Texas Nationals - Dallas, TX
Heat Three
Ricky Grimes, Darryl Lozier, Lynne Higgins, Chris Henton, Reggie Banks, Billy Edgington, Bambi Rogers, Timmy Barnes, Jason Ingle, Steven Redden, Will Thompson, Andy Bing
Danny Krol flew off at the start straight into a wall where he would have been counted out if not for a last minute hit by Andy Bing as he himself was trying to escape the attentions of Will Thompson. The first elimination came four minutes in when six-time finalist Lynne Higgins (5th at Arizona, VDM, Spring Fling and Sizzler) did not have the same kind of luck as he vehicle refused to re-fire from it's stall before Bambi Rogers could finish her work of attacking her helpless opponent, and right behind her was Reggie Banks, the final-less driver rammed three times by Chris Henton.
Steven Redden (Tied-2nd VDM, 3rd Indy Nationals) misses his chance for a fourth straight final as, before he was disqualified, he was hit four times, once by a vengeful Thompson on the blindside after Redden made a point of targeting the current runner-up in the standings. The DQ came when officials noticed his gas tank had become loose and forced him to exit due to an unsecured part.
Spring Fling Derby winner Chris Henton (5th Summer National) cannot make it three in a row for the second time this season after being roughed up on five hits, Krol producing the coup de grace, and his last act was to impale Timmy Barnes (12th Spring Fling, 4th Big Apple Smash Up) onto a barrier which led to his exit in eighth place.
That left Jason Ingle barely making it into the consolation heat as Bing's hit on him, the fifth of ten collisions Ingle endured with half of them his own doing, came immediately after the count out of Barnes, and then Bing finally succumbed to the torment Thompson had put him under throughout the contest.
Bambi Rogers will once again have a second chance to reach a final, her dismissal coming after plowing through half of the field before Billy Edgington gave her a return visit, and the Brit in his sixth event back from injury finishes up in fourth place as he took seven hits, five of which came from Grimes and Krol.
They would both reach the final but not before Will Thompson qualified for his thirteenth final. Surviving an early onslaught from Redden he took another five hits while assaulting Andy Bing before he was bounced by Edgington straight into the path of Grimes who, with his third shot on his opponent, finished the job.
Danny Krol was already guaranteed a place in his fifth final and he got at his remaining opponent quickly but Ricky Grimes, who delivered eleven hits to six drivers and four of them connecting with Krol, just had that little bit extra for the finale as he takes his second heat victory of the season and fourth final appearance.
Race Result
1. Ricky Grimes
2. Danny Krol
3. Will Thompson
4. Billy Edgington
5. Bambi Rogers
6. Andy Bing
7. Jason Ingle
8. Timmy Barnes
9. Chris Henton
10. Steven Redden
11. Reggie Banks
12. Lynne Higgins
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