http://espn.go.com/action/xgames/2010/wx14/news/story?id=4710718
Tucker Hibbert Interview
68 on top of the box. Again.
After sweeping Duluth Tucker Hibbert talked with our friends at arcticinsider.com and discussed what it’s like to sweep Duluth for the second year in a row, riding blind and why Tucker likes Hot Stuff pizza so darn much. Read the interview here: http://www.arcticinsider.com/Article/5-Minutes-with-Tucker-Hibbert
LePage, Morin Win Rock Maple Pro Finals
The Rage is racing out East this year. Image by Mike Key.
Veteran snowmobile racers Bobby LePage and Mathieu Morin each earned victories in the Pro division Sunday, as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) kicked off its 2009-10 snocross season at the Hickory Ski Center. LePage, (Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris) of Duluth, MN, set a blistering pace as he dominated the Pro Stock final. Defending RMR champion Danny Poirier finished second to his new teammate, while New York native Jason Stone filled out the podium. Six of the 10 riders finished on the lead lap, while LePage’s margin of victory was 3.75 seconds.
Morin, (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) of Val D’ Or, Quebec, excelled in his debut with the Ingles squad, finishing over four seconds ahead of LePage to claim Pro Open. Poirier managed to salvage a respectable third with an engine that was about to expire. Only four riders completed all 20 laps, an indication of just how fast Morin can be when he’s dialed in.
Top 10 Things sledRacer.com Learned At The 2009 Duluth National
There have been 18 Duluth Nationals and the 2009 version was perhaps one of the most unique Duluth events ever to go down. We all know the race usually takes place on Thanksgiving weekend, but this year warm weather forced ISOC to postpone the event two weeks. The race has been postponed before, but this year it competed with two other snocross events that effected rider turnout. Fan turnout was low, too, but the racing went off anyway and, as usual, the rider put on a hell of a show. Read on to find out what we saw and what you might have missed.
T.J. Gulla Is Tougher Than We Are
A shot of Gulla's helmet pre-stud marked
During Pro Stock racing Saturday evening T.J. Gulla came off his sled. As he was stumbling though the soft snow trying to get to the side of the track and out of the line of fire he got hit by Andrew Johnstad’s sled. It looked like Gulla’s head pretty much took the brunt of the blow and it ragdolled him, spinning him around 180 degrees. It didn’t look good. Next morning we ran into Tim Bender, T.J.’s crew chief and he confirmed T.J. was conscious, alert and moving all his parts. Initial reports said he broke the same bone at the base of skull that Bobby LePage broke a few years back at Canterbury. T.J. didn’t have the bleeding Bobby did though, so things look good for him. No doubt T.J.’s super-fit conditioning and bred-in toughness had something to do with the outcome on this one.
Hibbert Wins Pro Open, Sweeps Duluth
Pro Open: 1. Hibbert, 2. Ross Martin, 3. Levi LaVallee
Pro stock: 1. Hibbert, 2. Ebert, 3. Kaufman
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Team LaVallee Web Site Goes Live
Check it out: http://www.teamlavallee.com
A Trip To Planet X
SledRacer.com friend and Action Graphics owner Gary Walton hired himself on as a sledRacer staffer and reported back from a recent trip he took to Planet X. We’re talking recent as in yesterday. Gary’s a super guy and does all the graphics for Scheuring Speed Sports so he gets the distinct privilege of being able to hang out with the team on a regular basis. Check out the photos and his report.
China Syndrome. Just three days before the season opener, Polaris teams got the word to remove the Chinese bearings in their chaincases and replace them with some product from the good old USA. You can imagine how this went over with one particular iron range team, who has spent the last several years watching their local mining-based economy go overseas. Here’s Scheuring Speed Sports crew chief Tony Clement trashing the chinese junk on one of the team’s sleds. You’ll know Tony when you see him at the races because he’s always got a smile on his face.
Remembering C.J.
As we enter the snowmobile season it is fitting to remember our friend C.J. Ramstad. C.J. knew the snowmobile industry as well as anyone, perhaps better than most. He was a huge champion for the sport and worked behind the scenes tirelessly to defend and further the cause of snowmobiling. Here’s a video he shot in 2007 for Explore Minnesota. If this doesn’t make you want to ride check your pulse:
