New Polaris Sportsman XP on the podium

Polaris Dealers recently got a look at the brand new 2009 Sportsman 850 XP in Las Vegas, Nev. Shortly afterwards, Daryl Rath put it to the test at a cross country track in Iowa.

Rath competed in a two-hour cross country endurance race in the Iowa ATV Hare Scramble Series in Decatur City on Aug. 3.

With an impressive first showing, Rath placed second in the Pro Utility Class on a nearly stock machine.

“It was important for me to keep the ATV as stock as possible,” says Rath. “I knew this was a contender right off the showroom floor and I wanted to prove that.

Daryl Rath poses next to his new Sportsman XP 850.

“It was going to be a challenge in itself racing a brand-new, just-released ATV against some highly modified 4×4 race ATVS, but I was up for the challenge. These guys racing have exhaust systems, clutching, motor work and suspension on the race machines, I put on some Dunlop Tires with Tireballs, and a Precision Steering Stabilizer and headed for the line.”

With temperatures topping 103 degrees the heat was going to be as much of a factor as the track. The course ran through fields, some tight tree sections and deep creek bed crossings. Rath and his Sportsman 850 XP found themselves in second place after a large bottleneck, continuing to push forward the remainder of the race and successfully closing the gap on the leader.

“We have the benchmark we were looking for, and now know what this ATV can do,” says Rath. “There were a lot of people behind me in this program and they’re all very excited to be involved with such a great new machine.”

The Polaris/Rath/Dunlop team is sponsored by: Polaris Industries, Rath Racing, Dunlop Tires, Fox Shox, FMF Exhausts, DWT Douglas Wheel Technologies, B&B Racing Engines-Wiseco, RPM, Fly Racing, Torco Fuels, Dirty Dawg Performance, Hinson Clutch Components, Xstream Composites, Precision Racing Products, Amsoil, WPS, QuadTech, UpDog, Powermadd, Tireballs, Faast Co., Scott Goggles, PEP, CV4, K&N Filters.

Related Reading:2009 Polaris Sportsman XP: First Look