Legendary Polaris Racer and Engineer Bob Eastman retires
from Polaris Industries on Friday, January 21th, 2005.
©2005 vintagesleds.com used with permission. Photos ©1968-2005 Snowtech magazine.

Bob suited up for the 1973 I-500 race

Bob Eastman began his career at Polaris earning a whopping $1 per hour as a welder. He quickly became involved with the race department, where his amazing racing career got started. Winning the 1966 Rhinelander Hodag first got Bob's legendary smile and movie star good looks noticed by the press. He would go on to win many, many races, at nearly every big time race track in the United States and Canada. In 1973, Bob won his biggest prize - the title of "World Champion" at Eagle River, Wisconsin. Bob retired from race driving in 1974 after an accident in Alpina, Michigan aboard a 650 Polaris SnoPro.

Bob stayed on as the manager of the race department, and presided over the race team. From 1975 until 1979, Bob's leadership was instrumental in making the Polaris Professional Race Team the most successful in the era of big time factory racing.

Working in the Engineering department ever since, you can bet that every Polaris sled and ATV that comes out of Roseau likely has a connection to Bob Eastman's engineering efforts over the last 25 years.

But it's not any of Bob's vast professional accomplishments that will forever endure him to the multitudes of fans, friends, competitors and associates.

Instead, it's the stories of Bob stopping in a race he was winning to help a struggling competitor. Of a tired race manager taking lots of time out of an already packed schedule to give an autograph to a snot-nosed, star struck kid. Then taking the kid around to get autographed photos from the rest of the team.

We'll always remember Bob because we all saw him rush to be the first to congratulate the man who prevented him from obtaining a second "World's Championship" crown. It's the guy who shows up a benefit in 2004 wearing his 1973 helmet and coat because he thought it might help raise more money.

That's Bob Eastman. Husband, father, racer, engineer, welder, farmer, competitor all around good guy.

Winning the 1973 World's Championship aboard his 800cc triple, free-air Polaris Starfire.

One of Bob's many trophies.