Tucker Hibbert to race at World Championship in Sweden

Story by Snowmobile.com Mar. 04, 2010

Arctic Cat pilot to represent USA at race

Monster Energy/Arctic Cat’s Tucker Hibbert will represent the United States at the FIM Snowcross World Championship in Mala, Sweden on March 27. Hibbert hopes to become the first American rider in history to win the World Championship at his first attempt competing outside of North America.

“I’m honored by the opportunity to represent the United States at the World Championship,” says Hibbert. “I’ve never traveled overseas so to prepare for this race has been a completely new experience for me. I guess this is my Olympics. I always go into a race focused on winning but now I feel an obligation to win for my country.”

Hibbert recently finished his scheduled race season with nine national victories. The season was highlighted by his 50th career win and fourth-consecutive gold medal at ESPN Winter X Games 14. He made the decision to race the World Championship the beginning of February and is not something he has taken lightly. Unlike the national series he competes in, the World Championship has sound and fuel restrictions and does not allow the use of traction products. These restrictions have forced him to change his sled set-up and riding style dramatically.

Tucker Hibbert

To properly prepare for the event, he built a track at his home to resemble past World Championship courses. He has pounded out countless laps and implemented different riding techniques that he believes are crucial to being competitive on a European style track.

“I’m confident that we (the team) have done our homework and are prepared to win,” says Hibbert. “We’ve spent countless hours testing and tuning my Monster Energy/Arctic Cat. We’ve learned a lot but are still at a disadvantage because we’ve never raced there. My dad raced in Finland at one point in his career and he was in Sweden a couple years ago, so he has some insight on what to expect. We’ll give it our all and hope for the best!”

The FIM Snowcross World Championship will take place at a ski hill in northern Sweden and will feature three 15-minute races with an overall score crowning the World Champion. The highest an American rider has finished in the past is fourth overall. For the first time in the event’s 11-year history, it will also feature a national team challenge. Hibbert’s score, along with two other rider’s scores from the USA, will count towards the national team title.

Visit Tucker-Hibbert.com for up-to-date information on Hibbert’s first experience traveling and racing overseas. The event will be broadcasted live on FreeCaster.tv.