While the success of the Polaris Drag Team rose and fell over the years, the late Andy Plym, a resident of Niles, and a Vietnam veteran, considered it to be his life.
Plym, a truck driver, and his friends developed the idea of building a car in his garage located in Niles and forming a team while at a drag race in Martin.
It was not an easy task for what would become the Polaris Drag Team, but many friends and soon-to-be friends stepped up. Soon a red, white and blue color scheme was devised with a logo called “Uncle Sam” for the Ford Mustang. Once they found a way to haul the car from place to place, the little-known team hit the road. Printed brochures helped members get the Polaris name into fans’ hands.
The crew, which included Plym, Wayne Vangilder, Larry Mihalek, Jerry Baker and Bill Reeves, started in a super stock style of racing. The team’s endeavors were successful, and it once used a Boss 302 engine in the late-1960s.
Plym had a bigger and better vision: a Boss 429 engine. Once that was installed, the team saw more success in the super stock-style of racing. Later, the team moved into the pro stock division.
Success resulted in disagreement and separation. Plym wanted an even bigger engine with a horsepower of 800, but his team members thought that would be too big.
The Polaris Drag Team began its descent, and soon, some were calling for drag racing to shut down. After seeing such great success, Plym’s dream was crushed.
Chris Bjerknes, a Niles resident, recently purchased the car.
In retrospect, team members said they were pleased with the early success they encountered. The team’s goals and philosophy had been realized, although it did not foresee the divisive changes, which brought the enterprise to a halt.
Plym never thought of himself as anyone special, but he could say his dream came true for a while. The memories of the team and the car have lasted him a lifetime.