Tucker Hibbert delivered a historic performance in Duluth, Minn., leading a Team Arctic charge that dominated the first ISOC National Snocross race of the season and left the competition seeing green.

The numbers tell the Team Arctic story at Duluth: Victory in nine of 15 finals; 21 of 45 podium places; and podium finishes in 13 of 15 classes.

“That was a remarkable performance that must rank among the very best in the 22-year history of the Duluth snocross opener,” said Mike Kloety, Team Arctic Race Manager. “Our teams and riders came prepared, practiced and piloting the 2014 Arctic Cat ZR6000R Sno Pro race sled. That’s a potent combination that made a powerful statement at Duluth, patterning our goal for the rest of the season.”

Six different Team Arctic racers combined for the nine class victories to underline the team’s depth. Travis Kern and Tyler Adams each scored a win in the Sport finals while Jay Lura captured both Amateur class finals to highlight the stock Sno Pro’s strength in the all-important foundation classes of snocross.

Likewise, Albin Lundqvist Carson Alread delivered wins in the Junior 14-15 and Transition 8-12 classes aboard Arctic Cat Sno Pros.

Swedish snocross sensation Marica Renheim served notice that she’s the one to beat in the Pro Am Women class, delivering an emphatic win in the final for the powerful Christian Brothers Racing team.

Of all the success enjoyed by Team Arctic, it was Tucker Hibbert who produced the most remarkable performance of the weekend.

In the first of two Pro Open finals, Hibbert lapped the entire field in what historians are calling the most dominant victory in the history of professional snocross racing. And he nearly did again in the second Pro Open final, lapping all the way up to third place.

“I’ve seen many dominant performances by Tucker and (former Team Arctic racer) Blair Morgan over the years, but I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Kloety. “And nearly as exciting for us is the strong return of Cody Thomsen, who took second place behind Tucker in the first final, as well as Logan Christian, who finished just off the box with a fourth and fifth for the weekend.”

Team Arctic snocross racers head to Bessemer, Mich., on Dec. 6, 2013, for the second round of the ISOC National tour.

Arctic Cat Inc., based in Thief River Falls, Minn., designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles under the Arctic Cat brand name, as well as related parts, garments and accessories. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the ticker symbol ACAT.

More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available on the Internet at www.arcticcat.com.

The championship-contending duo of Tim Tremblay and Robbie Malinoski will likely be glad to put Spirit Mountain in their rearview mirror after a disappointing Sunday left Tremblay with a bloody nose and Malinoski with a rare DNQ.

After such a promising start to the weekend — Tremblay and Malinoski went 1-2 in Friday’s AMSOIL Dominator — the pair struggled in the first two points races of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross series.

Tremblay was crashed into during both races. On Saturday his Ski-Doo was rendered completely useless and he was forced to pull out of the race, finishing in last place.

On Sunday he quickly overcame a second-row starting position and was all the way up to third by Lap 2 when Cody Thomsen knocked him completely off his mount. By the time he recovered, the best he could do was climb up to eighth.

“He drilled me pretty hard,” Tremblay said. “I don’t know what caused that, but I plan to look at the video and try to figure it all out. That was one of the hardest hits I’ve ever taken in competition.

“I felt great until that point. I made up a bunch of ground on the start going up that hill and the sled was fast. I was closing in on the leader, had him right in front of me, and then, bam, I’m on the ground and my sled is up on its side. It’s very bad luck, for sure.”

As Tremblay tended to his wounds, Malinoski vowed to put in overtime to get his season back on track.

The multi-time champion from Humboldt, Saskatchewan, finished fourth and sixth in the two qualifiers, forcing him to the last-chance qualifier. He only needed to finish in the top five to advance to the main event but wound up sixth.

“I had a pretty good gate pick (in the LCQ) and tried to get a good start,” Malinoski said. “I launched fine and tried doubling in, but I started swapping and just had to get out of it. After that I was dead-last going up the hill, so I just tried to settle down. I managed to make a few passes but then got stuck behind this group of three riders. I kept eating their roost and just couldn’t get any clear space. That was that.”

“We got some stuff we need to work through. We just got our butts kicked this weekend, and we need to go home, regroup, and get to work. We’ll definitely be testing a lot this week. At least we have a base to work from now.”

Malinoski finished ninth in Saturday’s race.

