Race Proven With Four Straight Wins and a SCORE Series Championship in 2023, Polaris Factory Racing to Debut New Race UTV at San Felipe 250
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (March 20, 2024) – Gearing up to defend its dominating 2023 SCORE series Championship season, Polaris Off Road, the leader in off-road vehicle innovation, will unleash the second generation of its championship-proven RZR Pro R Factory at the San Felipe 250. The upgraded iteration boasts an all-new one-piece chassis, comprising a stronger, stiffer frame, a wide range of bodywork upgrades, and new and enhanced electronic componentry. The collective upgrades are the result of ongoing testing, development and refinement between the Polaris team and drivers over the course of the team’s 2023 Championship season.
Built upon the revolutionary RZR Pro R platform, the Gen 2 Pro R Factory simply builds on the stock vehicle’s optimized fusion of power, strength, and control. It is the cornerstone of the entire Polaris Factory Racing operation, now poised to continue its dominance in 2024.
“Drawing upon key learnings from ongoing adjustments that we made throughout the 2023 season, our team in Minnesota and California worked succinctly to take the dominant RZR Pro R Factory, refine it and ultimately elevate it with the goal of doubling down and winning back-to-back championships,” said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris Factory Racing Technical Director. “This machine is the ultimate demonstration of Polaris engineering’s expertise and commitment to pushing the boundaries of off-road performance.”
While the RZR Pro R Factory features premium, race-enhanced parts, much of the main componentry on the vehicle remains completely stock, based on the revolutionary RZR Pro R platform. These stock parts include the ProStar Fury 2.0L engine, front and rear drive, transmission, power steering rack, wheel bearings, all CVT components, including belt, plus control arms, front and rear knuckles, ball joints, and trailing arms. This is a statement to the true power, strength, and control of the RZR Pro R that consumers can purchase straight off the showroom floor.
The Gen 2 RZR Pro R Factory includes the following race modifications:
All-New One-Piece Chassis – Using hard-fought lessons gathered from the inaugural season of racing, Polaris engineering set out to improve the strength and ergonomics of the chassis using the latest in CAD and FEA (Finite Element Analysis) technology. These efforts resulted in a weight-neutral frame that is stronger, stiffer, and roomier, with a safety cage that is over two times stronger than the stringent FIA requirements. These enhancements collectively improve ergonomics, comfort and vehicle stability.. After the design was complete, Polaris engineering utilized the expertise of Technique Inc., the sole provider of all NASCAR chassis, to manufacture the one-piece chromoly chassis using production weld fixtures.
Upgraded Front and Rear Bumpers – Equipped with new removable front and rear bumpers manufactured by Technique Inc., these modifications offer increased vehicle protection to handle the unique challenges of North American desert racing, including “nerfing,” a racing term for bumping someone from behind while attempting to make a pass. In addition, the new vehicle features upgraded mounts for spare tire carriers, jack mounts, and tool kits, allowing the factory racers to confidently tackle each racecourse, knowing they can get out of tricky situations when needed.
New Factory Muffler – The Gen 2 RZR Pro R Factory features an all-new lightweight Polaris-engineered race muffler to maximize power, limit volume, and refine the tone of the Prostar Fury 4 banger.
Improved Cage Design – Based on driver feedback, Polaris engineered an all-new cage to provide additional strength and cockpit room for the drivers while also delivering a more aggressive look.
Alcon High-Performance Brake System – With its race-proven technology and world-leading brake systems, Alcon USA will deliver its high-performance complete brake systems, including rotors, opposed-piston calipers, and dual master cylinders to the Polaris Factory Racing team. To allow drivers to push the machine further in the harshest conditions, these high-performance brake components are more durable and designed to resist fade caused by high temperatures and excessive use.
DYNAMIX Suspension Control Module – Delivering maximum control through the roughest terrain, the Gen 2 RZR Pro R Factory features FOX® 3.0 Live Valve X2 Internal Bypass shocks with a new in-house race-tuned DYNAMIX DV Suspension Control Module. This new system is precisely calibrated for open desert racing, providing drivers with four new suspension modes, including Comfort, Baja Soft, Baja Medium, Baja Firm, allowing them to keep the vehicle firmly planted through corners and floating across the roughest whoop sections. These settings were specifically developed based on race driver feedback.
MoTeC Components – The naturally aspirated four-cylinder stock ProStar Fury 2.0L remains at the heart of the RZR Pro R Factory. However, for GEN 2 Polaris partnered with MoTeC, the gold standard in off-road racing, to supply race-tuned electronic componentry, including ECU, electrical power distribution, and switch panels, which provide endless configuration options and proven durability when tackling wide-open desert racing.
Carbon Fiber Prop Shaft – Upgraded from its previous steel design, the Gen 2 RZR Pro R Factory will feature an all-new aluminum and carbon fiber prop shaft to reduce weight and provide a higher torque capacity, and quicker acceleration.
Increased Carbon Fiber Bodywork – In an effort to increase the vehicle’s power to weight ratio and increase acceleration and overall speed, Polaris engineering focused on increasing carbon fiber throughout the vehicle’s body panels.
Increased Fuel System –To minimize the frequency of pit stops, the vehicles will be equipped with an upgraded ATL fuel cell with a range of up to 200 miles.
Upgraded Upper Control Arms – Factory-developed, newly designed upper control arms are stronger and stiffer while allowing for more adjustability for improved handling.
The inaugural 2023 season saw the Polaris Factory Racing team and the first-generation RZR Pro R Factory go undefeated at three SCORE series Baja races, capped off by a highly coveted Baja 1000 victory and a SCORE Pro UTV Open Class Championship for Brock Heger and Manufacturer’s Championship for Polaris Factory Racing. In addition to its success in the SCORE series, the Polaris RZR Pro R Factory continued its success at the start of 2024 with Sebastian Loeb Racing’s victory at the prestigious Dakar Rally and Brock Heger’s victory at the King of the Hammers Desert Challenge.
For the 2024 season, Polaris Factory Racing drivers Brock Heger, Cayden MacCachren, Max Eddy Jr., and Craig Scanlon will all be behind the wheel of a new Gen 2 RZR Pro R Factory machine.
The Polaris Factory Racing team will debut the new generation race machine at this weekend’s San Felipe 250 on March 20-24, followed by the Baja 500 May 29-June 2, Vegas to Reno August 14-17, the Baja 400 September 11-15, and the Baja 1000 November 12-17, 2024.
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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
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