morgan sweeps again but hibberts grab three titles

The World Snowmobile Association's (WSA) Snocross Worldwide Championship (SWC) came to a fascinating conclusion with the running of it's last event, the Nielsen Enterprises GRAND Finale, presented by Bud Light, Parts Unlimited, Ski-Doo and Woody's. Ski-Doo's Blair Morgan swept to both Pro final wins with classic other-worldly rides, so perhaps Arctic Cat's Tucker Hibbert's season didn't end quite like he may have wanted, except, of course, for the fairly positive fact that he claimed both Pro points championships.

Hibbert (Chevy Trucks/Speedwerx Cat) came into the final day of the season with a 23-point margin in Pro Stock and a 25-point margin in Pro Open over Morgan (C&A Pro Ski/Woody's Ski-Doo), evidence of Hibbert's remarkable speed, consistency, fortune and mistake free driving throughout the season. Bud Light Pro Open qualifying went well as both went undefeated and the margin remained the same. But, in Featherlite Trailers Pro Stock qualifying, it all started to come unglued for Hibbert. While Morgan rolled to two wins, Hibbert ended up with a horrific couple heats, scoring a fourth and an eighth and almost missed the LCQ, making it by one point!! He did win it, though, and was in the final, albeit in the back row.

So, as the Pro Stock final got underway, Hibbert's margin was down to 13 points, which meant he needed a seventh place finish to lock up the title. At the green, Dennis Eckstrom (AMSOIL Ski-Doo) jumped into the early lead off the line, with Morgan slotting into second, with Trevor John (Performance Solutions Polaris) and Tomi Ahmasalo (Formula XPS Ski-Doo) in tow. Hibbert, from the back row, got caught behind Morgan's teammate, Carl Kuster, who was, ah, well, difficult to get by, in part because he was going very quickly, and was stuck in 11th for some time. Meanwhile, Morgan caught and passed Eckstrom, who started to fall down the order with a reported slipping chain, and started to open up another big lead. Ahmasalo moved into what was going to be a very lonely second, while John, Noel Kohanski (Wiseco/EPI Polaris) and TJ Gulla (Chevy/Speedwerx Cat) got into a huge brawl for third.

Hibbert finally cleared Kuster and got to ninth, which still meant the title would be Morgan's. He continued to pick through the pack, eventually hitting the magic number of seventh. That seemed to light his fire big time, and he charged quickly to sixth as the laps were winding down. Kohanski finally slipped by John for third, and in the final corner of the final lap, Hibbert absolutely railed around the outside berm and left the corner with so much speed he sailed by both Gulla, then John, for a stunning fourth, and the season championship by six points.

Pro Open started in a similar vein, as Eckstrom again went to the front, with Kohanski, Kurt Crapo (Dodge/Walker Evans Shocks Polaris), Ahmasalo and Morgan snarling at his heels. Hibbert and Todd Wolff (Bud Light Ski-Doo) were also close, but as they plummeted down Grand Geneva's infamous drop, they got together and got entangled. Hibbert's day went from bad to worse as by the time they got clear, he was down a lap, in 13th. Morgan went into attack mode, moved up a couple spots but then stumbled a bit and dropped back to fourth.

That was short lived, however, as a brilliant move in the long, high speed uphill took him around the outside of Crapo into third, and then at the top he sliced underneath Kohanski for second! The show wasn't done yet, as he set off after Eckstrom and got him with a breathtaking pass, doubling over a couple of huge holes while dropping down a second diabolical slope, going by airborne and into the lead. Then, he just checked out. This time Eckstrom held on for second, with Ahmasalo third, Kohanski fourth, and Carl Schubitzke (Woody's/Wiseco Polaris) claimed fifth. And wither Hibbert? He clawed his way up to ninth, and with his big points lead going into the final, it was enough for him to defend and reclaim the Pro Open title.

Lissa Toncray (Monaco Coach Corp Cat) put on a great show, starting third and working to the lead to win the Dayco Pro Women final, but Amanda Johnson's (Woody's/EPI Cat) second gave her the title by three, count 'em, three points! In the Camoplast Pro Vet class, Jesse Strege (Rev Up Polaris) took a commanding win after Kirk Hibbert (Chevy/FOX Shox Cat) had a rare tumble, but Hibbert's point lead, in a scenario dripping with coincidence and irony, was enough that his eighth place finish was good enough for the title, also by three points (interesting day for the family Von Hibbert!!)

Adam Johnson (Saber Traction/EPI Cat) had already clinched the NTN Bearings Semi-Pro season point's championship with one race to go, perhaps a good thing as he too had a bad day and finished only ninth, while nemesis Josh Foote (Brainerd Sport & Marine Cat) scored the win. In AMSOIL Semi-Pro Stock, Curt Peterson (180 Energy Drink Ski-Doo) scored a big win, but points leader Matt Judnick's (Woody's/Spy Cat) third propelled him to the season title. In FOX Shox Semi-Pro Open, Shaun Crapo (Performance Solutions/High Tech Polaris) was picture perfect, never losing and becoming the only rider on the day to claim the championship with a win.