Tucker Hibbert takes the inaugural Soaring Eagle Ram Snocross Friday Pro Open class victory; Corin Todd wins the Pro Lites

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Contact: Pat Schutte
PR Director, ISOC Racing
pat@highprofilepr.com

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (Feb. 21, 2014) – AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, Pro Open class point leader Tucker Hibbert (Monster Energy/Arctic Cat) pulled one of his best starts of the season, parlaying the Stud Boy Holeshot into an early lead that grew to a 12-second victory at the finish of the opening race of the inaugural Soaring Eagle Ram Snocross.

And in Pro Lite racing Leighton Motorsports/Polaris’ Corin Todd made it two wins in a row, running unchallenged from the green flag to checkers in the night’s opening Pro class main event.

Pro Open

After winning both his heat races in equally dominant fashion, Hibbert ripped the start from the inside No. 1 gate selection and beat Ski-Doo racer Petter Narsa (Jimmy John’s/Boss Racing) to the tape for the holeshot. Quickly up to 3rd place was No. 2-ranked Pro Open racer, Kody Kamm (Hentges Racing/Polaris). Kamm was relegated to the ninth gate pick, on account of a couple mistakes in his qualifiers, but made up for his errors in just few seconds with a start equally as strong as Hibbert’s.

Three turns into Friday’s Pro Open main event it became apparent that Hibbert and Kamm would easily separate themselves from the rest of the pack – part because Hibbert is riding so well, and part because Kamm does anything to try and beat Hibbert. So the stage was set, at least for the first few laps, for an excellent battle between the sport’s top two racers.

“I kept my eye on Kody the first few laps. He was riding really well,” said Hibbert.

Added Kamm: “I did my best to keep him (Hibbert) honest for the first few laps.”

By lap four, though, Hibbert began to pull away. As he put it: “I focused on myself (vs. focusing on Kamm) and was able to gap him.” And Kamm said: “He (Hibbert) got away a little bit.”

That ‘little bit’ amounted to 12 seconds at the finish line, while Kamm raced very well and held on for 2nd on the massive Soaring Eagle track, lauded by all of the racers this evening.

The battle for the final podium spot would go to one of the better comeback stories of the year, Johan Lidman (Warnert Racing/Ski-Doo). Injured early in the season (at the Duluth, Minn. opener), Lidman was on it at Soaring Eagle, racing to a well-deserved 3rd place finish ahead of Arctic Cat racers Cody Thomsen (who at one point challenged Lidman briefly for 3rd) and Logan Christian (Christian Brothers Racing).

Mt. Pleasant Friday Pro Open results

1 Tucker Hibbert
Monster Energy/Arctic Cat
68 Arctic Cat
Pelican Rapids, MN
2 Kody Kamm
Hentges Racing
53 Polaris
Kenosha, WI
3 Johan Lidman
Warnert Racing
52 Ski-Doo
Pitea, Sweden
4 Cody Thomsen
Arctic Cat
62 Arctic Cat
Nisswa, MN
5 Logan Christian
Christian Brothers Racing / Drift
43 Arctic Cat
Fertile, MN
6 Justin Broberg
Hentges Racing
168 Polaris
Mukwonago, WI
7 David Joanis
Royal Distributing
115 Arctic Cat
Cochrane (Kok rane),
8 Petter Narsa
Team Jimmy John’s/Ski-doo/BossRacing
271 Ski-Doo
Moskosel,
9 Kyle Pallin
Team LaVallee
324 Polaris
Ironwood, MI
10 Lincoln Lemieux
Amsoil/Air Force/Rockstar
13 Ski-Doo
St. Johnsbury, VT
11 Jake Scott
Team LaVallee
42 Polaris
Port Jefferson Station, NY
12 Zach Pattyn
Stud Boy Racing
99 Ski-Doo
Ravenna, MI
13 Bobby LePage
Cottew Motorsports
244 Polaris
Duluth, MN
14 Levi LaVallee
Team LaVallee
108 Polaris
Longville, MN

Pro Lite

Soaring Eagle Ram Snocross Pro Lite winner Corin Todd

Friday’s Pro Lite final, much like the two heat races he won, was all Corin Todd as the New Yorker pulled the holeshot over James Johnstad (Judnick Motorsports/Polaris) and ran strong –and unchallenged – through the checkers for the win.

