The ageless wonder Tucker Hibbert swept yet another weekend on the sport’s toughest snocross racing circuit – this time in Deadwood, South Dakota – while two different drivers took the Friday and Saturday finals at the event on the ISOC Amsoil Championship Snocross series.
For Hibbert, it was his seventh win in this race season’s eight Pro class finals, giving him a commanding 50-point lead in the chase for the season championship.
Below are the two days’ press releases from the ISOC race circuit, starting with a wrap up of the racing Friday, January 19, followed by the circuit’s complete article for Saturday, January 20.
FRIDAY: Tucker Hibbert & Cole Cottew Find Gold In The Black Hills
As Amsoil Championship Snocross Powered by Ram neared the halfway point, the racers and teams headed back west to South Dakota for the US Air Force Deadwood Snocross. A near sell out crowd filled the grandstands for high-octane racing in both the Pro Lite and Pro divisions. The Pro Lite class saw Cole Cottew move through the stacked field to earn his first Pro Lite victory of the season. In the Pro class, Tucker Hibbert charged from the sixth position to earn himself his sixth victory of the season. The racing continues Saturday at the Days of ’76 Sports Complex for Round 8 of Amsoil Championship Snocross Powered by RAM.
Pro Lite
Round 1
As the Pro Lite contestants arrived at the starting line for their first heat of Round 7 in Deadwood, Alexander Berglund continued his heat race holeshot streak and jumped out to the early lead. The young Arctic Cat rider led the entire race but had much pressure from Travis Kern. Kern put a late race charge on the leader but finished Round 1 in second. Rounding out the top three was Korbyn Anderson. The second heat race for the Pro Lite division showcased the true grit of Andy Lieders. Lieders has been racing the Pro AM Plus 30 class this season but once again chose to race Pro Lite. The former race winner won heat 1. Daniel Benham ran in the second position most of the race before having an off taking him out of contention in Round 1. Scheuring Speed Sports rider Hunter Patenaude finished second and Martin Moland in third. Points leader Jacob Yurk started heat three in a close second behind the Ski-Doo rider of Max Taillefer. The red plate holder got by the Ski-Doo rider and took his first heat race win in South Dakota. Taillefer finished the race in second with Kevin Wallenstein in third. Reigning Champion Aki Pihlaja also contended in heat three but had a late race off taking him out of the top three.
Round 2
Cole Cottew grabbed a holeshot to kick off Round 2 and was followed by fellow Polaris rider Evan Daudt. The duo of Polaris riders finished 1-2 in the second round of qualifying. Alexander Berglund rounded out the top three. In heat two, Aki Pihlaja would get out to an early lead but crashed early in the race taking him out of contention. With Pihlaja’s crash, Andy Lieders moved into the lead with a hard charging Daniel Benham moving to second. Lieders and Benham battled for the entire eight-lap moto before Benham got the edge and rode to victory. Lieders finishrf his qualifying with a second and Korbyn Anderson in third. In the final heat of qualifying for the Pro Lite class in Round 7, Nisse Kjellstrom nabbed the holeshot and ride to victory. Martin Moland put a late charge on the leader of Kjellstrom but fell only two sled lengths short. Camryn Anderson finished in third.
Final
Beautiful Deadwood, South Dakota, was in store for what was arguably the best Pro Lite final of the season. Hunter Patenaude jumped out to the early lead in the final with Alexander Berglund and Martin Moland rounding out the top three. Moland did not waste any time and moved himself passed Berglund early in the race to solidify the second position. Andy Lieders was having a great start to the race but had an off early taking him out of contention. The leaders started to run away from the pack and after lap five Patenaude still led with Moland second, Cole Cottew third, Berglund fourth and Evan Daudt in fifth. As the race went on Cottew started picking off the leaders and found himself in the second position and closing on the leader Patenaude. Pro Lite points leader Jacob Yurk was running in the sixth position but had on off moving him down to 13th position. With seven laps to go Patenaude and Cottew were bar-to-bar. The two would go back-and-fourth but Cottew had the advantage and led his first laps of the season. As the race weened down Cottew started to gap himself from the field on this rough Deadwood track and set his eyes on his first win of the season. Aki Pihlaja also was moving through the field and found himself in the fifth position with only two laps remaining. When the double checkered flags flew it was Polaris rider Cottew who gapped the field and earned the win. Patenaude earned his second podium of the season with a second and Moland was third.
