2009

11.5.09

I’ve been on the phone all morning getting snow reports from areas in Canada and the US.  It looks like we should be able to load up the sleds and go testing within the next few days!

10.26.09

Last night, I dropped off my mod motors with Steve Houle from Speedwerx. With the snocross season opener only a month away, it’s crunch time for getting everything dialed in. At least I know my motors are in good hands! Check out the story about my mod motors at www.arcticinsider.com.

The month leading up to Duluth is always a crazy time but I’m confident we’re on schedule to be ready. The semi is wrapped, gear is on the way and the sleds are coming together well. This time of the year is both stressful and exciting because at anytime, day or night, my dad will call me and say, “It’s time to go testing.” Over the years, my dad and I have built a really unique network of people who watch for snow all over Canada and the US, including Alaska. Some of my favorite memories are of test trips with my dad. I have to admit, I’m not always thrilled about the pre-season test trips he decides to take me on. They usually include driving thousands of miles(with no radio) to a remote place that I’ve never heard of and riding in conditions that are less than ideal. It’s not always that bad. Last year, western South Dakota got hit with a snow storm in early November so we were able to test relatively close to home. Sometimes, I’m convinced my dad purposely tries to find somewhere new just for the adventure. He’s way more adventurous than I am and that’s probably why he’s so good at what he does. At the end of the day, I’m fortunate I get to work so closely with my dad and I’m proud to say he’s my crew chief.

Until more snow falls, I’ll be busy training on my road bike, mountain bike and dirt bike. I hope to ride my dirt bike this afternoon but need to spend a few hours working on my track first. It’s been raining a lot so my track is really muddy. As long as the rain holds off, I’ll be able to get in some good riding this afternoon.

Tucker.

South Dakota Test Trip November 2008

Rob and his dad, Joel, made the “Mobile Test Facility” specifically for the South Dakota test trip. Hopefully it will snow soon so we can load it up again!

10.12.09
That’s right everyone, winter has arrived!  It snowed for the first time at my house in Northern Minnesota on Friday night.  That afternoon, I was riding moto and within a two hour span it went from sunny and warm to a snow storm!  We got somewhere between two and three inches.  It was snowing and blowing like crazy all night.  Saturday morning, I drove to the cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) and the roads were pure ice.  Winter came fast this year.  Hopefully everyone is getting excited to ride and are in their local dealerships checking out the new sleds and gear!

On Sunday morning, I snuck in a mountain bike ride with my friend John.  I rode a new trail in Eagan called Lebanon Hills and had a really good time.  Last night, Minneapolis got its first snow.  Here’s a picture of me measuring it this morning.  Exciting stuff!

I officially survived my second Chequamegon 40!  This race has been in the back of my mind since I finished it last year.  It’s hard to believe it’s already over but I couldn’t be more pumped about my results.  I finished almost exactly an hour faster than last year and 917 positions better.  In the car ride to the start line with my racing buddies, I predicted my race time to be 2 hours, 37 minutes.  I actually finished ten minutes under that.

Last year, we opted to start towards the back since it was my first year.  This year, we started really close to the front thanks to John and Dave who woke up at 6 a.m. to drop our bikes off. The very front is saved for a select group of riders are awarded a preferred start.

The start is a mass start and it’s absolutely insane!  It’s hard to explain what it’s like to be packed between 1800 bikes and riders.  We start at the Hayward school and ride on Main Street through the town out to the trail.  People are lined up and down the street cheering and ringing cowbells.  It’s a really unique experience and there is NO room for a mistake!  I’ve heard some bad stories about crashes on the start and hope I’m never involved in one!

I didn’t expect to start as hard as we did.  I wasn’t prepared for the intensity we threw down right away.  I struggled mentally the first 30 minutes to hang with the two guys I was riding with; especially knowing it was a 40-mile race!  I recovered from the initial sprint and settled into a good pace.  I felt good for quite a while then the cramps kicked in.  The last 45 minutes of the race I battled with quad cramps but I made it!  I’m already dreaming about next year.

I feel really bad for my buddy Rob who broke his chain at mile 11 of the Short & Fat.  He had to walk the last five miles but he finished which is a huge accomplishment!

Overall, it was a great weekend.  We camped with a big group of people who we met at Cheq last year and raced with throughout the summer at Buck Hill.  There were a lot of laughs at the campfire on Saturday night!

2009 Results

Time: 2:26:53.7

Overall Position: 150

Age Division Position (M 25-29): 20 out of 92

2008 Results

Time: 3:27:56.0

Overall Position: 1067

Age Division Position (M 18-24): 38 out of 50

Mandi and I found this Huffy Exercise Bike in mint condition on the side of the road near Hermantown on our way to Cheq.  John is convinced that pounding a Monster while warming up on this bad boy was the key to his success.

Rob and I training to race Cheq tandem next year.

Here’s a quick video of my thoughts pre and post race.

9/16/09

Hello All!

I finished up my motocross season on Labor Day weekend at the Steel City National in Pennsylvania. I didn’t reach my goal of a top-ten AMA finish this summer but came really close with a 12-place finish in the second moto at Budds Creek.  It was one of the craziest races of my life!  I have never seen so much mud and water.  I literally saw Monster cans, water bottles and other stuff floating on the track while I was racing.  It was unbelievable!  If you haven’t seen the SPEED broadcast, you need to.

It’s hard to believe that summer is already over but I had a lot of fun racing moto and mountain bikes. I have my final MTB race this weekend and it’s a big one – The Fat Tire Festival’s Chequamegon 40.  Last year, it was my first-ever MTB race and I was not prepared.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into!  My friend John talked me into it and I’m glad he did because now I’m hooked.  This year, I’ve been racing, riding and training and feel like I’m capable of a strong finish.  I need to thank Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop for their support this summer and Tyson at Penn Cycle for keeping my bike dialed in.  I also need to thank FOX Racing Shox for getting my bike set up with new suspension.  Check back next week for pictures and video of the race.  Mandi will be the official photographer because she broke her fibula a little over a month ago in a MTB race at Buck Hill.  She’s off her crutches and anxious to get back on her bike.  She was supposed to be racing the Short and Fat this weekend with my friend Rob.  Now Rob is racing the 16-mile race solo but I’m sure the Chief will find his way!

After this weekend, I’ll be switching gears to snocross. I’ll make sure to keep you updated on my racing plans.  Hopefully snow will be falling soon!  My Monster Energy/Castle Replica gear is now available in Castle dealers.  Make sure to get your gear soon because it’s selling fast!  Also, make sure to check out www.arcticinsider.com.  It’s a cool new website where you can get the inside scoop on everything Arctic Cat.

Blessings!

Tucker.

Here’s a picture from Hay Days by John Sandberg.  Obviously, Garth didn’t think I was funny.

My Trek Top Fuel 9.9 is ready to race…hopefully I am too!

What: Autograph Signing at Hay Days

Where: Arctic Cat Booth – 13824 Lake Drive, Forest Lake, MN 55025

When: Saturday, Sept. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more information on Hay Days, check out THIS website.

I think it’s fair to say Tucker ended up having a very dissapointing final race of the season.  He struggled to get comfortable on Steel City’s hard-packed, choppy track.  For the first time this summer, he ended up not finishing in the top-20 in either moto which means he didn’t earn any points for the weekend. He rode well in the second moto but a first corner crash kept him from breaking the top-20.  He didn’t reach his goal of a top-10 finish this summer but I can guarentee this will only make him train harder for next season!

2009 AMA Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship Final Results

250 Class: 26th Place with 31 Points