Ok so I'm watching the GNCC race from South Carolina on OLN channel, I had it saved on my DVR from the other day.

So here they are talking to Matt Smiley and he's talking about the all new machine he's racing. The new Outlaw 500 with IRS, he goes on to say he never wants to ride a solid rear axle quad again.

So during the race he actually gets the hole-shot and I'm impressed an IRS machine just beat all those 450s to the line. Smiley was quickly dropped to 5th before the first lap. At one point they showed him coming out of a corner and the first thing I notice is the exhaust is not in the center, but off on the side.

Ok for I first figure they have some special exhaust. Then I see what looked like a swing arm skid-plate from the front as he was hopping over some rough stuff. The lack of rear ground clearence looked odd for an IRS machine.

Then a couple seconds later they show him exiting a corner from the rear and sure enough...SOLID REAR AXLE with swingarm and sprocket and chain......

So I keep watching him to make sure I'm seeing what I'm seeing and soon there was no doubt. He's riding an Outlaw that looks a lot like a Predator from behind.

There is one part of the race near the end, where Borich makes a pitstop for goggles, and the goggles fall off so he stops and they put them back on. Then Brandon Ballance exits the pits next and takes off down the straight.

Then Smiley exits the pits and takes off down the straight too. Right now I have the DVR paused on the shot, a perfect clear shot of the SINGLE SHOCK and SOLID REAR AXLE and swing arm.

So what Matt Smiley should REALLY be saying it that "My contract says I have to say I love the new Outlaw, but the truth is I cannot race it and win against solid rear axle quads"

That's pretty crappy of Polaris to be doing that. I guess they don't want to admit they wasted the R&D budget on some gimmick that is not going to fly with the sport quad group.

PS Some guy named Michael Houston won his first ever race too

 

thats intresting

did u read the Rappy 700 vs Outlaw shootout in dirtwheels?

they basically said that the outlaw wasnt the best for fast trail riding and only good for slow, techincal riding, but that the Rappy was amazing for fast trails..

as i was reading it, it seemed like they were just rippin on the outlaw half the time, maybe the quads just not to matt's prefrence or it's just not fast enough to keep up w/the 450's? i guess i dont really care, hopefully polaris releases a 450 this fall....

 

That was bugging the hell out of me too, I kept replaying that part of the race becuase I was confused. My computer is setup as a dvr so I have it recorded, maybe I'll pull a screenshot and post it.

One more reason I'm not much of a Polaris fan.

 

Turns out he's been riding the pred the last 5 races, and has now quit Polaris.

I dont think it's a conincidence that they can't hold on to pro riders.

Maybe if they get a ktm in that thing it'll be competitive enough to keep some pros on the roster.

 

I was watching last night from the tivo. I was thinking the same thing, after the pit stops. It showed axle after axle, but no IRS. I was like what the hell I thought he was in fifth.

There was a camara angle, a turn or 2 before the finish. The quads dropped intoa hole, and then slammed into a hard right. 2 laps in a row that predator/out law???? would just crash into the hole, and the rest of the fleet would just kinda fall into it. You could see the extra 75 pounds right there.

 

The funny thing was they did a whole little feature on Smiley and his outlaw earlier in the program, with no mention of him running a pred.

 

lol, thats kinda funny

 

Hey Guys,

I spoke to Matt Smiley at the Loretta Lynn's race this past April. I noticed that they had the
Predator out in the pit area set up instead of his new Outlaw and asked him why he was riding
the Predator instead of the Outlaw and his reply to me was. "He is faster on the Predator right now,
when he's able to ride the Outlaw with the same consistency and speed he will be switching".

I have a Pic of his Predator from the Loretta Lynn's race in my profile pic....

 

Aauugghhhh, more Polaris lies! I only see a V-Force in your sig! LOL, j/k. I wouldn't mind seeing the pic though..

maddog, where did you see Smiley quit Polaris?

I do think something funny may be going down though, as it was plastered everywhere when the Outlaw was doing well in a few races early on, but Smiley isn't as fast on it? Oh well, I still think the sport quad world is going to be changed due to the Outlaws' existance.

 

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