Louisiana Derby - New Orleans, LA
Final
Steven Redden, Jason Ingle, Ricky Grimes, Leo May, Jamie Eilers, Charlie Clayton, Scott Hutchins, Norm Gibson
With only eight qualifiers there would be points available to all finalists but no-one would be eliminated until after the six minute mark of a highly competitive final where it would all kick off. Ricky Grimes and Scott Hutchins would face the brunt of attacks with a combined seventeen hits on them, but they would outlast many including heat three winner Charlie Clayton (7th Frostbite, 10th Spring Fling, 5th Texas) as the six-time finalist ends his third final in a row after nine collisions; only four of which were against him.
That started a mass exodus where five of the drivers would be evicted from the race. Next to go was seven-time finalist and heat one victor Jason Ingle (9th Spring Fling, tied-5th Lobster, 9th Summer National) who only took three hits but his battered vehicle just could not take anymore.
Steven Redden (tied-2nd Valentine's Day Massacre, 3rd Indy) ends his fourth final in five weeks with a sixth place finish. His early assault on Scott Hutchins was cut short on two blindside hits from Ingle and Grimes that crippled his car, and Leo May (4th Wisconsin, 4th Idaho, 2nd Indy) has reached the top five for the fourth time this year, three of them coming in invitational events. May's comeuppance came with a miss either side of his double attack on Jamie Eilers.
Rounding up the quickfire eliminations at the six minute mark is the last man standings in heat two Eilers who, after taking two runner-up spots (Frostbite, Ides of March) went on to win back-to-back derbies at the Summer Sizzler and Summer National Derby. Now he adds a fourth place finish to climb further up the standings but, if not for a blindside hit from Leo May slowing him right down, could have been a real threat to the final three.
A fifth podium finish for Scott Hutchins (1st Seattle, 2nd Big Apple Smash Up, 2nd Lobster) moves him up into second place in the the championship standings; his first final in three weeks ending with his involvement in fourteen collisions, six of which he instigated on as many different opponents.
One of the recent big moves finishes in runner-up spot for the second time and in the top two for a fourth final. Norm Gibson did not feature in a final this season until the eleventh event and since then has gone on to qualify for six of the last seven rounds where he won the Lobster Nationals and Texas Nationals. A pair of blindside hits from Redden merely disturbed the flow of heat four's winner until a cruel stall at the very end left him wide open for his remaining opponent to pounce.
Ricky Grimes gains nine places in the standings with his debut victory in his third straight final to become the twelfth driver to win an event. Grimes, who previously had a pair of eleventh place finishes (Spring Fling, Summer National) and two thirds (Jersey, Texas) started out his fifth final forced against a barrier where he was able to free himself and start laying out his five hits. Hitting Gibson twice earlier on was surely a big reason why Grimes took the win as, after being blindsided by the runner-up, he kept on moving and took full advantage of a stalled competitor.
Race Result
1. Ricky Grimes
2. Norm Gibson
3. Scott Hutchins
4. Jamie Eilers
5. Leo May
6. Steven Redden
7. Jason Ingle
8. Charlie Clayton
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