Larry Rugland

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A mainstay of the highly successful Polaris racing teams of the early 1970’s, Larry Rugland began his career as Larry the Looper, driving snowmobiles through a loop-the-loop as a member of Polaris Thrill Team. He switched to racing in 1969 and enjoyed immediate success, particularly in the big motor classes.
Larry placed second in the grueling Winnipeg to St. Paul I- 500 in 1970 and captured the 650 title at the USSA World Series in 1972. Part of the highly successful Polaris factory racing team of 1972-73, in the first ever Sno Pro season, Larry finished second in points overall after dominating the 650 class and finishing second overall in the 440 class.
In the 1974 season, “Reverend” Rugland went on a tear, winning at least one class at every race during the season, including a near sweep at the Dayco Cup in Alexandria where he won two mod classes, three Sno Pro classes, and the 440-X Championship, all in a single day. He finished the year as USSA’s High-Point Champion. He switched to Ski-Doo for the 1975 and 1976 seasons, finishing second in 440-X and top five overall in Sno Pro before retiring in 1977.



