Big Apple Smash Up - New York, NY
Final
Charlie Clayton, Scott Hutchins, Jamie Eilers, Matt Welliver, Phillip Ruffin, Darryl Lozier, Will Thompson, Sam Harbin, Will Murphy, Timmy Barnes, Norm Gibson, Ben Hadsell
Charlie Clayton (7th Frostbite, 10th Spring Fling) stalled out at the start but not before the runner-up in Arizona Sam Harbin took four good shots to go pointless for a third time in five finals. After winning the opening round of the year in Edmonton Ben Hadsell has made another three finals but his record his slipped to 3rd (Tampa) to 6th (Idaho Inviational) to 10th today as he also took four early hits.
Runner-up at Frostbite and Ides of March, Jamie Eilers' fourth final appearance of the year also ends with his lowest finish of the season as two of his victims, Timmy Barnes and Matt Welliver, turned around and sought their revenge, and Phillip Ruffin (9th Ides), who had gone hard after his fellow consolation heat qualifiers, was suddenly rushed by the trio of Barnes, Will Murphy and Norm Gibson.
It took eleven tries but Norm Gibson finally made his debut in a final and came away with his first four points as he finished in seventh position. He laid six hits on six different opponents but it was two that he had left untouched, Scott Hutchins and Timmy Barnes, who gave him two shots a piece.
Matt Welliver completes a successful week with his first set of points from his victory in heat three and a sixth place finish in the final to hopefully jump start his season. Hits from Clayton and Gibson had him in some early trouble but surviving that, and a later stall, kept him going until Hutchins hit him twice before Barnes put in the finisher.
In his eighth final Will Thompson earns a top five finish for the first time since the Ides of March, six events ago. A pair of hits on both Murphy and Darryl Lozier were matched in kind by his victims with Hutchins again throwing his weight around later on, and Timmy Barnes (12th Spring Fling) takes a very good fourth position as he dodged and weaved through the pack knocking in nine hits, two on Gibson, as he went.
Will Murphy returns to the top three with his fourth top three finish of the year and all seven final appearances has seen him do no worse than sixth (Jersey). After helping in the elimination of Thompson, Murphy stalled for a long time, managing to re-fire and run afoul of Lozier.
Scott Hutchins also makes strides with a second top two finish (1st Seattle) in the last three events. He was a repeat visitor to several drivers and was only hit four times through the thirteen minute finale, unfortunately the thirteenth strike was from Darryl Lozier to win back-to-back events.
Lozier looked to be on the brink midway through after taken a few rough shots from Thompson, Barnes and Gibson, but somehow stayed in motion to take his third derby win of the season and take top spot in the championship standings.
Race Result
1. Darryl Lozier
2. Scott Hutchins
3. Will Murphy
4. Timmy Barnes
5. Will Thompson
6. Matt Welliver
7. Norm Gibson
8. Phillip Ruffin
9. Jamie Eilers
10. Ben Hadsell
11. Charlie Clayton
12. Sam Harbin
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