There will be little time to regroup as the series picks up next Friday and Saturday with the Northern Clearing Snocross doubleheader in Bessemer, Mich.

Christian Brothers Racing kicked off its ISOC National Snocross season by taking two class wins at the Duluth National Snocross.

In it’s twenty-second year, the Duluth National is the traditional season opener for the National Snocross series and is one of the biggest races of the season. It is the first of eight ISOC National events scheduled for the 2013-2014 season.

Duluth National: Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minnesota played host to the Duluth National Snocross, November 29-December 1.

Riders competed on the longest track ever built for the race which is perched on the ski hill in front of the lodge on Spirit Mountain overlooking the Duluth harbor.

Pro Open: Arctic Cat/DRIFT Racing rider Logan Christian qualified 10th for Saturday night’s Pro Open final after running into trouble in one heat and winning his other heat.

He finished 4th in the main, just missing a podium spot. Christian went 3-3 in heats on Sunday and again took a Top 5 spot in the main finishing 5th.

Arctic Cat/Royal Distributing rider Dave Joanis made his Pro Open debut Saturday, going 3-2 in heats and placing 8th in the main. Joanis came back again Sunday with solid ride, placing 2-3 in heats and finishing 10th in the main.

Pro Am Women: Arctic Cat/Polar Bear Boots rider Marica Renheim was revisiting the site of her first ISOC National victory – Renheim won Pro Am Women at Duluth last year. This year she went 1-2 in heats and made it two in a row, taking the win in the class.

Sport: Tyler Adams battled through a huge field of Sport riders to take the win Saturday afternoon in Sport 2. Adams was near perfect in heats finishing 1-2 and he set the pace in the main on his way to his first National victory. The win backed up his Top 5 finish on Friday.

Jr. Novice 10-13: Evan Christian continues to climb the class ladder in the snocross world, moving into the Jr. Novice 10-13 class. Christian transferred to the final through the LCQ and finished 7th in the main on his Arctic Cat/Finley Motors machine.

Team Polaris professional Ross Martin admitted the season-opening AMSOIL Duluth National didn’t produce his best weekend in the AMSOIL Championship Snocross series, but a gritty third-place result in Sunday’s second main event did bring a sly smile to the face of the Burlington, Wis.-based rider.

“It definitely feels good to get up on the podium,” Martin said. “We’ve had a bit of a struggle this weekend. We put a lot of new parts on the sled this year, and we’re just working through some little bugs. I expect we’ll have a lot more races that end up here (on the podium). We just need to get settled in.”

Martin’s weekend started with a shocking first-round elimination in the annual AMSOIL Dominator, an event he’d won the last two years. He then squandered the lead in Saturday’s main when he crashed in the tricky rhythm section and ended up near the back of the pack.

But Sunday was a different story for the 29-year-old as he recorded first- and second-place finishes in the day’s two qualifiers before locking up third in the finale.

“We changed the suspension, shocks, and a few different links in the rear suspension to put more track on the ground,” Martin said of the changes the team made overnight. “It made a huge difference and the sled felt way better, but I honestly think there’s room to do even more.

“Today’s race was all about being patient. I knew there was going to be a lot of carnage, so I needed to stay clean. I learned a little yesterday. I had a podium finish in me for sure but kind of blew it by pressing too hard. I think if I had been more patient then it would have worked out better for me. Today I was patient and I got the result.

“Being sponsored by AMSOIL, it’s very cool to do well here in their backyard. I wish I’d done better, but this podium finish today will definitely make the ride home a lot easier.”

Martin’s teammate at Judnick Motorsports, Pro-Lites rider James Johnstad, was injured during qualifying and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Johnstad won Saturday’s Pro-Lites race.

The series picks up next Friday and Saturday with the Northern Clearing Snocross doubleheader in Bessemer, Mich.

Monster Energy/Arctic Cat’s Tucker Hibbert came out swinging at the 22nd Annual Duluth National.

The reigning ISOC Pro Open Champion outshined the competition on the slopes of Duluth, Minn.’s Spirit Mountain ski hill and permanently stamped his name in the snocross record books by lapping the entire field in the first Pro Open final of the 2013/2014 season.

Hibbert led every lap of his qualifying rounds Saturday evening giving him the number one seed for the main event. Lining up on the far inside, he drag raced fellow Arctic Cat racer No. 62 Cody Thomsen into corner one.

