Wahl Opens Season On Top

If you are a snowmobile racing fan within an easy drive of Minnesota’s Twin Cities, shame on you for missing a fabulous event.

            The WSA Pro-Ice season opener December 19-20 at Shakopee, Minnesota’s Raceway Park was a really good racing event at a really cool facility. Sadly, it was missed by most, as only a small crowd was on hand to see some very exciting racing, particularly in the Champ 440 class.

            Sixteen of the very best drivers in the Upper Midwest, including World Champions PJ Wanderscheid (2002, 2003, 2006), Gary Moyle (2005, 2007) and Bryan Bewcyk (2008, 2009) battled it out on the ice-covered blacktop racing track, but in the end the winner was a second-generation driver that many are expecting to be a future World Champion.

            Dustin Wahl of the Greenbush, Minnesota-based Wahl Bros. Racing Team opened the season on top, first claiming the super-exciting 600 class Saturday afternoon and then the event-closing Champ 440 final Sunday afternoon in front of a fast field.

            Wanderscheid got the holeshot and held the point for the first half of the race, but standing trackside it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before the talented Cat racer gave way to the faster Polaris-powered mod being driven by Wahl. Just past the halfway point, Wahl claimed the lead by driving under Wanderscheid on the front stretch, then he pulled away. Wanderscheid finished a solid second. Moyle was mired back in traffic on his new, tubular chassis machine, and Bewcyk didn’t make the 12-sled final.

            Wahl’s victory was more dramatic Saturday, when he used a last-lap pass to slice past Mike Schultz for the victory.

          After the race, Dustin’s father Dave Wahl reported that the sled the team was using was actually last year’s chassis. A new chassis has been completed, but “we thought this one was fast enough,” said the retired three-time champion. We guess so. 

            Check back with SnowGoerRacing.com later this week – we took a ton of photos and will upload a bunch from snowmobile oval racing, ATV racing on the same surface and, yes, even lawn mower racing. Stay tuned.

Hibbert Takes National Win No. 50 Saturday Night In Milwaukee

This just in, Tucker Hibbert is human – and he was actually beat at the snowy and windy Milwaukee National.

Tucker Hibbert took Pro win No. 50 in his career at Milwaukee

The problem, at least for the competition, is that Hibbert’s defeats came in heat races. When it was time to chase the cheese, Hibbert again schooled the field in both Pro Stock on Friday night and Pro Open on Sunday night.

            For Hibbert, the driver who swept every Pro weekend last year before leaving the circuit to chase his motocross dreams, it was another weekend sweep to start this season after doing the same thing last weekend in Duluth, Minnesota. It was win number 50 on the national snocross scene – between WPSA and ISOC – for Hibbert.

            Saturday night, Hibbert again scored a come behind victory. The holeshot and early lead was claimed by Brett Bender on the No. 19 Polaris of New York, Bender held the point for the first three laps in the 22 lap final before being passed in the air over the main tabletop jump by Hibbert. Hibbert again methodically pulled away on his Monster Energy Drink Arctic Cat, pulling away to a 9 second victory.

            On the podium, Hibbert said about the only problem he has was with the roost, reporting that one time he got a mouthful of snow when pulling up behind a sled he was about to lap that made it hard for him to breath. From the outside, though, nobody could tell, as Hibbert again looked close to perfect.

            Bender held second the rest of the race – fellow Polaris racer Ross Martin closed within .8 seconds a couple of times, but he never got close enough to truly challenge. Those two took the last two spots on the podium.

            “Right before the race I was telling my dad [hall of fame racer Tim Bender] and everybody [on his team] that if I just got through the first corner I’d be excited because it seems I haven’t got through that first corner yet this year,” said Bender, who had gotten tangled up with riders early in the other three finals this year.

            “As soon as [Hibbert] got by me, I though, OK, just calm down and try to stay with him and see what he’s doing,” Bender said. But Bender bobbled a couple times and allowed Hibbert out of his sights.  

            Hibbert, meanwhile, admitted being human on the podium, saying that sometimes he struggles to find the motivation to keep training for riding. But, between devine inspiration for the religious rider, a desire to not let his team down and the threat of competitors sneaking up on him, Hibbert continues to push to improve.

            “I’d like to say thanks to the fans, the whole team, and thanks to the guys on the podium for giving me the motivation to keep working hard,” Hibbert said.

