The Duluth National Snocross Pro podium was crowded with FOX athletes, with Tucker Hibbert, Andrew Carlson, and James Johnstad leading the charge on one of the venue’s largest, roughest tracks.
Last weekend, the competitive snowmobile season launched with a bang as the International Series of Champions (ISOC) kicked off its national snocross tour in Duluth, Minnesota. The Duluth National Snocross (DNSX) event has become the premiere snocross race of the season, consistently drawing the best racers from around the globe and tens of thousands of fans to one of the tour’s most demanding tracks.
FOX athletes were well prepared to face some of the largest, most intense DNSX tracks in the race’s 22-year history. FOX athletes dominated the pro podium, and ultimately claimed 11 out of 12 box positions at the famed event venue.
From the sport’s most recognized and winningest racers, to those getting their first taste of competition, a simple stroll through the pits was all it took to identify FOX as the preferred shock technology for racers of every age and caliber.
FOX’s support also included the mobile FOX Service Center, where FOX technicians assisted racers with set-ups, calibrations and rebuilds, as well as answering questions about FOX shock technology and tuning.
That support, along with the world-class performance and quality built into every FOX shock, was one of the reasons FOX athletes dominated both Pro-Open finals.
In round one on Saturday evening, Tucker Hibbert led the charge, followed by Cody Thomsen, and Kyle Pallin. In Sunday’s round two action, Hibbert once again bolted from the start to quickly take the lead, while Pallin took home second place. Ross Martin followed in third at the finish line of the 22-lap main event.
Duluth National is one of the most unique and electric venues in snowmobile racing. The track is practically “shoe horned” onto the slopes of Spirit Mountain, creating a tight track that often makes passing nearly impossible.
The relatively short track length and quick lap times leads to one of the roughest, most punishing tracks on the circuit. To succeed, racers must have the ability, the guts, and the equipment to throttle through the rugged terrain…and those with the suspension capabilities that help them remain in control quickly rise to the front of the pack.
FOX’s domination continued in the Pro Lite ranks, where once again the podium was crowded with FOX athletes. In Saturday’s main event, James Johnstad led the charge with Andrew Carlson and Marcus Johansson in tow, creating a FOX podium sweep. On Sunday, FOX athlete Andrew Carlson returned to the podium, taking the win with an impressive flag-to-flag performance.
“My sled was so fast all weekend,” said Carlson. “Ricky (Rick Strobel, FOX Snowmobile Race Manager) helped dial in our shock package and it worked flawlessly. I could hit the uphill section wide open and the suspension just swallowed it up.”
“Obviously we take a great deal of pride in the accomplishments of top athletes like Tucker and Andrew,” said FOX’s Strobel, who was on hand the entire week, working with athletes and tuning suspensions for optimum performance and control. “But we’re also here to support athletes of all experience levels, as well as their families who are learning all they can about snowmobile racing—we want them to win as much as they do.”
Headquartered in Scotts Valley, CA, FOX designs and manufactures high-performance suspension products primarily for mountain bikes, side-by-side vehicles, on-road and off-road vehicles and trucks, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, specialty vehicles and applications, and motorcycles. For more than three decades, FOX’s team of enthusiasts and professional athletes has been improving vehicle performance through a unique commitment to redefining ride dynamics. FOX is a registered trademark of Fox Factory Inc. ISOC is a registered trademark of Long Haul Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.
