Former Ski-Doo exec Davis gets new gig in Eagle River

Russ Davis has been named vice president of sales and marketing for the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby presented by FirstPlaceParts.com.

Chuck Decker, president and track owner of Eagle River Derbytrack, describes Davis 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. 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, Wis., and started as salesman for Snowmobile Sales Inc., selling Scorpion snowmobiles. Shortly after, he became national sales manager for the Scorpion factory in Crosby, Minn.

Next came a move to Duluth, Minn., to become sales manager for the Central U.S. for Ski-Doo. After closing Ski-Doo’s office in Chicago, he brought the team to Wausau, Wis., to open a distribution center for Bombardier Ski-Doo/Sea-Doo for North America and became national sales manager for this expanded entity. He later was promoted to VP of sales and marketing for snowmobiles worldwide, which included snowmobile manufacturing facilities in 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. He was inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame in 2012.