“I got a good start and just chose the lines that I wanted,” said Todd. “The start made things a lot easier, and it capped off a great day in winning both my heat races and the final.”

Starting from the back row in 11th place was current Pro Lite class point leader Andrew Carlson (Carlson Motorsports/Polaris). Carlson crashed while leading the opening Pro Lite heat race and was forced to come through the pack in the main – which he did – until the end of the fifth (of eight) lap when he cross-rutted and crashed after passing Trevor Leighton (Leighton Motorsports/Polaris) for 4th place. The mistake would cost Carlson some valuable points to tonight’s Pro Lite race winner Todd, who now trails Carlson by only seven points (408-401) with two weekends/four races remaining.

Running up front early with a spirited charge into 3rd place was privateer racer Matt Pichner (HAALA Racing/Arctic Cat). Pichner rode strong for a couple laps before getting passed by Leighton and Corey Watkinson (Watkinson Racing/Arctic Cat).

Watkinson would get past Leighton on lap four for 3rd, while Carlson moved up to challenge Leighton for 4th. Making the pass Leighton, Carlson looked to be in contention for a podium, but got off in the rhythm section (and wound up 8th).

The white flag lap had the podium finishers all lined up and separated each by a couple seconds, Todd taking the win, Johnstad in 2nd and Watkinson in 3rd. Leighton would hold onto 4th and John Stenberg (Team Bauerly/Ski-Doo) rounded out the top five.

Mt. Pleasant Friday Pro Lite results

1 Corin Todd
Leighton Motorsports
136 Polaris
Otego, NY
2 James Johnstad
Judnick Motorsports
154 Polaris
Beltrami, MN
3 Corey Watkinson
Watkinson Motorsports, Arctic Cat
173 Arctic Cat
Port Carling, Ontario
4 Trevor Leighton
Leighton Motorsports
931 Polaris
Eagle, ID
5 John Stenberg
Team Bauerly Racing
259 Ski-Doo
Lofsdalen, Sweden
6 Kevin Wallenstein
Ingles Performance
122 Ski-Doo
Cadillac, MI
7 Travis Muller
Warnert Racing
436 Ski-Doo
Windom, MN
8 Andrew Carlson
CARLSON MOTORSPORTS
151 Polaris
Big Lake, MN
9 Dylan Hall
Royal / Hall Racing
421 Ski-Doo
Ayr, Ontario
10 Zak Mason
LEIGHTON MOTORSPORTS
863 Polaris
Gaylord, MI
11 Kyle Rau
Rau Racing
325 Arctic Cat
Lawton, MI
12 Chase Rosemeyer
Team Bauerly Racing
675 Ski-Doo
Chippewa Falls, WI
13 Casey Boylan
Team Boylan
630 Ski-Doo
Anchorage, AK
14 Matt Pichner
HAALA Racing
193 Arctic Cat
Owatonna, MN
DQ Andrew Lieders
Team LaVallee
857 Polaris
Colby, WI
DNS Spencer Cowing
Cowing Brothers Racing
181 Ski-Doo
Wyoming, MN

AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, continues the 2013-’14 tour at Michigan’s Soaring Eagle Casino, with racing on Saturday (Feb. 23).

2013-’14 AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram

Round/Date City/State

1 – Nov. 29-Dec. 1 Duluth, Minnesota
2 – Dec. 6-7 Bessemer, Michigan
3 – Jan. 3-5 Shakopee, Minnesota
4 – Jan. 31-Feb.1 Deadwood, South Dakota
5 – Feb. 7-8 Salamanca, New York
6 – Feb. 21-22 Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
7 – March 7-8 Fargo, N.D.
8 – March 14-16 Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Beginning with AMSOIL Championship Snocross’ season-opening round in Duluth, Minn. and running through the season finale in Lake Geneva, Wis. CBS Sports Network will air 16 half-hour programs of the ACS races.

Photos courtesy of Lissa Marsolek/ISOC

About ISOC Racing

The International Series of Champions (ISOC) is the premier snowmobile race sanctioning organization in North America and sanctions national AMSOIL Championship Snocross, in addition to affiliating with nine regional circuits. Visit snocross.com for more information, fan and racer memberships, schedule details and more.