Halloween Derby - Akron, OH
Final
Ben Hadsell, Ed Smith, Norm Gibson, Jess Yates, John McCrory, Bambi Rogers, Scott Hutchins, Will Thompson, Darrell Andresen, Matt Welliver, Bill Malbrough, Joe Ramage
It took less than two minutes for Joe Ramage (1st Valentine's Day Massacre, 1st Bryan Family Open) to fall by the wayside in his twelfth final thanks to Ben Hadsell's massive hit, and, while he lasted until the sixth minute, Bill Malbrough's final debut ended when his gas tank was judged to be unsecured just as he had re-fired a long stall caused by Ed Smith's attentions.
Norm Gibson (1st Lobster Nationals, Tied-2nd Summer National Derby, 1st Texas Nationals, 2nd Louisiana Invitational) was nearly finished as soon as he started with a fire needing to be extinguished as soon as the green light came on. As a result it didn't take much to wipe him out as Bambi Rogers slid into him to end his day in tenth, giving Gibson his first point in three weeks.
Darrel Andresen's (4th Indy Nationals, 5th Firecracker Open, 5th Arkansas Derby) seventh heat victory ends with another top ten finish, only failing to score in two of his thirteen appearances this year. Taking on Malbrough before Matt Welliver caught him unawares Andresen then went to take on McCrory but that shot bounced him into the barriers where he would remain.
With championship leader Darryl Lozier out for the week it was missed opportunity when Scott Hutchins (1st Seattle, 2nd Big Apple, 2nd Lobster, 1st Bluegrass Derby), in his fifth consecutive final, only managed to take home three points for finishing eighth. An early stall was saved and followed by attacks on Welliverand Hadsell, but a blindsider from Rogers set him up nicely for Jess Yates to finish off.
It took seven hits to bring down the co-winner of heat three Ed Smith (7th Ohio Derby, 4th Mile High Open, 7th Bluegrass) as Hadsell and Welliver smashed him around with three hits a piece, and Ben Hadsell (1st Frostbite, Tied-2nd Summer National, 2nd Texas, 1st Fall Nationals) suffered from his own attacks on Yates, Rogers and Welliver after only taking four hits and avoiding much of the trouble.
A top five finish for Bambi Rogers (6th Arkansas, 11th Bryan Family Open) came after she too suffered only four hits against, delivering seven of her own on six different opponents, and Matt Welliver (1st SidelineStrategy.com Derby, 2nd Golden Gate Invitational, 3rd Fall) claims his fourth top four finish in seven weeks after winning the battles with Smith and Rogers; both targets making up five of his seven hits.
Jess Yates (4th Summer Sizzler, 3rd Arkansas, 5th Bluegrass) has finishedno worse than eighth, with four finishes coming in the top five four times this year, but sadly for him has only qualified for eight finals. This, his second podium, came with six hits against and six delivered as a stall midway through the thirteen minute final halted his positive progress and left him open to the pack.
His executioner for the day was runner-up John McCrory (3rd Seattle, Tied-4th SidelineStrategy.com, 2nd Ohio) who, in just his second final in six weeks, was standing still more than he was moving as situations that left him stalled or stuck frequently occurred. He was embedded into the barriers three minutes in after Thompson and Andresen forced him through, but after long stay he was able to free himself. Four of his six hits came after this event but a late miss sent him back to the scenery where he stalled for the round winner to pick his spot.
Will Thompson (1st Arizona, 2nd Sizzler, 2nd Bryan Family) takes his second event win of the year and ninth top five finish in his twenty-first final, jumping him up into second place in the standings half a point ahead of Hutchins and six points back of Lozier.
Only eight hits delivered in the final Thompson judged them well to cause minimal damage to himself, but even then a vicious strike from Jess Yates upset his vehicle enough to stop for a moment. A near miss with the wall and a narrowly avoided blindside attempt, either connecting would have surely spelt disaster, came next before he rammed McCrory for the killer blow. That was his second attack on the runner-up with Andresen also taking two attacks; Gibson, Hadsell,and Welliver made up the rest of the hits.
Race Result
1. Will Thompson
2. John McCrory
3. Jess Yates
4. Matt Welliver
5. Bambi Rogers
6. Ben Hadsell
7. Ed Smith
8. Scott Hutchins
9. Darrell Andresen
10. Norm Gibson
11. Bill Malbrough
12. Joe Ramage
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