Jersey Derby - Atlantic City, NJ
Consolation Heat
Dick Garrett, John Ruiz, Ben Hadsell, Randy Corson, Ed Smith, Phillip Ruffin, Timmy Barnes, Matt Welliver, Randy Tondreau, Scott Hucthins, Darrell Andresen, Jamie Eilers
The consolation heat started with a real bang when Matt Welliver scored a massive hit on Dick Garrett, who had just bounced off a challenge from Ed Smith, that flipped his vehicle causing the officials to stop the heat and check on what turned out to be an uninjured Garrett. The remaining competitors continued for several minutes before Phillip Ruffin was eliminated thanks to two shots by Smith.
After his memorable encounter with Garrett, the three time finalist Matt Welliver turned his attention on to Randy Tondreau before hits from Ruffin and Timmy Barnes caused him to stall allowing Scott Hutchins a free hit to finish the job. Darrell Andresen was next out in ninth place, laying a pair of hits on Jamie Eilers while trying to deal with an eager Hutchins; Tondreau put in the final hit that eliminated Andresen.
Randy Corson stalled and re-fired only to run straight into John Ruiz who had him lined up nicely, and Ed Smith was able to put two of his six hits on Ruffin but did more damage to himself in these incidents than others, ending his heat in seventh.
This left six drivers fighting for three spots in the final and two of these were quickly eliminated. Ben Hadsell proves himself a contender whenever he reaches a final (1st Frostbite, 3rd Tampa, 6th Idaho) but he has now only made one in the last seven events, and that was an invitational. His downfall today came at the hands of Scott Hutchins who took his revenge from an earlier hit.
Timmy Barnes looked good to get a place in his first final, slamming into Corson twice, Welliver and Tondreau once each, but the latter got in a blindside hit, as did Smith, to soften him up for the Ruiz finisher. The final man out was two time runner-up Jamie Eilers who experienced some brief stalls throughout but was otherwise eager to get involved. He ended up striking Hutchins twice but a blindside attempt ended with Eilers ramming into the barrier.
John Ruiz then makes his fifth final of the year (9th Arizona, 1st Ides of March, 18tj Idaho, 8th Seattle) and third in a row after surviving battles with Barnes, who got in an early blindside hit, and Randy Tondreau who also reaches the final. It is Tondreau's third final appearance (6th Tampa, 10th Seattle) but he had to ride his luck when he stalled at the start and was close to being counted out. The remaining qualifier is Seattle Derby winner and now five time finalist (3rd Frostbite, 5th Wisconsin, 20th Idaho) Scott Hutchins, his fourth final in five events.
Race Result
Q. John Ruiz
Q. Randy Tondreau
Q. Scott Hucthins
4. Jamie Eilers
5. Timmy Barnes
6. Ben Hadsell
7. Ed Smith
8. Randy Corson
9. Darrell Andresen
10. Matt Welliver
11. Phillip Ruffin
12. Dick Garrett
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