Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128339
Polari§ Hall of Fame Individuals and business partners who have played significant roles in the founding and growth of Polaris Industries were honored with induction into the new Polaris Hall of Fame on Friday, July 2] , 2004. The induction o f the charter honorees took place as part of the Polaris 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. "These are the people and part ners who helped launch Polaris and who are res po nsible for its growth over the years," said Polaris presi dent and CEO Tom Tiller. "They' re a big part of why we're here to celebrate 50 great years of Polaris." The charter inductees into the Polaris Hall of Fame are : W. HallWende lJr., who joined Polaris when it was a division of Textro n in the late 19705, helped form a group of investors who purchased Polaris fro m Textro n in 198 1 and led Polaris for more than two decades ; O rlen Johnson , a ] 7year em ployee who was a critical part icipant in the crea tion of the first Polaris snowmobile in 1956 and one of the first employees hired by Edgar Hetteen; Raynold Monsrud , a ]6year Polaris e mployee wh o raced snowmobiles , directed the snowmobil e racing program and currently leads the ATV Way O ut Training Tour, a dealer-training program ; Mies O utland, a leading Polaris de aler in Watkins, Minnesota , since 1965 that is now in its third generation of familyowne rship; Headingley Sport Shop , a Headingley, Manitoba , Canada, Polaris dealership since 1967 that plays a leading role in its local riding and racing scene; Fuji Heavy Industries , a Polaris e ngine supplie r since the late-I 960s (w hen it began supplying Polaris with engines designed specifically for use in snowmobiles) that remains a Polaris engine supplier and partner tod ay; TEAM Industries, a Bagley Minnesota-based manufactu rer of preci, sion-machined compon e nts, many of which are used in Polaris clutches and transmissions; all loyal and active Polaris Riders, wh om Tiller praised as being "the fuel for this company" because their passion for the riding experience drives the 0. ' company's efforts to develop the world's best powe rspo rts produ cts; and o riginal partn e rs Edgar Hetteen (pictured , to the right), David Johnson and the late Allan Hetteen. Edgar Hetteen founded Hett ee n Hoist & Derrick in Roseau, Minnesota, and in 1954 the company was incorporated as Polaris Industries Inc. David Johnson oversaw manufacturing for the better part o f his 42 years with Polaris before retiring in 1988. Allan Hett een in 1960 succeeded his brother Edgar as company president and direct ed Polaris through the I960s. Allan left the company in the early 1970s and passed away as a re sult of a farm accident in 197]. -• ~ To cast your vote, log o n to www.cydenews.com . WEb INSiYE traffic-fighters, beginning ride rs, motorcycle collectors, expert canyon-carve rs and track day/racers alike. The beginning rider won 't be intimidated because of the bike's small, light and easy to control package . The low seat height helps to give novice riders more confidence. The expert will find the bike enjoyable due to the razorsharp handling, lightweight package and an aggressive riding position . The avantguard industrial styling crosses new with the old. The look is somewhere between street fighter and Italian exotic . The NDR-4 is powered by a 400cc inline four from Suzuki's GSF400 Bandit. The front end is from a 2002 GSX-R600, as is the rear shock . The Suzuki motor is fed by individual K & N pod air filters and also features a custom exhaust . The NDR-4 weighs in at a light ]70 pounds wet. Only 25 copies of the bike will be produced. For more information , go to www.macnolandesigns.com. Cyclenews.com reader poll question of the week After winning his second AMA 125cc MX title (in addition to a 125cc West SX title), and on the verge of breaking Ricky Carmichael's 125cc win record, do you think James "Bubba" Stewart is the best 125cc rider of all time? A. Yes B. No Online poll results from last week What do you think about AMA Pro Racing's recent decision to make the Daytona 200 a Formula Xtreme race instead of a Superbike event? 490 (15 .53%) Excellent Idea 984 (31.19%) Horrible Idea Superbike should still be the premier class 1681 (53.28%) Total Replies: www.cyclenews.com 3155 CYCLE NEWS • SEPTE MBER 1, 2004 101