The family that owns the World Championship Derby Track in Eagle River, Wisconsin, has tabbed a long-time friend and industry veteran to lead its sales and marketing efforts.
Russ Davis, a former Vice President of Bombardier/Ski-Doo and recent Hall of Fame inductee, has been named the VP of Sales and Marketing for the Derby Track. Davis has been a fixture at the Derby Track for years as a volunteer and assistant on many levels — Russ always has a warm greeting for members of the Snow Goer team and is quick to share knowledge gained from his 45 years being involved in the snowmobile industry.
Aside from his start at Scorpion and long, distinguished career at Bombardier, both outlined below, Davis also worked with FAST Inc. when that company was launching the Blade line of snowmobiles.
Below is the press release from the Derby Track.
Russ Davis Back to Race Action
Russ Davis takes on responsibilities of Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby presented by First Place Parts.com. The announcement came October 14, 2014. Mr. Davis has already assumed his duties.
Chuck Decker, president and track owner, describes Russ as “One of the true gentlemen of our sport, extremely knowledgeable and a prime mover in our snowmobile world. There is probably no more respected snowmobile industry executive then Russ Davis. We are looking forward to having him on our staff.”
Davis says, “I am very excited to join a recreational sports orientated business with opportunities that are unlimited. Chuck Decker and the Decker Family have built the World Championship Derby and the Vintage World Championship events into a year round world class venue. This along with young Natalie Decker’s car racing career will challenge me to put a strategic plan together that makes sense to all involved.” Davis concludes, “I will be out looking for future sponsors and partners that want to help take advantage of this great opportunity.”
Davis’s lifelong association in the snowmobile arena began when he was the owner of a retail store in Sayner, Wisconsin, and started as salesman for Snowmobile Sales Inc., selling Scorpion snowmobiles. Shortly after, he became National Sales Manager for the Scorpion Factory in Crosby, Minnesota.
This was followed by a move to Duluth to become National Sales Manager for the Central U.S. for Ski Doo. After closing Ski Doo’s office in Chicago he brought the team back to Wausau to open a brand new distribution Center for Bombardier Ski-Doo/Sea-Doo for North America and became National Sales Manager for this expanded entity. Promoted again as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for snowmobiles worldwide, which included snowmobile manufacturing facilities in Rovaniemi, Finland.
He also enjoyed early success as a snowmobile racer, winning the 1969 Stock Class “B” on a Ski Doo 292, at the Eagle River World Championship. His involvement with racing continued as he had full responsibility for the Ski Doo race Department in Valcourt, Quebec. Russ was also responsible for the Ski Doo sponsored television race coverage of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby for 14 years by CBS channel 7 in Wausau Wisconsin.
Befitting his prominence in the snowmobile world, Russ was inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame in 2012.
The Deckers and Davis have run parallel paths in the snowmobile arena for all of their lives, and collectively have more than 300 years of experience – this association signifies a significant step forward for the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby.
Eagle River may as well put the derby track up for sale,
With 4$ beers and 6$ burgers, its easy to see why their crowds get smaller and smaller every year! Its not an Olympic event but I guess the rich basterds that are involved think it is.. I have been there for more than 30 years and I dont know how they get their bills paid but I gaurantee it is’ nt from the fans! They may as well level that track and build another casino! At least the locals in Eagle River would have a good place to hang out! Eagle River has been a ghost town for decades! Not one good nightclub in the county and especially in the downtown area.. The ones that are there suck and it shows every weekend, year around because they never have any business!