            Robbie Malinoski (Pol) finished fourth, followed be Brett Tucotte (Doo), Cory Davis (Cat), Tim Tremblay (Doo), Emil Ohman (Doo), Dan Ebert (Cat) and Paul Bauerly (Doo). Crowd favorite Levi LaVallee struggled deep in the pack before coming off his ride with about five laps left.

            Earlier, Logan Christian claimed a very entertaining Semi-Pro Stock victory.

Hibbert’s Chase Of Perfection Continues In Milwaukee

If you like to watch perfection, keep your eyes on the ISOC racing series for the first half of this season. If you like to watch close finishes and various people winning? Well, it might be a long season.

        The Tucker Hibbert show continues Friday night at the Milwaukee Mile, where Hibbert again watched for a couple laps, then stormed away to an easy-looking victory in the Pro Super Stock final. It was the Goodrich, Minnesota, racer’s 49^th Pro victory on the national series, and it continued an upbeaten string that dates back a couple of years.

            Polaris racer Ross Martin actually gave Hibbert a decent challenge in a heat race, but when the money was on the line, local boy Martin could only hold back Hibbert for a couple of laps after grabbing the early lead. Six laps into the 22-lap final, Hibbert chose a different line on his Monster Energy Cat down the backstretch, swapped to the inside line in the far turn and then took a lead he’d never relinquish. Then, lap after lap, Hibbert pulled away, adding about a second each lap over the talented Martin.

            Martin held second for the rest of the event, but behind him, there was chaos, as drivers swapped positions, there was a small fire and racers battled for the final podium spot. Levi LaVallee held third for the first third of the race before fading to an eventual eighth place finish. Steve Taylor grabbed the third spot on his Ski-Doo at the midway point but he faded to fifth.

            Garth Kaufman, meanwhile, was going the other direction on his No. 48 Cat. He held eighth for several laps early, then started picking his way through the field. He claimed third with five laps left and held on. Robbie Malinoski started strong, faded in the middle, then came back to claim fourth on his Polaris. Tim Tremblay (Doo) was sixth behind Taylor, and second-best qualifier Emil Ohman overcame a first-lap tie-up with Brett Bender, among others, to work up to seventh ahead of LaVallee.

            More huge racing tomorrow, including the Pro Open final.

Tate, Broberg earn undercard wins at Milwaukee

The Pro Super Stock final at the ISOC National at the Milwaukee Mile is about to begin, but here’s a quick update on the last two finals.

       In the Fox Shox-sponsored Pro Plus 30 Super Stock class, Justin Tate is already threatening to take the season over. For the second time in as many rounds this season, “Tator” easily pulled away to a commanding victory, though at Milwaukee his level of domination even topped what the Scandia, Minnesota-based Polaris rider accomplished last weekend at the Duluth Nation.

       Lap after lap, Tate pulled further and further ahead in the 12-lap final, winning the race by more than 15 seconds over second place Earl Reimer on the No. 100 Ski-Doo.

       Even more impressive, Ontario’s Reimer – a seasoned Pro himself – was the only other driver on he lead lap. Paul Bauerly took the third spot on the podium, after finishing as the lead sled of the only two sleds to finish one lap down. That’s right – in a 12-lap final, Tate lapped all but the top four twice.

       The Semi-Pro Open final featured an early leader, a middle leader and a winner. The holeshot and early leadwent to Justin Steck, the No. 8 qualifier who pulled off to a surprising early lead ahead of a star-studded field. It didn’t last long, though, as he crashed within the first two laps. That handed the lead to Dylan Martin on his Ski-Doo, and he held the point for the next 10 laps.

       Behind him, his Warnert Racing teammate Justin Broberg was clicking off strong, consistent laps and working through lapped traffic with ease. With three and a half lps to go, he claimed the point and eased away from Martin to claim the win. Logan Christian overcame a mid-air paint swapping with Duluth winner Cody Thomsen to finish third, with Thomsen fourth.

       Earlier, Kylie Abrahamson continued her domination of the Pro Women’s class, earning a win ahead of Carly Davis,  with Nikiya Adomaitis claiming third.

Oval Racing Season Starts In Minnesota

Oval racing is back. This image of PJ Wanderscheid is from Eagle River last eyar.

