Kamm and Hibbert Bump Sleds, Split Wins at Deadwood

Tucker Hibbert’s (Monster Energy/Arctic Cat) storybook undefeated AMSOIL Championship Snocross season come to an crashing halt on Friday at the Days of ’76 Rodeo Grounds as Kody Kamm (Hentges Racing/Polaris) bumped Hibbert out of the way off the start and rode to his first victory of the 2013-’14 ACS season. Hibbert responded on Saturday with a huge come-from-behind victory.

With Hibbert selecting the very inside line with the No. 1 gate pick on Friday night and Kamm lining up right beside him with the No. 2 pick, Hibbert got out a little bit ahead – but was quickly met at the apex of the first turn berm and hit in the side by Kamm, forcing Hibbert off the track. Hibbert ran his Arctic Cat nearly two-thirds of the way around the track before re-joining the field in 10th place.

“Oh man, I bumped Tucker a little bit, held my line,” says Kamm.

Kody Kamm rubbed paint with Tucker Hibbert on his way to earning the victory in Friday’s Pro Open main event.

With Kamm up front, 2012 ACS Pro Open champ Tim Tremblay (Scheuring Speed Sports/AMSOIL/Ski-Doo) grabbed second place, followed by No. 10 qualifier Kyle Pallin (Mystic/LaVallee Racing/Polaris). Six quick laps later on the tight, paper clip-shaped Deadwood track – with Kamm putting up a blistering 25.5 second lap time (to Hibbert’s 26:13) – the Polaris racer was up by eight seconds on the overall Pro Open points leader.

At the midway point of the 22-lap contest Hibbert had moved up to 4th and was beginning to challenge Pallin for 3rd, but Kamm and Tremblay were gone. And unless something happened, like a wreck, things didn’t look good for Hibbert’s win streak (which stood at 6-0 entering Deadwood tonight).

Kamm and Tremblay would lock up into an intense battle late in the contest, with Tremblay taking the lead from Kamm on the white flag lap. But Kamm held strong – wrestling the lead back from the former champ – en route to 1st place.

“Tremblay passed me on the last lap, but I was able to square him up on the next turn and take the lead back – held on to the end,” said Kamm.

Moments after that back and forth battle, Tremblay would go down, handing 2nd place to Pallin. This would have meant a podium for Hibbert, but the point leader made an uncharacteristic error and was flung off his sled. He appeared to salvage a sixth place finish, but officials disqualified him for jumping a yellow flag.

David Joanis (Royal Distributing/Arctic Cat) hung strong and made his first Pro Open podium, with Justin Broberg (Hentges Racing/Polaris) and Johan Lidman (Warnert Racing/Ski-Doo) placing fourth and fifth, respectively.

If Hibbert thought Saturday’s Pro Open final was going to be any easier, it didn’t take him long to figure out that he’ d have to fight for every inch of track.

Coming from dead last to first – after yet another run in with Kamm separated Hibbert from his sled – the defending champion put up a race for the ages with his effort at the final main event of the Deadwood Snocross Shootout, presented by K&N Filters.

Hibbert went from worst to first to take the Pro Open victory on Saturday.

Pulling the Stud Boy Holeshot with authority, Hibbert was on the cusp of pulling away when he was drilled from behind by Kamm, who ran into Hibbert in the exact same spot on Friday. ISOC officials pulled the black flag and sent Kamm to the back of the pack, where he joined Hibbert.

Capitalizing off the mess up front, Trembley took the lead, followed by Joanis. Tremblay was solid in the early going, increasing his lead up to 3.5 seconds early and looking like he’d secure his first victory of the 2013-’14 AMSOIL Championship Snocross season.

On lap six Broberg  and Cody Thomsen (Arctic Cat) got into a great battle for third place, with Broberg getting the edge when Thomsen over-cooked a corner and went down. Tremblay, Joanis and Broberg shared the spotlight for a couple laps, before all eyes in the packed Days of ’76 Rodeo Grounds turned their focus to Hibbert.

