After crashing twice in his heat races — one a scare incident where he partially landed on rookie Corin Todd and his sled after huge air after the finish line tabletop — the Tucker Hibbert that everybody knows returned in the final, with another double-digit second margin of victory in Pro Open Saturday night near Fargo, North Dakota.
Meanwhile, a new star is emerging in the Pro Lite division. Sixteen year old Elias Ishoel from Norway won his second race of the season in supreme confidence on his Warnert Racing Ski-Doo and has taken over the points lead in the Pro Lite division.
Here’s the press release from the ISOC Amsoil Championship Series.
Hibbert tops Martin & Kamm in U.S. Air Force Snocross National final at Fargo’s Buffalo River Race Park
Hibbert completes BRRP AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, Pro Open sweep; 16-year-old Norwegian Ishoel scores spectacular Pro Lite class win
GLYNDON, Minn. (Dec. 13, 2014) – Action at Buffalo River Race Park came to a thrilling conclusion on Saturday night as round four of AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram – the U.S. Air Force Snocross National – featured two thrilling main events, including one of the more spectacular passes for the race lead that you’ll ever see in motorsports.
Coming out victorious in the premier Pro Open class – and remaining undefeated on the season at 4-0 – was Monster/Arctic Cat/Ram’s Tucker Hibbert. And in Pro Lite contest 16-year-old Norwegian sensation Elias Ishoel continued to impress, scoring his second win of the year in unbelievable fashion.
Pro Open
Heading into Saturday’s U.S. Air Force Snocross National main in Fargo Hibbert had qualified in an auspicious 7th position (4th and 5th in his heat races). His opening heat race featured a frightening wreck where Hibbert landed on the back of Corin Todd’s (Leighton Motorsports/Polaris) sled, his momentum carrying his sled up onto Todd’s body. Hibbert would remount and rally back to fourth, while Todd left the track under his own power (but was unable to answer the bell for the Pro Open main).
“It was a struggle for us in the heat races for sure, pretty scary,” said Hibbert. “But I’ve been racing a long time and fall back on my experience. Found some lines in the final and we got a couple more wins.”
Pulling the main event Stud Boy Holeshot was Kody Kamm (Hentges Racing/Polaris), the Pro Open’s No. 1 qualifier. Earlier in the day Kamm had clocked a 25.3-second lap in the opening heat, the weekend’s fastest lap time. And while the stage looked to be set for an epic Kamm vs. Hibbert bull ring-style oval track battle, much like how they went at it in Deadwood, S.D., last year, Hibbert would make short work of Kamm, passing him briefly for the lead on lap two, then for good on lap three.
Running up front uncontested, Hibbert quickly opened up a five second lead. Kamm would then be challenged by a charging Ross Martin (Judnick/DuPont/Jack Links/Polaris), who would catch and pass Kamm on lap 11. Kamm came railing back, but Martin had the better line selection and rode his most consistent and fast race of the season for 2nd place.
“We had some tough luck the first weekend and yesterday we just weren’t doing it,” said Martin on his first podium finish of the season. “Got things figured out and hopefully we can keep things rolling and get back up here.”
Hibbert, Martin and Kamm (3rd) would run unchallenged through the entire 23-lap Pro Open main at BRRP. Battling for the 4th and 5th spots were AMSOIL/Scheuring/Ski-Doo teammates Lincoln Lemieux (4th) and Tim Tremblay. But unfortunately for Tremblay, who finished 2nd on Friday, a late-race get off would end his night and Boss Racing/Ski-Doo’s Adam Renheim would round out the top five.
Fargo Saturday Pro Open Results
1 – Hibbert Tucker, Pelican Rapids, MN, Arctic Cat
2 – Ross Martin, Burlington, WI, Polaris
3 – Kody Kamm, Kenosha, WI, Polaris
4 – Lincoln Lemieux, St. Johnsbury, VT, Ski-Doo
5 – Adam Renheim, Sweden, Ski-Doo
6 – John Stenberg, Sweden, Ski-Doo
7 – Kyle Pallin, Ironwood, MI, Polaris
8 – Jake Scott, Port Jefferson Station, NJ, Polaris
9 – Justin Broberg, Mukwonago, WI, Polaris
10 – David Joanis, Cochrane, Ontario, Arctic Cat
Overall Pro Open Points (4 of 16 rounds)
1 – Tucker Hibbert, 173
2 – Kyle Pallin, 136
3 – Tim Tremblay, 136
4 – Lincoln Lemieux, 123
5 – Logan Christian, 120
Pro Lite
Saturday’s Pro Lite final at Fargo’s U.S. Air Force Snocross National was a three-racer duel from the start and highlighted by the most spectacular pass of the season thus far.
On lap ten and running in 2nd place, 16-year-old Norwegian sensation Elias Ishoel (Warnert Racing/Ski-Doo) cracked the throttle and literally berzerked his Ski-Doo over the AMSOIL finish line jump, 130-feet through the air and passing Zak Mason (Leighton Motorsports/Polaris) for the lead and eventual win. With the memorable move Ishoel also bumped Mason out of the overall No. 1 spot in the Pro Lite division (Ishoel 144, Mason 143 through four of 16 rounds).
“On the finish line I jump … and yeah, I pass him,” said Ishoel with a smile.
Off the start Ryan Springer (Carlson Motorsports/Polaris) yanked the holeshot, but was passed by Mason before the end of the opening lap. Mason and Ishoel then broke away from the rest of the field, but on two occasion each racer nearly threw away his position with near-crash bobbles through the tricky rhythm section on the BRRP back straight.
By lap five Johnstad had made his way up to 3rd place, looking to challenge Ishoel and Mason. The three separated from the rest of the field and put on a great show for the fans, dicing in the corners and drawing close down the straights before, on lap ten, Ishoel pulled the Pass of the Year thus far in both Pro classes on the AMSOIL Championship Snocross circuit.
Off the aerial pass and into turn one, Ishoel rocketed out to the lead and opened up a gap on Mason. Johnstad would challenge Mason for 2nd, but Mason was able to hold off Johnstad’s furious run to the checkers. Rounding out the top five in Saturday’s Pro Lite main at Fargo were Jake Angove (Fort Fremont Racing/Polaris) in 4th and Travis Muller (Cottew Motorsports/Polaris) in 5th.
Fargo Saturday Pro Lite Results
1 – Elias Ishoel, Norway, Ski-Doo
2 – Zak Mason, Gaylord, MI, Polaris
3 – James Johnstad, Beltrami, MN, Polaris
4 – Jake Angove, Oconomowoc, WI, Polaris
5 – Travis Muller, Windom, MN, Polaris
6 – Chase Rosemeyer, Chippewa Falls, WI, Ski-Doo
7 – Trevor Leighton, Eagle, ID, Polaris
8 – Andre Carlson, Big Lake, MN, Polaris
9 – Ryan Springer, St. Francis, MN, Polaris
10 – Corey Watkinson, Port Carling, ONT, Arctic Cat
Overall Pro Lite Points (4 of 16 rounds)
1 – Elias Ishoel, 144
2 – Zak Mason, 143
3 – Trevor Leighton, 140
4 – James Johnstad, 130
5 – Jake Angove, 127
AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, continues after the holiday break at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., Jan. 9-10, for the Pirtek Snocross National, presented by Jimmy John’s.
