Hibbert Completes Pro Sweep In Duluth
December 13, 2009
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.
Pro Preview: Snocross Racing Kicks Off In Duluth
December 10, 2009
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.
Monster Energy signs on as primary snocross team sponsor
August 31, 2009
Andre Laurin, founder/president of Vaughan, Ontario-based OTSFF Sports Marketing Group, and his staff will continue to run Yamaha Factory Racing’s four-stroke pro snocross program for another season, according to a release today. [Read more]
Eagle River Snowmobiling Gets TV Coverage
June 23, 2009
The history of snowmobiling in the Midwestern hub of Eagle River was documented on the morning show of a Wausau, Wisconsin, television station on Wednesday, including footage of the Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby and the World Snowmobile Headquarters.
Hosts Susan Ramsett and Mikel Lauber were live from Eagle River on Wednesday, June 17, as a part of the station’s “Your Town” gimmick.
Yamaha WILL race snocross this season
June 23, 2009
Amid speculation Yamaha was not going race snocross for the 20009-10 season, the company put out the following press release today:
Pleasant Prairie, Wis. Yamaha Snowmobile Division announced today that snocross fans will find the high-performance 4-stroke-powered FX Nytro race sled in the starting grid at races this coming season.
Legendary Yvon Duhamel Invited by Ski-Doo to Grand Prix de Valcourt
February 12, 2009
For some twenty years now, the circuit hosting every winter the Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt bears the name of one of motorsports greatest legends: Yvon Duhamel. A member of both the international motorcycle and snowmobile racing Hall of Fame and of the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Montreal native has been the very first Ski-Doo racing team star. His memorable accomplishments in snowmobile racing have been a world championship title earned on the Eagle River oval in 1970 and his win in the challenging Winnipeg/St-Paul 500-mile cross-country race in 1972. Also a winner of the Daytona motorcycle race in 1969 and a World Champion in 1972, Duhamel will be an honorary guest of BRP Inc. during the Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt weekend, a few months before he turns 70, next October.
SNOCROSS RACING AT GRAND PRIX SKI-DOO DE VALCOURT:
February 12, 2009
QUÉBEC’S TIM TREMBLAY PLANS TO SHINE ON HIS HOME TURF
Huge Canterbury Crowd Witness Hibbert Romp
January 12, 2009
Shakopee, MN (January 10, 2009) – With one of the biggest crowds on hand in over ten-years at Canterbury Park, Tucker Hibbert (Arctic Cat) continued his season unbeaten streak in the Pro ranks with two driving away victories. Fans also got a taste of the new one-day three-hour main event format, which featured an all-final show with back to back to back Pro and Semi-Pro finals.
Tucker Drives Away Twice for Victory in Pro-Open Final
With his unbeaten streak on the line and the competitors hungry to end it, Tucker foiled their efforts once again by gaining the lead on the first lap by overcoming the holeshot lead of fellow Cat rider Brett Turcotte and proceeding to check-out. In his wake, a swarm of Polaris red lead by Levi LaVallee, DJ Eckstrom and Ross Martin followed Turcotte.
In the early laps, DJ went wide and off the track, shuffling him back in the pack while TJ Gulla (Pol), picked off Malinoski and settling in to the fifth place position. The running order remained Tucker, Turcotte, LaVallee, Martin and Gulla until lap 13, when Martin and Levi began to battle for the third place position, swapping the spot several times over the course of five laps.
USCC Grafton Equipment 100 race results
January 5, 2009
United States Cross Country
January 3, 2009
Grafton, N.D.
Pro 600: 1. Bryan Dyrdahl (Doo); 2. Ryan Simons (Cat); 3. Aaron Christensen (Pol).
Pro Open: 1. DJ Ekre (Cat); 2. Brian Dick (Cat); 3. Gabe Bunke (Pol).
Semi-Pro 600: 1. Ken Christensen (Pol); 2. Sam Vandeputte (Doo); 3. Cory Grant (Doo).
