Thanksgiving Derby - Pasadena, CA
Consolation Heat
Steven Redden, Jess Yates, Timmy Barnes, John McCrory, Tom Gariepy, Randy Corson, Will Murphy, Bob Alexander, Randy Tondreau, Norm Gibson, Andy Bing, Leo May
It took three minutes for the field to lose it's first two entrants as eight-time finalist Randy Corson (5th Frostbite, 5th Tampa Open) was offline on an attack run, sending him into the wall, and six-time finalist Jess Yates (4th Summer Sizzler, 3rd Alamo Derby, 3rd Halloween Open) was hunted down by John McCrory.
Another costly saw Tom Gariepy (1st Wisconsin Invitational, Arkansas Derby, Mile High Open) fall by the wayside, crippling his title aspirations with just one final appearance out of the last six (4th Fall Nationals), and Bob Alexander delivered five hits to four cars (McCrory 2) with the final shot earning him a disqualification to demolish his own chances of qualification as he was struck just two times in return.
Another title seeker Andy Bing (1st Idaho Invitational, Indy Nationals, Ohio Derby, Golden Gate Invitational) has just one point in his last six outings, dismissal coming in Pasadena when Norm Gibson and he battled, causing each other to stall before Gibson (1st Lobster Nationals, Tied-2nd Summer National Derby, 1st Texas Nationals, 2nd Louisiana Invitational) re-fired first and finished the conflict before he too was taking out as he blindsided Tondreau only to run straight into May.
Steven Redden (Tied-2nd Valentine's Day Massacre, 3rd Indy) now has just one final in the last fourteen weeks as Leo May's hat-trick did for him, while Randy Tondreau (6th Tampa, 3rd Firecracker Open, 7th Alamo) has nine straight failed qualifications in a row.
The final entrant to miss out is last week's co-winner John McCrory (2nd Ohio, 2nd Halloween, Tied-1st Indiana Open) was looking good in the consolation heat with seven hits, with a pair landing on May and Murphy, but Timmy Barnes cemented his place in his fourth final of the year by returning to strike McCrory and complete the h at-trick on him.
Barnes, who had just one appearance in the previous nineteen events, gets to another final the hard earned way with the remainder of his six hits striking Murphy, Tondreau and May, re-firing from an early stall and saving a situation where he almost shot himself into the wall at the very end.
Will Murphy enters his twelfth final but this will be his first appearance in seven weeks and fourth in nineteen. An almost faultless heat had two minor mistakes where he missed his intended target but no injury came to his vehicle in either incident. Redden, Gariepy and Barnes were all early victims of Murphy before he turned it all onto Randy Tondreau, nailing him thrice.
Finally, Leo May qualifies for his first final in thirteen tries, making it nine appearances this year, with Steven Redden taking the brunt of three of his attacks; Bing, Gariepy, Gibson and Murphy one each.
Race Result
Q. Timmy Barnes
Q. Will Murphy
Q. Leo May
4. John McCrory
5. Randy Tondreau
6. Steven Redden
7. Norm Gibson
8. Andy Bing
9. Bob Alexander
10. Tom Gariepy
11. Jess Yates
12. Randy Corson
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