From the original 1968 Race & Rally magazine.

Vintage racer Bob Eastman retired from Polaris on January 21st, 2005. At that time, I put out a request for people to send in the salute they wish they could give Bob at his retirement party. It took awhile to get it all together - but here it is. From Washington state to Maine, Canada to Sweden, it seems everyone wanted to say something to Bob!

From Racer Jeff Biddescombe:
"Bob you are definitely my first inspiration to be a factory racer & to look at racing as a pinnacle in life to strive for. I always loved your aggressive, yet very smart driving - reminded me of Indy driver Mark Donahue. aggressive, but very, very smart. Thank you Bob!"

Publisher CJ Ramstad:
"IF YOU LOOK UP "SNOWMOBILE RACER" IN YOUR FUNK & WAGNELLS, YOU ARE SURE TOSEE A PICTURE OF BOB EASTMAN. BEYOND HIS FANTASTIC COMPETITION RECORD, EASTMAN'S UNASSUMING MANNER, MOVIE STAR GOOD LOOKS AND INCREDIBLE SENSE OF TIME AND PLACE REPRESENTS THE TRULY STELLAR JOB HE DID OF DEFINING WHAT A FACTORY PROFESSIONAL RACER SHOULD BE. TODAY, THREE DECADES LATER, EASTMAN STILL STANDS AS THE ICON OF THE GENTLEMAN COMPETITOR."

Bill Hawkins, Albany, NY:
"I would like to say congratulations Mr. Eastman.You epitomize the word “Champion” - Best of luck!"

From John, aka "tx44075":
"I started sledding in 1968 on Polaris Mustangs. Growing up Polaris I loved Bob Eastman and collected everything I could on him. He was an idol. I tried to keep up with him after he retired from racing. I hope he enjoys his retirement, good luck Bob."

Monty of oldski-doosleds:
"Mr. Eastman, while others were cocky and stylish, you gave snowmobiling racing class.  Even though I'm die hard ski-doo, when I think of Polaris, I think of you.  Good luck in all your future endeavors."

Chip Patterman & Team Obsolete:
FROM ALL OF US, At Team-Obsolete. Congratulations to one of The great vintage racers of ALL times!! God Bless to a True Champion. Live long and prosper! Thanks for the memories!!  You should also know that most of us Cat guys are really secret fans of " THE BOY'S IN BLUE" !

Mike Bigger, Menominee, Michigan:
"Bob, I was one of those snotty nosed kids at the age of 10 that was enamored with Polaris because of Bob Eastman. I talked my father into purchasing a Polaris for our first snowmobile because of what Bob represented on the race track. I followed just about every race Bob was involved in, and couldn’t wait to see the next new issue of Race and Rally, seeing pictures of Bob and the entire Polaris Factory Race Team along with results of prior races. I even keep a score board and bragged to all of my kid buddies that were Ski-Doo and Cat nuts. My favorite factory race sled was the 73 Starfire -  I own two of them to this day. When I purchased my first one, I couldn’t believe I was actually going to own a piece of Polaris history full of technology that evolved from Bob. I never had an opportunity to meet Bob Eastman but if I had, it would have been an honor for me just to talk to this man. Bob Eastman has to be a walking Polaris encyclopedia. It’s really hard to see such an era come to an end, but never forgotten.

Bob Eastman your name will always be a reminder to me of what you represented at the 1973 World Championship in Eagle River. I was at the vintage weekend a couple of weeks ago and I just stood there like a little kid at track side with goose bumps watching all those 73 Starfires flying around the track and listening to those things cackle as they warm up for the next heat of racing.  All these sights brought me back to the pictures in those early Race and Rally magazines that I was glued to as a young kid!

By the way did I mention I am now 46 years of age?  Thank You Bob Eastman for all the great memories and for what you have made Polaris today!  You will always be my Polaris mentor! May you have a long and wonderful retirement."

Bob in 1972

Dan McShane, Onamia High Class of  '73:
"To Minnesota High School kids in the early 70's such as myself, Bob Eastman was as big a sports hero as Harmon Killebrew and Fran Tarkenton. Those were the days when the Minneapolis Tribune would actually cover snowmobile races. Snowmobile racing was such a big deal back then that they actually let us out of school to watch the sleds come across Lake Mille Lacs on the final leg of the Winnipeg to St. Paul I-500 race. Those were the good old days and Bob Eastman was a big part of it."

Mark Kemmerer:
"I never got to meet Bob Eastman, our family didn’t go to the really big races unless it was to watch from the grandstands. But at home in northern Iowa in the summer of 1968 (I think) we were at a grass drag at Neeta Raceway in Cedar Falls. Out of nowhere this little Polaris TX Playmate (and there was only one) knocked off the big Sno-Jet team from Waterloo and everyone else that day. As we were on our way home in a daze dad was really concerned about how our Ski Doo's would perform against the folks from Roseau. Bob you built a hell of a sled that everyone wanted and the competitors hated, As the years go by look who is most sought after by collectors. Congratulations on your retirement, no one deserves it more than you"

Anonymous:
"I'm very surprised how much this man I've never met has affected my life as a vintage snowmobiler. I 'got to know' Bob through the pages of Warriors of Winter and Snowmobile Racing's EARLY YEARS 1967-1973, and have found him to be one of the truly great ones in snowmobiling. The fact that he'll stop and chat with a dedicated fan, sign autographs, and make you feel like you're just as famous as him is a very rare thing. The best of luck to you in all your future endeavors Bob!"

