Arkansas Derby - Little Rock, AR
Heat Two
Scott Hutchins, Randy Corson, Tom Gariepy, Chris Henton, Jess Yates, Jason Ingle, Joe Ramage, Matt Welliver, Phillip Ruffin, Leo May, Steven Redden, Danny Krol
The second heat started with a triple elimination as Randy Corson (5th Frostbite, 5th Tampa Open) collided with Jason Ingle (tied-5th Lobster Nationals) and both cars would stay locked together until they were counted out. Joe Ramage was the first man out however as he struck Ingle, which did not change the situation of the connected vehicles, and that started a fire in his own car forcing the winner of the Valentine's Day Massacre and four-time runner-up to miss a tenth final in the last twelve weeks.
Phillip Ruffin's (9th Ides of March, 8th Big Apple Smash Up) final-less streak reaches nine rounds after a hit from Matt Welliver stalled the pair of them - Welliver able to re-fire unlike his opponent - and eight-time finalist Leo May (4th Wisconsin Invitational, 4th Idaho Invitational, 2nd Indy Nationals) just misses out on a place in the consolation heat, again the elimination coming on a stall caused by contact with Welliver.
Danny Krol has a second chance to qualify for the final, joining Jess Yates and Matt Welliver in the consolation heat. Krol was savagely struck by Steven Redden to eliminate them both, the latter through another injury just as he comes back from his last one, while Yates and Welliver were rough-housed throughout with Chris Henton hitting them both a combined five times.
Tom Gariepy became the third driver to stall out in the heat after Krol and Scott Hutchins double teamed him for several minutes, the latter ending with four hits against his opponent, but he makes his way into his first final for six weeks, and that left Hutchins and Henton to battle for the heat victory points.
Both men hit laid out a combined twelve hits before they began their duel. Scott Hutchins fired the first salvo when he caught Henton unawares earning his victim's dedicated wrath in response. They continued hitting back and forth until finally Henton stopped dead but makes a fifth final of the season, and Hutchins, third in the standings and on his way to an eleventh final, takes his third heat win of the year.
Race Result
1. Scott Hutchins
2. Chris Henton
3. Tom Gariepy
4. Matt Welliver
5. Jess Yates
6. Steven Redden
7. Danny Krol
8. Leo May
9. Phillip Ruffin
10. Randy Corson
10. Jason Ingle
12. Joe Ramage
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