At long last, the snowmobile oval racing season is about to start, thanks to the opening round of the WSA Pro-Ice circuit, held this year at the famous Raceway Park car racing track near Shakopee, Minnesota.

Traditionally, the opening of the oval racing season in the Upper Midwest has been at Beausejour, Manitoba, but that early December race was cancelled due to warm weather. The weather also ate into testing time for most teams. With a couple of cold weeks behind us, however, racers are eager to face off on the track.

Now, the ice is in place, the haybales are being stacked and the racing action is on its way. Racing will be held Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19. Featured racing action will be held from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. each afternoon. Gate fees are $20 either day, or $30 for the full weekend pass. For more information, visit www.pro-ice.com.

Hibbert Completes Pro Sweep In Duluth

The T-Train kept rolling Sunday at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minnesota, as Tucker Hibbert rolled over the competition in the Pro Open final.

Hibbert, 25, was unbeaten last year in ISOC racing action, and he started this season with the same dominating style, winning every time his Arctic Cat sleds took to the track. He now has 48 wins as a Pro on the national circuit.

Originally slated for the traditional Thanksgiving weekend but postponed due to unseasonably warm weather, weather today on the shores of Lake Superior was cold, making the racetrack hard and fast with thick snowdust that challenged the racers.

The early lead in the 22-lap Pro Open final was claimed by Robbie Malinoski, riding his first weekend as part of the Amsoil Schuering Speed Sports team in the Amsoil sponsored Pro Open class at the Amsoil Duluth National on the Amsoil Championship Snocross Series across the harbor from Amsoil’s headquarters in Superior, Wisconsin.

Pressure? Maybe, but the real pressure was being mounted by Hibbert. Within a couple of laps Hibbert moved into the lead and never looked back. He ended up winning the final by eight seconds, but it was never close, as he built a full straight-away lead within the first eight laps and then held it through lapped traffic.

[Read more]

Sunday morning notebook in Duluth

It’s Sunday, and we’re getting ready to head to the track. Here are some quick notes from yesteday:

• Tucker Hibbert’s victory in Pro Stock is his 47th Pro victory in the national snocross scene, according to ISOC officials. Even more impressively, it continues an unbeaten string for the racer that goes back a couple years. He won every regular season Pro final he entered last year, and won the ESPN Winter X Games before leaving to go chase his motocross dreams.
• Today is the Pro Open class, but it likely will be run without the defending points champion, TJ Gulla. Gulla left the track on a stretcher yesterday afternoon after being hit in the head by a passing sled as he scrambled to get off the track after a crash. Unofficial reports say that Gulla did wake at the hospital and does have use of all of his limbs, which is obviously fabulous news after a scary looking crash.
• The crowd is down slightly here in Duluth due to the move from Thanksgiving weekend until now due to the weather, but it’s still quite impressive. And the biggest crowd, we’re sure, will show up today.
• Check back later today for a rundown of Pro Open and Semi-Pro Stock — we’ll be posting updates from the media room right at Spirit Mountain.

Hibbert Wins Pro Stock At Duluth

Tucker Hibbert’s complete domination of the snocross racing world doesn’t look like it’s going to come to a close anytime soon, but his win Saturday night at the season-opening Amsoil Duluth Snocross came after he chased down his child protégé and held off a charge by his cousin.

The Pro Stock podium was all Arctic Cat, with Tucker Hibbert at the center, his young friend Dan Ebert on his right and counsin Garth Kaufman on his left.

In the end, it was a one-two-three finish for Arctic Cat, and an all-Hibbert tied podium. The Pro Open final is Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.

The Pro Stock final started with an incredible holeshot by Dan Ebert – the son of legendary Arctic Cat wrencher Russ Ebert, the man who just-so-happened to be Tucker Hibbert’s mechanic in his first 10 years as a racer. Robbie Malinoski slotted into second, and Hibbert third, followed by a hard-charging Brett Bender, who started in the second row. Garth Kauffman and Cory Davis followed.

Ebert built a couple second lead while Hibbert worked past Malinoski by lap four and set his sights on the No. 60 Polaris. It took Hibbert six more laps of following Ebert before his sliced into the lead in turn one as the two approached lapped traffic.

[Read more]

Pro Preview: Snocross Racing Kicks Off In Duluth

Will Tucker Hibbert continue his unbeaten string?

