Hibbert Takes X Games Gold
January 26, 2009, 2:46pm
Goodridge, Minn. - On Saturday night, Monster Energy/Arctic Cat’s Tucker Hibbert took home his third consecutive gold medal in snocross with the most dominating run ever seen at ESPN’s Winter X Games. Hibbert led every lap of the 20-lap final in Aspen, Colo. and finished a remarkable 36 seconds ahead of silver medalist Robbie Malinoski.
In Friday night’s qualifier, Hibbert grabbed the biggest holeshot of his career and never looked back. He led all eight laps of the 12-rider qualifier, finishing 12 seconds over second place to make him the number one qualifier for Saturday night’s final.
On Saturday night after the LCQ, the field was set for the 15-rider, 20-lap final. Hibbert had the first pick and lined up in the same position he did for Friday night’s qualifier. When the flag dropped, once again he grabbed the holeshot and after trading a little paint with Malinoski, he took the lead. In typical Hibbert fashion, he rode smart and smooth, making it look easy. After seeing plus 20 seconds on his pit board, he said he “put it on cruise control” for the remainder of the race.
This year marked Hibbert’s tenth appearance at the Winter X Games and with this victory, he matched two of Blair Morgan’s X Games records. Now both Hibbert and Morgan have eight total medals and are the only two riders to three-peat in snocross. To watch Hibbert’s gold medal run, log on to www.xgames.com.
Tucker Hibbert - #68 Monster Energy/Arctic Cat
“Things couldn’t have gone any better. I knew I could win but to win by 36 seconds is overwhelming. I went out there and raced my own race and didn’t worry about anyone else and it worked. The entire Monster Energy/Arctic Cat crew has been working so hard. We did a lot of testing in Colorado and got our sled setup perfect. I came into this race the most confident I have ever been in my career. I’ve never been so mentally and physically prepared. The good Lord gave me a lot of talent to ride a snowmobile and I think it’s the combination of all these things that makes me so dominant.”
“I want to send a huge thanks to all my sponsors, family, friends and fans for sticking behind me throughout my career. A lot has happened in the past ten years and I honestly don’t know what’s next for me. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for all the people that have supported me and believed in me.”
In Friday night’s qualifier, Hibbert grabbed the biggest holeshot of his career and never looked back. He led all eight laps of the 12-rider qualifier, finishing 12 seconds over second place to make him the number one qualifier for Saturday night’s final.
On Saturday night after the LCQ, the field was set for the 15-rider, 20-lap final. Hibbert had the first pick and lined up in the same position he did for Friday night’s qualifier. When the flag dropped, once again he grabbed the holeshot and after trading a little paint with Malinoski, he took the lead. In typical Hibbert fashion, he rode smart and smooth, making it look easy. After seeing plus 20 seconds on his pit board, he said he “put it on cruise control” for the remainder of the race.
This year marked Hibbert’s tenth appearance at the Winter X Games and with this victory, he matched two of Blair Morgan’s X Games records. Now both Hibbert and Morgan have eight total medals and are the only two riders to three-peat in snocross. To watch Hibbert’s gold medal run, log on to www.xgames.com.
Tucker Hibbert - #68 Monster Energy/Arctic Cat
“Things couldn’t have gone any better. I knew I could win but to win by 36 seconds is overwhelming. I went out there and raced my own race and didn’t worry about anyone else and it worked. The entire Monster Energy/Arctic Cat crew has been working so hard. We did a lot of testing in Colorado and got our sled setup perfect. I came into this race the most confident I have ever been in my career. I’ve never been so mentally and physically prepared. The good Lord gave me a lot of talent to ride a snowmobile and I think it’s the combination of all these things that makes me so dominant.”
“I want to send a huge thanks to all my sponsors, family, friends and fans for sticking behind me throughout my career. A lot has happened in the past ten years and I honestly don’t know what’s next for me. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for all the people that have supported me and believed in me.”
Noteworthy: Hibbert recorded a segment for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” at the Winter X Games. It’s scheduled to air Tuesday night on NBC at 10:35 p.m. CT. Also, Hibbert just re-launched his website, tucker-hibbert.com, with an all-new design.
Resources: tucker-hibbert.com • monsterenergy.com • arcticcat.com • xgames.com
