POLARIS OFF ROAD DOMINATES THE 2024 KING OF THE HAMMERS DESERT CHALLENGE WITH UTV OVERALL PODIUM SWEEP POWERED BY THE RZR PRO R

Polaris Factory Racing Drivers Brock Heger and Max Eddy Jr. Deliver 1-2 Finishes in the RZR Pro R Factory, while Wayne Matlock Rounds out the Podium in his Modified RZR Pro R

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024 UTV racing season got underway this past weekend at King of the Hammers (KOH) with the 5th annual Desert Challenge, and Polaris Factory Racing continued the momentum from its dominant 2023 with Brock Heger and Max Eddy Jr. capturing first and second overall UTV in the B3 UTV Open class respectively.

Piloting his RZR Pro R Factory, Heger, the 2023 SCORE UTV Pro Open Champion, was unstoppable throughout the weekend, finishing first in the prologue race and leading wire-to-wire during the final challenge to take the checkered flag. In his debut appearance as an official Polaris Factory Racing driver, Eddy Jr. put forth an inspiring performance in his RZR Pro R Factory, working his way through the pack to finish second overall behind his teammate. Rounding out the B3 UTV Open class podium sweep was fellow Polaris racer Wayne Matlock in his race-modified RZR Pro R.

When the race got underway, Heger was quick off the line, taking the early lead and setting a blistering pace up front. Throughout the two-lap 182-mile race, Heger put his RZR Pro R Factory through its paces and the vehicle performed flawlessly, taking on everything the Johnson Valley terrain had to offer. Ultimately, with his lead expanded to nearly one minute during lap two, Heger navigated his way to a relatively easy victory. But things weren't quite as smooth for Eddy Jr. A difficult prologue race found him starting the Desert Challenge in 14th, but the five-time Baja 1000 motorcycle champion showed exactly why he earned the seat for 2024 in the RZR Pro R Factory, slicing and dicing his way through a deep field to finish second overall.

"We wanted to pick up where we left off and get our fifth consecutive victory and our fourth consecutive UTV Overall win, and it feels pretty incredible to do exactly that at an event as significant as Hammers," said Heger. "With this event being more of an all-out sprint, it really demonstrated the incredible power of the RZR Pro R Factory, in addition to its overall strength and reliability. This vehicle, and our entire operation, is getting more and more dialed in with every race, and after all our success, it's pretty amazing to think that we're still improving."

"After four consecutive victories in 2023, it's pretty mind-blowing to come out here and not only get another win, but sweep the podium with RZR Pro Rs at Hammers," said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris Factory Racing Technical Director. "Our Factory Racing drivers are amazing, and it's incredibly gratifying to see the RZR Pro R Factory dominating the field. But to have Wayne (Matlock) take the final podium spot in a modified stock Pro R further validates our Pro R platform as the best all around side-by-side in the game."

Polaris Factory Racing still has some work to do in Johnson Valley this week, as Heger takes his skills to the UTV Championship Rock Race later in the week, behind the wheel of a nearly stock RZR Turbo R.

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About Polaris
As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER®, RZR®, Polaris XPEDITION®, and GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman® all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle® mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; Aixam quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories. Headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. www.polaris.com

SOURCE Polaris Inc.