By the time the Cat duo hit the uphill step-up, Hibbert took the lead. Turning consistent laps, he moved through lapped traffic with patience and control.

Two laps to go in the 22-lap, 15-rider main event, he was only sled lengths away from the second place battle of Thomsen and No. 324 Kyle Pallin.

Hibbert found an opening, passed both riders in a single sweep, and in that moment, lapped the entire field – a feat never achieved in the pro class at a national snocross event.

Sunday was a similar story for Hibbert. After winning both qualifying events, he ran away in the final event crossing the finish line over 20 seconds ahead of second place.

Next up for Hibbert is the second stop of the ISOC tour this weekend in Bessemer, Mich. The past two years, the technical rider has excelled on the long, challenging ski hill track winning three of the four finals held at Blackjack Resort.

“This weekend was unreal. Coming into Duluth, I knew we (the team) were prepared but didn’t anticipate putting together such a dominating weekend. Everything just clicked. I instantly felt comfortable on the track, never fought the sled or struggled to find lines. It was just one of those weekends where everything went perfect.” said Tucker. “I had no idea I lapped the entire field Saturday night until after the race. When I’m in the lead, I put all my focus on moving forward and keeping my intensity. I can’t say it’s ever been a goal to lap the field but it’s a pretty cool accomplishment. Sunday’s final was a little more challenging battling snow dust. It kept me on my toes and I was forced to ride by memory a few times. I wanted to keep pushing but backed it down to make sure I didn’t get myself into a sketchy situation. It’s going to be a short week but we already have plans to test a few things. We’re going to work hard to keep our momentum rolling into Bessemer.”

www.tucker-hibbert.com

Tucker Hibbert enters the 2013/2014 snocross season with a proven program that’s prepared to break records.

Hibbert’s on track to defend his ISOC National Snocross Pro Open title, become the first person in Winter X Games history to win seven consecutive gold medals and pass legend Blair Morgan’s Pro National win record to become the most decorated snocross racer in history.

Monster Energy leads Hibbert’s team while Arctic Cat provides factory support with its 2014 ZR 6000 R. After a successful first season, Ram Truck returns as the official truck of team Monster Energy/Arctic Cat.

Castle X Racewear, Fly Helmets, Leatt Brace, SPY Optic, TekVest and CTi continue to outfit Hibbert in the industry’s leading race gear and protective equipment.

On the mechanical side, Stud Boy, Speedwerx, FOX and APV Synthetic Oil and Lubricants keep his sled running at its peak performance. Hot Stuff Pizza, Kicker Audio and Digital Ink Design & Graphics complete the program.

The reigning ISOC Pro Open champion kicks off his season this weekend in Duluth, Minn. at the first of eight stops on the ISOC tour. With 80 pro victories, he’s only five wins away from passing Morgan’s record.

“I’m fortunate to work with brands that share my passion and drive for success. We (the team) have big goals for this winter and need people who can stand behind us to help us achieve those goals. We’ve found a good groove and are focused on fine-tuning what we know works. In racing, it’s the little improvements that add up to make a big difference. If we keep doing what we’re doing, the wins will come and we’ll reach our goals.” Said Hibbert. “Going into this season, I feel as ready as I’ve ever been. I was able to get on snow the beginning of October, which is really rare. Overall, I think most of the pro riders have been riding more this preseason than years past. It’ll make for a competitive, intense race this weekend at Duluth.”

Tucker Hibbert’s 2013/2014 Snocross Schedule:

November 29-December 1, 2013: Duluth, MN / Spirit Mountain- ISOC National
December 6-7, 2013: Bessemer, MI / Blackjack Ski Resort – ISOC National
January 3-4, 2014: Shakopee, MN / Canterbury Park – ISOC National
January 23-24, 2014: Aspen, CO / Buttermilk Mountain – Winter X Games
January 31-Feb. 1, 2014: Deadwood, SD / Rodeo Grounds – ISOC National
February 7-8, 2014: Salamanca, NY / Seneca Allegany Casino – ISOC National
February 21-22, 2014: Mt. Pleasant, MI / Soaring Eagle Casino – ISOC National
March 7-8, 2014: Fargo, ND / Buffalo River Race Park – ISOC National
March 14-15, 2014: Lake Geneva, WI / Grand Geneva Resort – ISOC National

To follow Hibbert’s racing this winter, visit www.tucker-hibbert.com.