Summer National Derby - Atlanta, GA
Heat Three
Phillip Ruffin, John Ruiz, Darryl Lozier, Scott Hutchins, Matt Welliver, Lynne Higgins, Bambi Rogers, Charlie Clayton, Rob Remaley, Tom Gariepy, Chris Henton, Randy Corson
Lynne Higgins' first final in six events resulted in a fifth place finish at the Summer Sizzler, but it's now one final in seven opportunities after her quick exit here through yet another disqualification when her hit on Rob Remaley caught his driver's side door.
A second lock-up in as many heats leads to two drivers getting their marching orders when they fail to separate themselves. This time it was five-time finalist and one-time points scorer Matt Welliver (6th Big Apple Smash Up) joined at the bumper to Bambi Rogers when the former attacked Rogers.
John Ruiz is now five events without a final as the Ides of March winner became stuck against a wall and was counted out, and Scott Hutchins will surely lose ground in the title race as the man tied with Will Thompson for second overall in the championship standings missed his intended target and propelled himself into a wall, ending his final streak at seven in a row.
After heavy attention from Chris Henton, Randy Corson suffered a fatal stall that moves him into the consolation heat along with fellow stall victims Phillip Ruffin and Charlie Clayton with both men sitting at the basement of the standings with two and three final appearances respectively. Ruffin made just one successful hit on John Ruiz but the remainder of his eight minute heat consisted of stalls and missed shots, Clayton on the other hand laid a pair of hits on both Lozier and Remaley before the second long stall of his day ended with him in fifth place.
The final entrant to the second chance race is Tom Gariepy as the Wisconsin Invitational champion hit eight different opponents before Rob Remaley took exception to his wild antics and returned the favour with interest.
It's twelve finals out of fifteen for championship leader Darryl Lozier as he put all his energies into just a few targets. Hutchins, Clayton and Remaley all took two hits from Lozier before the latter joined forces with Chris Henton to finish off what Tom Gariepy had just started with a good shot of his own.
Chris Henton will feature in his fifth final but his win at the Spring Fling Derby and the tenth place in the Summer Sizzler make up his points haul so far this season. Blindsided twice, first on the left by Phillip Ruffin and then while he was distracted in that direction was hit again by Gariepy on his right side, Henton was not shy about who he laid his nine hits on, but Rob Remaley came back at the end with a hat trick of solid shots to decide the outcome of heat three.
Remaley, earning his second heat win of the year, makes it eight finals on the season but this is just his second in the last six events. A hit each on Hutchins and Rogers did him more harm than good as he desperately fought to re-fire the resulting stall. After surviving that scare Remaley went back to finish off Hutchins before running wild over Gariepy with two shots, Lozier one, and the three on Henton to finish off.
Race Result
1. Rob Remaley
2. Chris Henton
3. Darryl Lozier
4. Tom Gariepy
5. Charlie Clayton
6. Phillip Ruffin
7. Randy Corson
8. Scott Hutchins
9. John Ruiz
10. Matt Welliver
10. Bambi Rogers
12. Lynne Higgins
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