finish in the Utility Open Class and a 56th overall finish out of more than 300 riders in 16 different classes.
Rath stated, “I am extremely happy with our performance today. It was our first showing on this machine in a class that has had seasoned contenders in it all year. We met our goal of finishing in the top three, and with the first race unknowns out of the way, I am looking forward to making some changes and small improvements to prove the Sportsman is a contender.” He added, “Dirty Dawg stepped in and did some mild engine modifications along with some clutching. I am very excited to see what they have for us by next round.”
Rath lined up alongside his teammate Frank Batista (No. 13) for the start. After a chaotic first woods section, he made his way around a bottleneck and proceeded to run a flawless race. The track had some very tight sections and the skills of the veteran GNCC racers showed as they maneuvered through the trees. Batista running his first GNCC event finished a respectable eighth place.
The team was excited about the success at their first GNCC event and looks forward to Round 8.
