AmSnow Blogs
Polaris Champion Killed in Auto Accident |
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Rick Ward, the much beloved 47 year old retired hillclimb champion from Teton, Wyoming was killed Tuesday September 2nd on his motorcycle. The accident occured at an intersection when a 17-year-old driving a van pulled out in front of Ward and he could not stop his motorcycle in time. The local sherrif's office in Madison County Idaho, near Sugar City where the crash occured, is investigating. Ward was an amazing person and snowmobile racer. He raced for 34 years, was an 18-time world champion at the Jackson Hole hillclimbs, the Polaris team captian, a member of RMSHA, and a soft-spoken potato farmer who certainly knew how to ride a snowmobile. Rick was the winningnest man in western hillclimb history and has enough trophies in his shop, from all kinds of sled racing, to fill a semi-truck. Rick worked closely in his younger years with Jim Nobel, the founder of Starting Line Products, and Rick passed on a lot of Jim's knowledge to up and coming racers. "This is a tragic loss of a great friend and an amazingly talented snowmobile racer," said Polaris Racing Manager Tom Rager, Sr. "He was a tremendous asset to our racing program and he set an outstanding example, particularly for Western racers." Scott Swenson, Vice President of the Polaris Snowmobile and PG&A Division, said the entire Polaris family of employees, dealers and snowmobilers is saddened by Ward's death. "Rick was a tremendous hillclimber and a great leader for our Western program," Swenson said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Michelle, their three children and his entire family." Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Sugar City LDS Stake Center. Visitation is Friday, Sept. 4, from 6-8 p.m. at the Flamm Funeral Home in Rexburg, and Saturday at the Stake Center from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Additional details are available, and online condolences may be sent to the Ward family, at www.flammfh.com Rick will be missed.
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