Weekend Race Recap

The Thunder National in Wichita Kansas started with a taster of Freestyle.  The Wheelie Competiton saw all of the trucks perform.  Backsiding the racing lanes of crush cars all of the trucks were dragging tailgates.  In the end it was Kansas' own Dawn Creten and Scarlet Bandit with the win.

SCORES:
Mechanical Mischief 18
Tuff E Nuff 21
Iron Warrior 22
Pit Bull 27
Scarlet Bandit 27
Black Stallion 20

Chicago Style Obstacle Course Racing was on the bill next.  In round 1 it was Scarlet Bandit beating the Pit Bull,  Iron Warrior defeats Tuff E Nuff, and Black Stallion over Mechanical Mischief.  Mechanical Mischief was the fastest loser, and returned into the next round which was the semi final.  In the semi, Mechanical gremlins caught up with Mischief and put him out of action for the rest of the night.  With the mechanical problem, that put Scarlet Bandit in the main event up against the winner of the mAryland team.  Vatter and Meyers faced off in their side of the racing bracket with the elder statesman, Mike Vatters taking the win.  In the final, Black Stallion narrowly edged out the Bandit in a photo finish.

Donut competition was off the hook.  Both the Pit Bull and Black Stallion putting the steering wheel out the window in the middle of the run!!  Vatter and Stallion actually threw his out on the ground!!
SCORES:

Pit Bull 19
Iron Warrior 13
Scarlet Bandit 27
Black Stallion 28

Freestyle was the concluding event.  Everything was smashed flat, but the drivers did an exeptional job of putting together great 60 second runs.

SCORES:
Pit Bull 14
Iron Warrior 14
Scarlet Bandit 24
Black Stallion 23

SATURDAY
Rockin'.  That's what the Thunder National in Wichita KS was on Saturday night.  The drivers all performed up to the highest fan expectation in all of the catagories.  The crush cars took a beating and at the end of the night barely resembled anything that once was able to drive down the road.  Pulverized would be an apt description.  With all 6 trucks smashing the cars in the wheelie contest, then coming right back with 3 rounds of racing.  Chicago style obstacle course racing, that is.  And at Thunder Nationals, that means the trucks all have 4 hit per run.  The only reprieve the cars would get tonight would be during the donut contest.  After that, carnage resumed.  Freetsyle capped the night, and by this time there was nothing left of the cars.  The were just hulking masses of debris strewn about the Hot Rod Raceway. 

Wheelie competition SCORES:
Mechanical Mischief 18
Tuff E Nuff 23
Iron Warrior 21
Pit Bull 20
Scarlet Bandit 23
Black Stallion 29

RACING BRACKET:  Round 1
Scarlet Bandit vs. Pit Bull  Bandit wins
Tuff E Nuff vs. Iron Warrior  Warrior wins
Black Stallion vs. Mechanical Mischief  Stallion wins

SEMI-FINAL:
Scarlet Bandit vs. Tuff E Nuff (Tuff E Nuff returns as fast loser)  Bandit wins
Black Stallion vs. Iron Warrior  Stallion wins

FINAL:

Black Stallion vs. Scarlet Bandit  Black Stallion wins

FREESTYLE SCORES:
Mechanical Mischief 14
Tuff E Nuff 18
Pit Bull 21
Iron Warrior 20
Scarlet Bandit 25
Black Stallion 26

SUNDAY
Mike Vatters is the undisputed king of Thunder Nationals.  Several of the drivers gave him his run for the money over the weekend, and it was time for the 6 time Thunder National Champ to show WHY he is the man at non-dirt shows.  In the wheelie competition, Vatters and Black Stallion watched Jack Koberna and Tuff E Nuff stand straight up and down, dragging the tailgate across the crush cars and to the fans delight.  Knowing what it takes to win, Black Stallion not only went vertical, he launched out to the 4th car of the 5 car stack.  The judges called it a tie and both drivers were happy to share the win.  Racing was next and there was no stopping Vatters and the Stallion.  They charged their way to the final against Kansas' own Dawn Creten and the Scarlet Bandit.  End result, Black Stallion in the winners circle.  The donut competition did not go any better for the rest of the field of drivers.  Charles Benz put on a tremendous show with his donut, steering wheel hanging out the window, while he whipped around the arena.  Once again, Vatters watch it all.   Black Stallions turn came, and he topped all comers.  THROWING the steering wheel out the window, and burping the throttle and figure eighting nearly the lenght of the arena, Vatters wins again!  Freestyle concluded the weekend, with the 4th and final win of the day for Black Stallion.  Airing it out better than anyone else, and staying hard on the thropttle for the entire 60 seconds gave Mike the sweep on the day.

Wheelie Contest SCORES:
Mechanical Mischief 15
Tuff E Nuff 22
Iron Warrior 19
Pit Bull 17
Scarlet Bandit 19 
Black Stallion 22

RACING
ROUND 1 
Scarlet Bandit vs.  Pit Bull  Bandit advances
Tuff E Nuff vs. Iron Warrior  Warrior wins
Balck Stallion vs Mechanical Mischief  Stallion moves on
SEMI-FINAL
Tuff E Nuff (returns as fastest loser) vs.  Scarlet Bandit   Bandit wins
Black Stallion vs. Iron Warrior  Stallion goes to main
FINAL
Black Stallion defeat Scarlet Bandit

FREESTYLE SCORES:

Mechanical Mischief 10
Pit Bull 9
Iron Warrior 13
Scarlet Bandit 17
Black Stallion 22