Thanksgiving Derby - Pasadena, CA
Heat Three
Bob Alexander, Bambi Rogers, Scott Hutchins, John Ruiz, Timmy Barnes, Ricky Grimes, Randy Tondreau, Charlie Clayton, Sam Harbin, Ed Smith, Jess Yates, Billy Edgington
With only Hutchins representing the title contenders in this heat, there was opportunity for positioning as only the top twenty will feature in next week's season finale event. Four minutes in and Ed Smith (4th Mile High Open, 3rd Indiana Open) was forced out by a fire, then Scott Hutchins' (1st Seattle Derby, 2nd Big Apple Smash Up, 2nd Lobster Nationals, 1st Bluegrass Derby) title aspirations took a blow as he stalled out due to the attentions of Bambi Rogers.
Charlie Clayton (5th Texas Nationals, 6th Ohio Derby, 6th Bluegrass) missed two targets while being hounded by Rogers, and John Ruiz (1st Ides of March, 8th Seattle, 2nd Fall Nationals) became yet another victim to the stall before Ricky Grimes (3rd Jersey, 3rd Texas, 1st Louisiana Invitational)was blasted by a seventh hit as Yates and Edgington laid four on him between them.
Jess Yates (8), Timmy Barnes (6), Bob Alexander (6) and Randy Tondreau (6) all fell into the consolation heat after delivering their mass of hits to leave Sam Harbin to move on into his tenth final of the year. Harbin, enjoying back-to-back appearances for the third time this year, was looking dangerous with hits on Grimes, Ruiz, Yates, Edgington, and a trio of shots on Timmy Barnes, but a bit mistake made him not only miss his final target but smashed him into the wall where his heat was over.
Bambi Rogers now has four finals, and Billy Edgington two as the unlikely duo battled for the heat win. Rogers was electric throughout as she stayed with her preferred target until they were summarily dismissed from the field. Hutchins and Clayton were double-tapped before Timmy Barnes and Sam Harbin received the same treatment. Only Bill Edgington survived more than two hits from Rogers as he took a third before completing his own hat-trick to claim victory.
Hitting several drivers once before moving on Edgington earned his first ever heat win by changint tack and adopting the Bambi style of carnage by hitting Grimes and Alexander twice each, then laying all of his focus onto Rogers for the finale. Even while stuck in the barriers Edgington was able to survive the constant attacks, free himself, and win with a smart hit; his ninth of the day.
Race Result
1. Billy Edgington
2. Bambi Rogers
3. Sam Harbin
4. Randy Tondreau
5. Bob Alexander
6. Timmy Barnes
7. Jess Yates
8. Ricky Grimes
9. John Ruiz
10. Charlie Clayton
11. Scott Hutchins
12. Ed Smith
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