- #21 Cole Cottew
- #208 Hunter Patenaude
- #75 Martin Moland
- #221 Daniel Benham
- #128 Aki Pihlaja
- #413 Evan Daudt
- #144 Max Taillefer
- #114 Alexander Berglund
- #27 Nisse Kjellstrom
- #63 Zak Mason
- #727 Jacob Yurk
- #302 Viktor Herten
- #17 Korbyn Anderson
- #201 Travis Kern
- #57 Andy Lieders
Pro
Round 1
The premier class of Amsoil Championship Snocross hit the track for their first round of qualifying after the great spectacle of opening ceremonies. Tucker Hibbert carried his momentum from Canterbury Park two weeks earlier into Deadwood and nailed yet another heat-race holeshot. Hibbert led the entire 12-lap qualifier flag-to-flag. After the carnage of the first corner, Kristoffer Holm settled into second and Adam Renheim third. Renheim got the better of Holm and finished in second while Holm earned an impressive third place. The second heat showcased the speed of reigning champion Kody Kamm. Kamm would also have an impressive round of qualifying by leading the race from start to finish. Travis Muller made his Pro debut in Deadwood and started the race in the second position. Muller was challenged late in the race by the Sunoco Arctic Cat of Johan Lidman. Lidman made a last lap pass on the rookie Muller and earned a second place in Round 2. Muller rounded out the top three in his first round of qualifying in the Pro class.
Round 2
As the second round got under way Logan Christian piloted his DOC Arctic Cat to his first heat race win of the weekend. The field behind him was stacked and full of excitement. Tucker Hibbert and Lincoln Lemieux were in the top five but the two championship contenders tangled and found their machines to be stuck together. This forced the two riders to the rear of the field. Kody Kamm charged hard from the fifth position to second but fell back to the rear of the field late in the race. As the checkered flags flew it was Christian in first, Jake Angove in second and Travis Muller in third. In the second heat race of Round 2 Brett Nastala had the best heat race of his young pro career. The Arctic Cat rider was able to jump out to the early lead and ride his way to the double checkered flags. This was his first career heat race win and to say Nastala was excited was an understatement. Following Nastala was the Red Bull Polaris rider of Kyle Pallin and the Makita Ski-Doo rider of Adam Renheim.
Final
The last final of the evening was the Pro final! As the 15 riders left the Amsoil start line, Logan Christian was the first rider around the first corner. Petter Narsa found himself in the second position and Kyle Pallin in third. Ten-time champion Tucker Hibbert started the race in the sixth position as he was pinched on the start at the beginning of the race.
As the race moved forward and the racers settled into their groove, Christian started to gap himself from the other riders and Pallin moved into the second spot. Hibbert started charging through the field, picking off competitors one per lap. On lap eight Hibbert moves passed Pallin to find himself in second and chasing his training partner Christian. Lincoln Lemieux and Johan Lidman battled in the fifth and sixth position with the edge going to Lemieux.
Just before the race reached the halfway point, Tucker found himself battling with Christian. Hibbert was able to make the pass in the Ram Trucks section and move into the lead. At the halfway point, Hibbert was gapping the field while the battle between Pallin and Christian started to heat up. With the laps winding down and the race in full swing the top five stayed in the same tight positions. Hibbert leading, Christian second, Pallin third, Narsa fourth and Lemieux fifth. As the white flag flew the leaders stayed in the same positions but Lemieux was able to pass the No. 54 Polaris of Narsa, moving himself into the top four. When the race completed it was once again Tucker Hibbert victorious, Logan Christian second and Kyle Pallin rounded out the top three finishers.
- #68 Tucker Hibbert
- #43 Logan Christian
- #324 Kyle Pallin
- #13 Lincoln Lemieux
- #54 Petter Narsa
- #1 Kody Kamm
- #311 Adam Renheim
- #52 Johan Lidman
- #177 Jake Angove
- #98 Nick Pattyn
- #436 Travis Muller
- #541 Ryan Springer
- #248 Brett Nastala
- #610 Kristoffer Holm
- #36 Corin Todd
Pro AM Women
This class was one of the most exciting of the evening. The race featured young Taven Woodie earning her first career victory in the class. This is the young Wyoming natives first season in the class and to earn a victory this soon is a great accomplishment. Emilia Dahlgren earned another podium finish with a second and Jakki Farmer rounded out the final podium spot.
SATURDAY: Hibbert & Benham Extend Points Leads in South Dakota
Record crowds and beautiful weather is what was in store for the snocross fanatics at day two of the U.S. Air Force Deadwood Snocross event at the Days of ’76 Sports Complex. With Rounds 7 & 8 proving to be pivotal rounds in the points championships, racers and teams worked hard to put on an unforgettable show for the fans. In the Pro Lite class Daniel Benham would continue his event podium streak and earn the victory in Round 8. Kody Kamm and Tucker Hibbert put on an epic battle here in the Black Hills but tonight the advantage went to Hibbert. Hibbert would make a charge from 11th to 1st and earn his seventh win of the season. With the season at the half-way point and the points championships taking shape Amsoil Championship Snocross Powered by Ram is bound for a great second half of the season.
