Dirtbikes, ATVs and Side-by-Sides: David’s All in on Powersports
David Gay, Senior ORV Development Technician at Polaris and 2024 Champ Off-Road Pro-Am Side-by-Side Champion, joins host Heather Wilson Schiltz for a conversation on racing multiple disciplines, working in a technical field, and having a winning mindset.
From early days on dirtbikes to long nights building race-ready machines, David shares how his full-time role at Polaris directly fuels his success on the short course. Tune in for insights on side-by-side racing, CVT development, and what it really takes to compete at a high level with a small but mighty team.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:
• His wild ride at four years old
• How David chose a technical career path
• What a CVT development technician does at Polaris
• The methods behind clutch calibration and testing
• The culture shock moving from ATVMX Nationals to Championship Off-Road
• Differences between Pro-Am SxS and Pro Stock SxS racing
• His mindset shift moving up to a more competitive class
• How he approaches setup on his machine
• Why 2025 is a “development year” and what’s next for David on the track
📲 Connect with David on Facebook and Instagram
🔔 Subscribe for more stories and strategies from inside the motorsports world
“I actually remember my very first day on a dirtbike when I was like four years old. My dad told me like, ‘Here’s the gas. Here’s the brakes. Alright, go for it.’ And I just cracked it wide open and drove out of the shop. And there was a turnaround with a hill basically. Then, you go over the hill. And on the other side of the gravel driveway, there was a big oak tree. And I just went wide open and up and over that and just biffed it in the gravel — right before I almost smoked that big tree. “
-David Gay, Senior ORV Development Technician at Polaris