Luke Dobie:
"It's hard to believe that Mr. Eastman is retiring from the shining North Star.  What other gentleman has accomplished so much and given so much to the industry??  What other racer went from crude racers to IFS rockets??  It is literally amazing how much Mr. Eastman saw and contributed to the Polaris racing team in 10-12 years.  Mr. Eastman's greatest gifts to the snowmobile world are undoubtedly in his contribution to the 77 and 78 RXLs.  The `design of IFS and jackshaft drive etc has endured to this day, what a visionary, and what an incredible race record they racked up in those two years. We wish him alll the best, what a pioneer!!"

Resto Guru and the Official "Red Seat Racer" Dave Larsen:
"I didn't realize he was retiring - Time marches on!!!!!!!!  Before the [Polaris] 45th, I had written a little thank you note to Bob and sent it to him with some pictures of my sleds.  The content of the note was just thanking him for his involvement in this sport/hobby that I have enjoyed since the 60's and has been such a big part of my life etc. I do however still see him as that young driver on the 68 racer, frozen in time!"

Bob and Kjell, left and Kjell on the track with Doug Hayes

Kjell Engström - Sweden's #1 SnoPro driver:
"Hallo. My name is Kjell Engstrom, Sweden. I vill send Bob a big salute. Thank you Bob for the unforgettable memory you gave me December 1977. I was a snocross driver since many years, and when one of my friends (Fredrik Holmgren) got the opportunity to go to USA to try oval racing for Yamaha with the new SSR, I decided to go with him. I had no contract to race for any team, but I packed my racing-equipment in case.

We arrived to Chuck Rencurrel, Kalamazoo, where we put the Yamaha together and prepared it for racing.Then we travelled to the first race track. As the different teams had rent the track one day each during the week before the race weekend, Chuck had arranged that Fredrik got the opportunity to train together with the Polaris team. Though Fredrik drove Yamaha, the Polaris team took care of us like we belonged to their family. This kindness ended up that I  travelled to Roseau and bought a RXL 340.

We took the sled to Bobs garage and he helped me to set it up. Then he fixed a pick up an took me and my sled to a number of SnoPro competitions. With the expert-mechanic that I got, I succeed well both in USA and then in Sweden. So well that I assign #1 in Sweden the next season. That RXL was the only one in Europe. I have discovered where it is and negotiate to buy it back."

Best regards!"

From David and Durmont Wahl:
"When we had made the decision to leave Bombardier for Polaris, Bob was the person that we trusted.  He's as great a Champion today as he was in the past!"

From Jim Heffron:
"Thanks Bob, I am a Polaris Fan and Rider today because of your Efforts on and off the Race track.  Good Luck and  THANKS!"

Vintage Author Hal Armstrong:
"As a kid racing Polaris snowmobiles out of Beausejour, Manitoba in the early 70's I emulated Bob Eastman when at the track or just snowmobiling. Bob use to wear two pairs of goggles on his helmet. So did I!  I worked all summer in 73 cutting lawns so I could buy my first fullface "Bell" Helmet. I then had it painted just like Bob Eastman's 73  Factory race helmet. I still have that helmet. When the race team came out with new suits, I had to get a the latest suit so I could fantasize about being Bob Eastman when screaming down a trail or across a lake.

This year I finally got to meet Bob at the 50th in Roseau. I am 45 years old now and I have to say I had butterflies in my stomach.  He has given me some great info on the history of Polaris and I chose my career ( Mechanical Engineer) so I could one day design snowmobiles like Bob. As a kid in Canada your heroes are NHL players. Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Gretzky. Bob Eastman is the Gretzky of snowmobiling. He could do it all. Thanks Bob for the great memories, fantastic sleds and representing a Great Company like Polaris. You are truly " Mr. Polaris"."

Bob's 74 340 SnoPro

From George Mattar, Petersburgh, New York:
"I met Bob Eastman at Boonville NY state championships in 1973. True gentleman. Attending that event was the highlight of my teenage years. There will never be racing like that again. I want everyone to know he took professional snowmobile racing to the next level and made it a nationally recognized sport. Had he not been injured, how many more championships could he have won? Thanks for the memories on those awesome 795 TX 2+1's Bob!"

George Rice:
"I would say simply, Thank-you Bob , for you are the reason why , all us Polaris guys say , "follow me", Thanks for the tech, and the many countless hours of fun!"

Ed Skomoroh, Former VP Sales & Marketing, Polaris Industries:
"I was working for Arctic back in 1969 when I first met Bob Eastman. Arctic was protesting Polaris using "Ski Wideners" in stock racing. Bob was very gracious and said, "if it is a problem we will take them off, but they are an accessory". He was very professional and polite and he always had my respect from that time on even though we were on opposite teams. When I went to work for Polaris in January of 1982 I met Bob and he welcomed me to the Polaris Family as though we were old friends. He was a great contributor to Polaris Racing and all our regular consumer products, not just snowmobiles but ATV's as well. He is a People Person! Polaris will have lost a great legend in his retirement."

Aaron Johnson, Polaris Engineering:
"I started at Polaris in 1995 and Bob was and is one the most helpful people there is in the shop. He always had a comment on what you were working on and always gave you his input. I’d like to thanks for all the memories and helpful hints on my start in vintage racing. He always could help you out if you had a question. Dad always said he was one of the best spokesmen that Polaris ever had and a good representative of the company. I know he’ll stay busy now that he’s retiring and I hope he’s able to enjoy his time away. Thanks again Bob, we wouldn’t be here without you."

Web God Rude Dog:
"I don't think that guys like Bob & his fellow racers have any idea the impact that they had on " snot nosed kid's " like Larry Preston & I. They were our sports heroes. Pure & simple. The effects of what they unknowingly accomplished are still manifesting themselves today. So… that would be it..."Thank You"...from a "snot nosed" 40 year old!"

Jon Carlson, John Deere Enduro Racer, now with Textron:
Bob Eastman set the highest example of personal professionalism that I aspired to as a competitor at Enduro Team Deere during the 1970's.