Summer National Derby - Atlanta, GA
Final
Rob Remaley, Ben Hadsell, Andy Bing, Chris Henton, Charlie Clayton, Jamie Eilers, Ricky Grimes, Darryl Lozier, Jason Ingle, Steven Redden, Will Thompson, Norm Gibson
The final began with two simple eliminations: after qualifying out of the consolation heat Charlie Clayton (7th Froztbite, 10th Spring Fling, 11th Big Apple Smash Up) managed to prepare his vehicle well enough to make it to the start of his fourth final, but it refused to move any farther and stalled. The other exit was that of heat two winner Ricky Grimes (11th Spring Fling, 3rd Jersey Derby) as he quickly charged from his starting position straight into a barrier where he remained.
The first point went to the winner of heat three Rob Remaley (3rd Ides of March, 4th Seattle) as the eight-time finalist was crushed against the wall by Norm Gibson for a perfect record of top ten finishes, and that was followed by the elimination of six-time finalist Jason Ingle (9th Spring Fling, tied-5th Lobster Nationals) for his third points haul of the season; his exit coming courtesy of two hits from Will Thompson.
Another consolation heat qualifier was next to go when Steven Redden (tied-2nd Valentine's Day Massacre, 3rd Indy Nationals) bounced between Thompson and Jamie Eilers before Andy Bing came through with a pair of shots, and Darryl Lozier, champion of the Tampa Open, Jersey Derby and Big Apple Smash Up, lost a war against closest title challenge Will Thompson when he went too far and his final hit resulted in a disqualification.
Arizona Derby champion and runner-up at the Big Apple Smash Up Will Thompson, featuring in his twelfth final this season and fifth in a row, only manages to claw back a single point in his pursuit of Lozier as the top Canadian's attack finally did it's job.
In his fifth final of the year Chris Henton picks up his second top five finish of the year after winning the Spring Fling Derby in his final debut and only picking up a point in the Summer Sizzler. His demise came after Redden pushed him against the barrier where he was able to extricate himself prior to missing his next target and running straight into a charging Andy Bing who gave him a double-shot.
It was heat one victor Bing who would fall next, the winner of both Idaho Invitational and Indy Nationals events taking his fourth top four finish of the year to move him up the standings once again. His abuse of both Redden and Henton did not go unpunished as Ben Hadsell brought four hits upon him adding to the four delivered by other members of the pack previously.
With Hadsell busy mercilessly eliminating Andy Bing, Summer Sizzler winner Jamie Eilers was all over Lobster Nationals champion Norm Gibson. The latter had made a repeat business of hitting Clayton, Bing and Hadsell but after he missed a blindside attack on Eilers the latter took exception to this, abandoned his assault on Henton, and struck Gibson three times. It was the final of these shots that bounced Gibson (7th Big Apple Smash Up, 10th Indy Nationals), taking part in his fourth final in the past five events, straight into Ben Hadsell where the judges were unable to determine whose car stopped first and awarded them joint second place.
This gave Jamie Eilers (7th Seattle, 9th Big Apple Smash Up) back-to-back event victories, a feat only previously accomplished by Darryl Lozier, and the two-time runner-up (Frostbite, Ides of March) has earned forty points over the past week to rocket up the standings where he now sits in seventh place.
Race Result
1. Jamie Eilers
2. Ben Hadsell
3. Norm Gibson
4. Andy Bing
5. Chris Henton
6. Will Thompson
7. Darryl Lozier
8. Steven Redden
9. Jason Ingle
10. Rob Remaley
11. Ricky Grimes
12. Charlie Clayton
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