I’ll soon post the Team Arctic results and press release from the first weekend of racing in 2014, and it will highlight Tucker Hibbert’s historic wins along with the outstanding performance by Pro 600 winner Brian Dick (and all of Team Green) at the USXC cross-country in Detroit Lakes, Minn.
But the official press releases won’t tell what I think are two of the best stories of the weekend.
The first unfolded on Friday night at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., where Hibbert came into the weekend tied with Blair Morgan at 84 national pro class victories.
Before I continue with the story, we need to pause for a second to let that fact sink in.
84… Pro… Victories! That doesn’t even include wins at the X Games or regional events.
It’s a number that highlights the incredible talent and drive of two gentlemen who have absolutely, completely dominated the sport of snocross for the past 15 years.
Coming into Canterbury weekend, there had been a lot of questions directed to Tucker about Blair and their shared record. BJ Smith wrote THIS excellent story on ESPN.com detailing the historic moment.
There was never any question about whether Tucker was aiming to break the record. After all, he is a professional racer, still at the peak of his abilities and riding a wave of confidence that looks all but impenetrable. Tucker races to win, period, even if it means surpassing his friend’s win record.
Yet Tucker also understood the historical moment.
So as he launched off the monstrous finish line jump to take his 85th career victory, Tucker Hibbert did the one thing he could to honor his friend: he performed the first “superman” of his entire career.
It wasn’t pretty (a fact noted by Blair in a teasing text to Tucker the next day), but it was as genuine a salute as you will ever see by a guy who NEVER does tricks and who measures risk VERY carefully.
Truly, Tucker could have easily lost a lot with that trick, but he did it anyway.
We can’t yet know how many more finals Tucker will win, just like we can’t know how many Blair would have won had he not been injured in 2008.
What we do know is that these are the two greatest snocross racers in the history of the sport.
They are supermen whose impact will live on in the record books and memories of all those fortunate enough to witness their success.
Thanks, Tucker and Blair, for all the amazing racing.
Thanks for reading.
(Stay tuned for the behind-the-scenes story of Brian Dick’s win at Detroit Lakes.)
Two incredible racers !
No one mentions all the pro races tucker missed to ride moto x for those few years, I think he could have done this a few seasons ago if not for the time off from a complete season.
Yes they were and are 2 racers on another level and the level isn’t even close for the 3rd guy in line. I don’t see tucker slowing down for a few years. We could very well be watching him in his “Prime” right now. He rides mistake free and fast as hell! He really has that sled dialed in now too, I hope he races the same one for a few more years. Its simple math really Arctic Cat + The Hibberts = WIN!!!
Looking forward to the rest of stories on it!
Two of the best snowmobile racers of all time that I have ever watched. Morgan put sno x on the map, and now Tucker has put his own mark on the sport.
GO TEAM GREEN
Tucker has class, what a great tribute to Blair, thank you Blair for putting Sno X on the map and Tucker for all of your accomplishments. Hope to someday meet these fine young men and congratulate them myself, until then, John when you see these great racers and athletes, please shake their hand for me!
i feel very fortunate and honoured to have both of these great guys sign my leather cat jacket in permanent ink!
As said by Shannon W above, with the “time off” Tucker took in the not so far past, who really knows how soon he would have done this. Or…did the time off make him realize how important snowmobile racing was to him, and that time off has helped to develop him into the racer he is right now ??? WHO knows the way the “what ifs” would have turned out. Fact that he is a class act and races the way he does is a compliment to him as a person and his family (both his actual family and the A/C family).
I’m sure I am only one of many who would have loved to see Blair continue racing further than when his career ended….those would have been more great events to have seen and who knows where this would be right now !!
Congrats to Tucker !!! Keep that T-train at full steam !!!
Too cool that Tucker did a Superman to honor Superman! The guy risked getting hurt bad to honor one of his long time rivals and that is cool! Tucker is a class act and thank god he is a Cat racer.
Congrat’s Tucker, I will never forget November 1998 watching Blair at Duluth where that picture was taken thinking… what the…who the heck is this kid!
Over the years I have been a huge fan of both Tucker and Blair! I even still followed Blair when he went to ski-doo. I have been fortunate to have met them both. Great guys!! One of my most prized garage decors is an old school WSA Team Arctic poster that I got at Hay Days it’s signed by Blair and numerous other riders of the day to include Kirk Hibbert. I also have several signed items from Tucker. Anyway Congrats Tucker! and thanks for the memories guys!!!
No one mentions all the pro races tucker missed to ride moto x for those few years, I think he could have done this a few seasons ago if not for the time off from a complete season.
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No thinking about it, it was already written in stone,, only requiring his “seat time” to accomplish.
Blair knew his time as Mr. Dominance was up when Tucker handed him his You Know What at the Winter X-games at such a young age.
I like most that Tucker isn’t the Mr. Show Off as Morgan was. He (Tucker) should see many more years of racing allowing him to set a total of wins that will never be broken by anyone that is a show off.
It will take one heck of a determined “racer” to ever top his accomplishments IMHO.
Remember folks, this wouldn’t be done without the great team that Tucker has had behind him all these years. Especially his dad Kirk. Afterall, Tucker learned from the best and that is what we are seeing today. AC/Speedwerx and the Hibbert family are an awesome combo.
I remember back in the 01 season every pro event was won by blair or tucker. Amazing riders those 2 are.
Blair being a show off was great for the sport. I believe it got a lot more people into sledding and sled racing. I met numerous non-sledders who tuned into the X-Games just to watch 7C. I talked to people in Louisiana who had never even seen a sled in person but knew Blair Morgan, because of the entertainment factor he brought to the sport with his heel clickers and supermans and we will call it confidence ;). Plus I believe he was the start of most of the freestyle craze. Our sleds wouldn’t be nearly as nice today if it weren’t for Blair and his standup riding style.
Tucker is a great guy too. Every time I have met him he acts like he’s just another dude. Don’t understand all the hate for him that I see elsewhere and the boos I have heard at races other than that he is like the Yankees and just wins.
Two totally different guys, but the two best racers ever.
I love the sled Tuckers sled he raced this year
What? No pictures? Where was Tucker in his Santa outift with fake beard (remember no-shave November). And producer Andy in his elf costume with pointy ears instead of headphones. And I am sure cougar69 would like to see intern Kyle in the elf- on-the-shelf red tights (showing his Christmas package ).
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