We lost Starfire Kid LuVerne Hagen on June 16th, 2020. He was 90 years old.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 22, 2020, at 10:30 AM at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau, Minnesota. Visitation with social distancing will be on Sunday from 5-7 PM with a 7:00 prayer service at Helgeson Funeral Home. Interment will be at the Badger City Cemetery.
LaVerne became a winning Starfire Kid in 1972 when Polaris first tried their hand at the 500-mile endurance race in Sault St. Marie, Michigan. Going into the race, Bob Eastman thought that riding around a mile-long, high-banked ice oval for hours on end sounded kind of boring.
By the time it was all over, Eastman changed his tune and realized it was some of the most fun he had ever had while racing snowmobiles. Polaris had Eastman, Stan & Doug Hayes, Leroy Lindblad, Tom Marks, Phil Mickelson, Jim Bernat, and Laverne Hagen all running 1972 Starfires.
Not only did LuVerne come out on top of the long, rough race – Polaris won the next six places behind him!