By lap ten Hibbert moved up to fifth place, while Kamm dropped out of the race for an unknown reason. Hibbert was on a mission, soon reeling in Broberg for third and setting his site on Joanis, who he passed on lap 14. Down three seconds on Tremblay with six laps to go, Hibbert passed the former Pro Open champ on lap 16 (of 22) and cruised home to the victory.

“I was motivated, man,” says Hibbert. “I was getting tired of being pushed around. So I just put my head down and went for it. Last night was one of the worst nights of my career and I really wanted that win. It’s been a long weekend and I’m glad it’s over.”

Rounding out the Pro Open top five at Deadwood on Saturday night were Broberg in fourth and Johan Lidman (Warnert Racing/Ski-Doo) in fifth.

Pro Lite

Friday’s Pro Lite final also saw  its share of carnage. Corin Todd (Leighton Motorsports/Polaris) rose to the top for the win, joined by Andrew Carlson (Polaris Racing/Sportech/PMC) in second and Travis Muller (Warnert Racing/Ski-Doo) in third. The two were rather unlikely podium placers given Carlson ran off the track chasing the holeshot and Muller, the No. 1 qualifier, got tied up Andrew Lieders (LaVallee Racing/Polaris) and got back going in last place.

Corin Todd (center) celebrates Friday’s Pro Lite victory on the podium.

Leading the race from the early going after coming out in front on the holeshot with Todd and Nick Pattyn (Stud Boy Racing/Ski-Doo) was Judnick Motorsport/Polaris’ James Johnstad. Johnstad looked to have the race under control when, on lap ten, he unloaded in the rhythm section and smashed his chest into the handlebars of his Polaris – and just like that was out of the race.

Todd, who was riding equally fast and, in this case, a bit more consistent, took over the lead and never looked back, opening up a 14-second lead by the checkers at lap 14.

“There was a lot of carnage out there,” says Todd. “It was a long race and I picked lines carefully, tried to keep my head about me and avoid all the trouble. The track came together well and that ended up being a great race.”

Charging from the back of the pack up to fourth, Carlson took charge of third place when Johnstad went down, setting his site on Pattyn. Pattyn crashed (for the second time), allowing Carlson to take over second place. Muller would then get by Pattyn on the white flag lap, coming all the way back from last to make third. Pattyn would hold on for fourth in a spirited effort with Kevin Wallenstein (Ingles Performance/Ski-Doo) rounding out the top five.

In Saturday’s Pro Lite main event, Andrew Carlson pulled what may be the holeshot of the year, rocketing out of the far outside gate with the No. 10 qualifying pick and arching his Polaris across the entire Pro Lite field and into the lead – a lead he’d hold for all 14 laps for the victory.

Andrew Carlson led Saturday’s Pro Lite main event from beginning to end.

“That’s probably one of my best races ever,” says Carlson. “It was ‘Go or No go’ on the start – and I just went for it. My sled ripped. Got a great start and that was key.”

Carlson was joined up front early by Corey Watkinson (Watkinson Racing/Arctic Cat) and Jordan Kraus on a Relentless Racing Polaris. Carlson would go up by two seconds ahead of Watkinson, while James Johnstad made his move past Kraus and into third.

Carlson, Watkinson and Johnstad set a torrid pace, separating from the rest of the field in a three-man train around the oblong Deadwood oval. Watkinson clicked off one of the faster laps, a 27.5 effort, cutting Carlson’s lead down to just over a second with four laps remaining. Lapped traffic would group the trio even closer together, but the places would remain the same through the checkers.

Rounding out the top five in Saturday’s Pro Lite class at Deadwood were John Stenberg (Bauerly Racing/Ski-Doo) in 4th and Friday’s winner, Corin Todd (Leighton Motorsports/Polaris) in 5th.