Pro Lite
Round 1
As the sun set on the Days of ’76 Sports Complex, the Pro Lite competitors arrived at the line for their first round of qualifying for Round 8. The first heat saw last season’s Round 8 winner Evan Daudt lead his first laps of the weekend as he earned the holeshot over a stout field. Daudt led the entire eight-lap qualifier and looked to be a favorite again this season in Deadwood. Korbyn Anderson and Mike George battled for the other top two positions in the top three. Anderson would get the best of George and earn another top two finish in his qualifying efforts. The second heat of round 1 featured three of the top four riders in the championship points standings. Red plate holder Jacob Yurk got the holeshot and an early lead over Factory Arctic Cat teammates Travis Kern and Daniel Benham. As the qualifier progressed the duo of Kern and Benham would have the edge over the points leader Yurk. Yurk had an issue in the FXR corner taking him out of the race and putting Team Southside rider Viktor Herten into third. The race finished as followed: Kern, Benham, Herten. The final heat in the first round featured none other than last night’s winner Cole Cottew jumping out to the early lead. Cottew was passed early by fellow Polaris rider Zak Mason forcing him down to second. Martin Moland who sits third in the points standing was also running third in his first round. Cottew earned the lead back over Mason and ran away to victory seemingly like the night before. Moland would drag race with Zak Mason to the Amsoil Finish Line to solidify the second and third positions. Advantage Moland.
Round 2
In round 2 Daniel Benham was able to jump out to the lead early and run away with the victory. Benham would win the race over three riders battling for the second position. Mike George, Cole Cottew and Andrew Lindholm would swap the second through fourth positions at a blistering pace. Lindholm received the second position, Cole Cottew third and Mike George closing out the top four. The second heat showcased the speed of the all new Arctic Cat once again. Dylan Jansen had the edge on the start but was passed quickly by the points leader Jacob Yurk. Yurk hung on to the win while Travis Kern ran second and Martin Moland in third. Arctic Cat received the top three spots in this heat race. The final heat race of the weekend for the Pro Lite class saw Aki Pihlaja nail his first holeshot of the weekend. Aki led the entire race flag-to-flag while Ski-Doo teammates Korbyn Anderson and Max Taillefer would swap positions for the runner up spot. Anderson narrowly earned the second spot over third place Taillefer.
Final
One of the most anticipated finals of the weekend, the Pro Lite final! With Cole Cottew coming off his first career win in Round 7, the sell-out crowd was left pondering who it would be tonight in Round 8.
As the light went green, Daniel Benham blasted off to the early lead with last year’s champion Aki Pihlaja in a near second. The two riders started to pull away from the field early in the race as points leader Jacob Yurk ran in the third position. Korbyn Anderson started the race on his Ski-Doo in the top four while Andrew Lindholm rode fifth. Last night’s winner Cottew ran in the seventh position with Andy Lieders ahead of him in sixth. Cottew started to move through the pack like the evening before and found himself in fifth after the eight lap mark. Red plate holder Yurk started to set his eyes on second place Aki Pihlaja as the race started to wind down. Yurk got close to the #128 but would fall short to the former champion’s speed and composure. With five laps to go in the race Benham has nearly a 5-second lead but found himself buried in lap traffic.
As the racers saw the flags symbolizing two laps remaining, Pihlaja cut the lead of Benham down to two seconds and Anderson started to close in on third place Yurk. As the white flew, it was still Benham leading over Pihlaja but this time with only a two-second lead. Pihlaja gave it his all trying for his first win of the season but would fall short to the Factory Arctic Cat riders’ speed in 2018. Yurk would fill the final position on the podium. Anderson and Cottew rounded out the top five.