Semi-Pro Improved: 1. Josh Carey (Yam); 2. Spencer Fett (Cat); 3. Ken Christensen (Pol).
440: 1. Scott Pivec (Doo); 2. Ted Horbaty (Doo); 3. Brian Carey Sr. (Yam)).
Amateur Improved: 1. Adam Brandt (Cat); 2. Erik Bute (Cat); 3. Ryan Greening (Yam).
Fan 600: 1. Brad Cierzan (Doo); 2. Marty Feil (Cat).
Legends 50+: 1. Jim Sobeck (Doo); 2. Doug Oster (Cat); 3. Roger Gorder (Cat).
Vet 30+: 1. Corey Davidson (Pol); 2. Chad Lian (Cat); 3. Nick Roehl (Doo).
Junior 10-13: 1. Cole Lian (Cat); 2. Adam Mach (Cat); 3. Cole Davidson (Cat).
Junior 14-17: 1. Stuart Brandt (Cat); 2. Tyler Kemppainen (Doo); 3. Timmy Kallock (Cat).
Vintage: 1. Tom Clement (Yam); 2. Bob Delaloye (Cat).
Women: 1. Jolene Bute (Cat); 2. Jenna Sobeck (Doo); 3. Pamela Williamson (Cat).
Amateur 600: 1. Adam Brandt (Cat); 2. Cody Matthews (Cat); 3. Erik Bute (Cat).
Masters 40+: 1. Ken Christensen (Pol); 2. Jim Sobeck (Doo); 3. Bill Thomas (Pol).
Sport 85: 1. Steve Emerson (Yam); 2. Brad Cierzan (Doo); 3. Paul Anderson (Pol).
120 Stock: 1. Garet Grzadzielewski (Cat); 2. Nathan Lorenz (Cat); 3. Scott McColl (Cat).
120 Improved: 1. Garet Grzadzielewski (Cat); 2. Nathan Lorenz (Cat); 3. Scott McColl (Cat).
Best Snocross Racers in the World Set to be at Canterbury
January 2, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS (January 2, 2009) – The top professional snocross racers on the planet, as well as the leading freestyle athletes anywhere will invade Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota for Round 3 of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series. More than 15,000 fans are expected to witness the world’s best snowmobile riders compete side-by-side for more than $250,000 on a racetrack littered with huge jumps and insane terrain. Racers will fly more than 80-feet in excess of two-stories high as they negotiate a course laid out in front of the heated Canterbury Park venue.
Winter X Games Champions including Minnesota’s own Tucker Hibbert and Levi LaVallee as well as freestyle king Chris Burandt will be there, giving area fans one of the few opportunities of the year to see these incredible riders in person.
The weekend heats up fast Friday night at 7:00pm with a FREE Monster Energy Slednecks Invasion Tour freestyle showcase. The top freestyle athletes in the world including Chris Burandt and Paul Thacker will perform some of the most insane tricks ever seen on a snowmobile including a back-flip! Riders will launch their snowmobiles from two freestyle ramps to a backdrop of infused rock and free swag for the fans. Joining them will be the biggest names in snocross racing for an evening of hospitality, autographs and family fun.
Competitive juices flow early Saturday morning with support class racing, culminating with the Main Event from 4:00pm to 7:30pm. This all-out showcase of the top Pro and Semi-Pro riders anywhere will be bar to bar non-stop action, with Pro and Semi-Pro finals running back to back. During the action, the heated Canterbury Park facility will host displays from leading snowmobile manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers along with food and beverages. There’s also free snowmobile demo rides or the kids with a chance for one lucky participant to win a new Arctic Cat kids snowmobile.
Capping off the weekend will be Sunday support class racing, with local racers competing on a national track. Racing gets underway at 9:00am both Saturday and Sunday, but race fans will want to be sure they are in the stands 4:00pm Saturday for the Main Event. Advance weekend passes are just $30 with kids 12 and under FREE! Visits www.isocracing.com for more information and tickets.