Polaris snowmobile hillclimbers delivered one of the most powerful displays of Terrain Domination® in the history of snowmobile racing when they won 10 of 12 Pro class titles, including all four Stock and all four Mod classes, and won all four Pro King of the Hill titles at the 39th annual Jackson Hole World Championship Snowmobile Hillclimb.
Polaris racer David Sharp, Jr., won the Pro 800 Improved class and the Improved King of the Hill crown at the event held March 20-23 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Keith Curtis won all five classes he entered, the Stock and Mod King of the Hill titles, and the event’s ultimate competition, the King of Kings crown.
Polaris racer Andy Thomas won the Semi-Pro Stock and Semi-Pro Improved classes, and the Semi-Pro King of the Hill crown, giving Polaris a full sweep of the event’s King competitions. Polaris racer Christy Frisby won the Women’s Improved Stock title and Shelley Heap won the Women’s Stock class.
Pro Classes: Polaris Rules the Mountain
Snow King Mountain, the imposing peak overlooking the city of Jackson Hole, belonged to the Polaris Pro-class hillclimbers during the 2014 edition of the sport’s premier event. Five Polaris racers won a total of 10 class titles, and Polaris racers filled the lion’s share of top five and top 10 spots in most classes.
Keith Curtis won the 600 Stock, 800 Stock, 800 Mod, 1000 Stock and Open Mod classes. He then won the Stock King of the Hill crown and the Mod King of the Hill title. In the final run-off involving King titlists, Curtis won the 2014 Jackson Hole King of Kings crown. It was the fifth time in his career that Curtis won all five classes he entered at an RMSHA event, and the first time he achieved such a sweep at Jackson Hole.
David Sharp, Jr., won the 800 Improved class title and finished second in 800 Mod. He won the Improved King of the Hill crown, and finished second to Curtis in the King of Kings competition.
Erin Beukelman won the 700 Mod and 1000 Improved class titles, was second in 800 Improved and was third in 800 Mod. He finished third in the Improved King of the Hill run-off.
Cole Willford won the 600 Mod class and finished second in the Mod King of the Hill run-off.
Luke Rainey won the 700 Stock title and was second in 1000 Stock. He finished second in the Stock King of the Hill competition.
Polaris hillclimbers who finished in the top three to earn podium spots included: Dolan Phelps, second in 700 Stock and third in 600 Stock; Tyler Crockett, second in 600 Mod; Toby Shepherd, second in 700 Stock; Aaron Sterck, second in 800 Stock; Les Keller, second in 600 Improved; and Brandon Titensor, third in 600 Improved.
Polaris dominated the Stock classes, winning all four and taking six of the top seven spots in 600 Stock, sweeping the top three spots in 700 Stock, earning five of the top 10 spots in 800 Stock, and finishing 1-2 and taking four of the top six spots in 1000 Stock.
Polaris racers earned seven of top eight spots in 600 Improved, six of the top eight places in 800 Improved, and Polaris racers swept the podium and grabbed five of the top 10 spots in 800 Mod.
Jackson Hole was a Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Assn. (RMSHA) points event. The season’s three remaining hillclimbs start with the Crested Butte [CO] Hillclimb, April 12-13.
Polaris Dominates in Semi-Pro, Women’s, Pro Masters & Juniors
Andy Thomas won the Stock and Improved classes, and the Semi-Pro King of the Hill title. Jesse Hotchkiss took third in Semi-Pro Stock, and Tavern Rupp was third in Semi-Pro Mod.
In the Pro Masters classes, David Sharp finished second in Stock and Mod, and third in Improved Stock. Dennis Durmas took third in the Pro Masters Mod class. Polaris racers took seven of the top nine spots in the Juniors class, with Tanner Meyers winning and Jonathon Durmas finishing third. In the Women’s classes, Christy Frisby won the Improved Stock class and finished second in Stock and Mod before finishing third in the Queen of the Hill runs. Shelley Heap won the Stock class, took third in Improved Stock, and was second in the Queen competition.
Auction Honors Memory of Raysha Gladfelder Nielsen
Earlier this winter, avid Polaris snowmobiler and hillclimb competitor Raysha Gladfelder Nielsen passed away. She had been a major inspiration for Polaris partnering with the Pink Ribbon Riders, a non-profit organization that provides support to cancer patients and their families, on a 2015 SnowCheck Limited Edition Pink Ribbon Riders sled. With each sale of these LE RMK and Switchback Assault models during SnowCheck, Polaris is donating $100 to the Pink Ribbon Riders.
At the Jackson Hole hillclimb, Polaris honored Raysha’s memory by auctioning off a 2015 PRO-RMK® 155 Limited Edition Pink Ribbon Riders snowmobile. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Raysha Gladfelder Nielsen Memorial Fund, a fund established to benefit Raysha’s family.