- #221 Daniel Benham
- #128 Aki Pihlaja
- #727 Jacob Yurk
- #17 Korbyn Anderson
- #21 Cole Cottew
- #75 Martin Moland
- #63 Zak Mason
- #144 Max Taillefer
- #58 Marcus Ogemar
- #122 Kevin Wallenstein
- #413 Evan Daudt
- #46 Andrew Lindholm
- #57 Andy Lieders
- #201 Travis Kern
- #37 Mike George
Pro
Round 1
As the premier class arrived at the starting line for their first round of heats, all eyes were on the 10x champion and points leader Tucker Hibbert. Hibbert was edged on the start by Amsoil Ski-Doo rider Lincoln Lemieux. This heat race was as near to a final as it gets, due to four of the top five riders being in this qualifier. Lemieux rode a perfect race and was able to gap the second place of Hibbert. Privateer rider Corin Todd started the race in third but was passed at the end by last night’s third place finisher Kyle Pallin. Johan Lidman grabbed the holeshot in heat 2 and ran an incredible race as he gapped the field by nearly 12 seconds. Logan Christian moved his way through the pack coming from fifth to second and cut the enormous lead down to 6 seconds but would fall short to the Woodies Racing rider Lidman. Freaky Fast Ryan Springer finished the race in third giving him a great chance of making a front row for the final.
Round 2
Tucker Hibbert once again jumped out front to kick off round 2 in South Dakota, though Kyle Pallin gave the points leaders a handful and did not let him run away and hide. Pallin finished a close second while Pro rookie Travis Muller finished with another third place finish. In the final heat of qualifying at the US Air Force Deadwood Snocross, Logan Christian led the pack around the first corner. Reigning Pro Champion #1 Kody Kamm quickly moved from fourth to second and started challenging the Arctic Cat of Christian. Christian would have troubles late in the race, taking him out of the top three and giving Kamm the win. Amsoil/Ski-Doo rider Lincoln Lemieux finished second while Corin Todd rounded out the top three in the final heat of pro qualifying.
Final
The moment the sell out crowd has been waiting for, the Pro final. When the light went green reigning champion Kody Kamm earned the coveted Stud Boy Holeshot Award and jumped out to the race lead. Following the #1 Polaris was Logan Christian and fellow Arctic Cat racer Johan Lidman. After lap two and the race started to take shape, Lincoln Lemieux passed the #52 of Johan Lidman moving himself into podium contention. Tucker Hibbert started the race in the 11th position and at this early stage he has already moved to third just five laps in. After eight laps Kody Kamm started to gap the second and third place riders of Christian and Hibbert.
With 10 laps completed in the 24-lap main event, Christian and Hibbert start to reel in the leader Kamm. Three laps later, the 10x champion of Hibbert moved past his training partner Christian and into the second spot. With nine laps remaining, the field remained the same with Kamm leading, Hibbert second, Christian third, Lemieux fourth and Lidman fifth. With five laps still to be raced, Kamm’s lead shrunk down to one second. Two laps later, the lead was .3 seconds and the red plate holder Hibbert was on the charge.
Also heating up with three laps to go, is the battle for third. Lincoln Lemieux has caught Christian and officially made the pass. The two leaders had 1.5 laps left when Hibbert darted to the inside to make move on Kamm and take the lead. Hibbert took his Monster Energy Arctic Cat one more lap to victory earning the sweep at Deadwood. Kamm would solidify the second place position and Air Force rider Lemieux charged hard to third. Christian would earn the fourth spot and a great ride by Johan Lidman gives him a top five finish.
- #68 Tucker Hibbert
- #1 Kody Kamm
- #13 Lincoln Lemieux
- #43 Logan Christian
- #52 Johan Lidman
- #311 Adam Renheim
- #54 Petter Narsa
- #324 Kyle Pallin
- #436 Travis Muller
- #36 Corin Todd
- #98 Nick Pattyn
- #541 Ryan Springer
- #248 Brett Nastala
- #610 Kristoffer Holm
- #177 Jake Angove
Pro AM Plus 30
As the vets of the sport take to the track for their first time of the weekend, former pro racer Matt Pichner would battle with past class champion Kurt Bauerly. Matt Pichner would have the edge tonight and take the victory over the former champion Bauerly. Zandstra would take the final spot on the podium.
Pro AM Women
In Round 8 of Amsoil Championship Snocross Powered by Ram, points leader Megan Brodeur jumped out to the early lead and ran away with the victory extending her points lead. Malene Anderson piloted her Arctic Cat to a second while reigning champion Elina Ohman earned her first podium of the weekend with a third.
Please always put the riders sled brand next to their name in both the standings and in the articles. That is how it was always done in the late 1960-1990s, the sledding heydays, when brand rivalry was key to sled sales and racing/sled sales advancement. What people care about is what brand won not what rider won.
Old school rules. Sleden is Heaven.
Right on OO!
Bring back the brand rivalry bragging rights. Always publish the sled brand.
I am also fairly interested in hearing about how Skidoo dominates these races. Please list the races won by Skidoo.
You may omit any mention of Arctic Cat or Polaris at your leisure.