Will defending points champions TJ Gulla (Pro Open) and Levi Lavallee (Pro Stock) show some early season muscle? Maybe Brett Bender’s start will continue to rise, or Garth Kaufman will fight his way to the front.

Tucker Hibbert will look to repeat at Duluth

And what about Robbie Malinoski, running his first race on the black Amsoil sleds in front of the Amsoil brass at the Amsoil Duluth National on the Amsoil Championship Snocross Circuit? You want to talk about pressure!

The track is built, the pits are filling and the racing is about to begin on the national snocross scene. It’s time to line up the sleds and separate the tough talk from the BS. Let’s take a look at the leading competitors, then go to our Message Boards to make your predictions:

No. 68 – Tucker Hibbert: The sport’s most talented driver competed in four race weekends last year and won all eight finals. He then claimed X Games gold on his Arctic Cat before leaving the sport for motocross.

No. 44 – TJ Gulla: Claimed his third class championship last year, though he won only two races on his Polaris. Strong, consistent veteran driver from Vermont.

No. 108 – Levi Lavallee Accomplished and personable snocross and freestyle star who earned the Pro Stock points title last year and finished third in Pro Open. Minnesota driver has a new Polaris team this year.

No. 48 – Garth Kaufman Had 11 top 5 finishes last year en route to second in points in Pro Stock and fourth in Pro Open on his Arctic Cats. This former acclaimed freestyle video star has proved tough to beat on the track as well.

No. 19 – Brett Bender Second-generation racer finished second in Pro Open points last year and is considered a rising star for Polaris. The Boston, New York, native won three Pro finals last year en route to the ISOC Rookie Of The Year award.

No. 57 – Ryan Simons Alberta native qualified for every Pro final last year and had two podiums at this Duluth track last year. Finished fifth in Pro Open points and fourth in Pro Stock on his Cats.

No. 2 – Steve Taylor Veteran racer returns to Ski-Doo this year after competing the past two years on Yamahas. Strong showing at last year’s X Games shows this BC native still has a ton of talent.

No. 4 – Robbie Malinoski Former two-time Pro points champion switches to the Schuering Speed Sports team this year, and most expect this Saskatchewan racer to do very well on the black sleds.

2007-08 points champ Ross Martin returns from injury this year.

No. 837 – Ross Martin

Don’t forget about this Polaris racer – he’s a two-time Pro Open points champion who is coming off an injury. Wisconsin racer is hungry to get back in the action.

No. 93 – Iain Hayden Talented Canadian is flying the Yamaha flag again this year, meaning he’ll only be in the Pro Open class. Definitely worth watching. Update Hayden will not be at Duluth this weekend — he’ll be attending a CSRA race instead.

Other Notables: Hometown boy Bobby LePage (No. 244 Pol) moves up to a full-time pro this year, as does Paul Bauerly (No. 24 Cat), Cory Davis (No. 160 Cat), Christian Salemark (No. 8 Doo), Dan Ebert (No. 60 Cat), Wes Selby (No. 15 Cat) and Tim Tremblay (No. 11 Doo). European champ Emil Ohman (No. 27 Doo) makes his North American debut at Duluth, while speedy up-and-comers Zach Pattyn (No. 99 Cat) and Andrew Johnstad (No. 255 Pol) shouldn’t be overlooked, not should Matt Piche (No. 51), who moves from Cat to Polaris this year. Parker Brown (No. 119 Pol) is aiming to be the next big thing from the mountain west, while Matt Judnick (No. 58 Pol) looks for more consistent finishes.

Ready to make your picks? We’ll have a little selection pool on our Trash Talkers Message Board for Sunday’s Pro Open final. Make your picks by late Saturday to enter — you could win a prize but, more importantly, bragging rights.

2010 Race Season Kick Off: Quadna Regional

The following story from Sportech Racing tells about the Elk River-based snocross team’s ISOC Regional season opener at Quadna Mountain in Hill City, Minnesota.

The opening round of the ISOC Minnesota Regional series and the 2009-2010 snocross season started with a bang for Team Sportech Racing during the ISOC Minnesota Regional event at Quadna Mountain in Hill City, as both pro rider Paul Bauerly and semi-pro Andrew Carlson looked to be in mid-season form with convincing qualifying efforts and podium finishes in their respective classes. Pro-Women’s rider Taylor Carlson is still on the mend from knee surgery as is expected to return to competition in 3-4 weeks. [Read more]