NTNT RACE 15-Brampton City Monster Jam 2003
The last regular season event before World Finals 1 was sure to be a wild one. 15 trucks showed up to let it all hang out. For some people, it would be their last event of the season. Others would get a chance to contend for the championship at World Finals 1, and not all the spots were decided heading into the event! Let's meet our field of trucks:
-Robby Haught (Skitso 4)
-Bill Haught (Freak of Nature)
-John Everett (Blue Thunder)
-Josh Rhodes (Half Breed 3)
-Dustin Hart (Pure Adrenalin)
-Landon Harrison (MoonShiner)
-Corey Davis (Reptoid)
-Mike Alston (Sniper)
-Corey Davis (Hot Shoe, subbing for David Stewart)
-Landon Harrison (Black Stallion 2000, subbing for Robbie Milburn)
-Eddie Carmichael (Bigfoot 10)
-Scott Bergman (Grave Digger 7)
-Alex Weber (Bear Foot)
-Jim Hendrix (Avenger)
-Mike Alston(Bigfoot T-Wrecks, subbing for Cory Schwab)
RACING:
The racing title was still up for grabs, and Robby Haught, Josh Rhodes, and John Everett were the ones involved in that. Josh would qualify fastest in the field, Robby second, and John third. These guys were READY. Rhodes held the racing points lead going into the event over Robby and then John. Also, a few drivers chose to take the week off or have subs available, one of them being Halid Kurtic, who took his Rock truck to Kill Devil Hills early to prepare for the World Finals. He had third place in freestyle points locked up as it was. Our final story involves a newcomer to NTNT; welcome Scott "Razorbear" Bergman and Grave Digger 7!
ROUND 1 HIGHLIGHTS
Round 1 got underway after qualifying, and the first matchup was one of the closest of the night and the round. Alex Weber and his Bear Foot took on Corey Davis and Hot Shoe, who was subbing for David Stewart (more on that later), and Alex took the win by a wheel, keeping him just barely alive in the points hunt for making the field.
Corey would move on and beat out Jim Hendrix's Avenger with his normal truck, Reptoid, however. Another interesting first-round matchup involved two brothers, yes it happened yet AGAIN, Robby and Bill Haught got paired up for the first round for the third straight week! Robby was able to take the win, although it was another great, close race. Bill was able to come back for the fast loser round due to his qualifying time, and he made the most of it. Also moving on were Josh Rhodes, who took out Dustin Hart's Pure Adrenalin. Dustin had trouble firing the truck up to come to the line, but he gave Rhodes all he could handle. Landon Harrison moved on twice as well, once in his truck, and once in Robbie Milburn's Black Stallion, among others.
ROUND 2 HIGHLIGHTS
Round 2 was more of the same. With the Chicago-style track seemed to come a lot of close, exciting races. The rivalry between John Everett and Robby Haught continued tonight as well. They met up in the second round. Robby pulled to a slight holeshot, both trucks made great turns, and heading into the final turn Robby had a slight lead...uh oh, John bobbles a little in the final turn, and Robby makes it smoothly and blasts Skitso across the line to take the win! He was so excited that he did a couple of donuts for the fans. He would get a chance to gain points on John, and maybe Dig too.
Landon Harrison and Corey Davis also moved on, with Corey beating out some tough competition from Alex Weber's Bear Foot. Eventually the field was narrowed down to the semis...
SEMI-FINALS HIGHLIGHTS
The four trucks and drivers left for the semi finals knew each other well, knew the track well, and were used to being in this position. One thing though; major points were on the line! Josh Rhodes and Half Breed 3, Robby Haught's Skitso 4, Landon Harrison's MoonShiner, and Corey Davis' Reptoid made it in, representing three of the top four spots in overall points. Landon and Josh paired off first, with Landon riding an incredible holeshot to the win.
Next was Robby against Corey for the right to face Slick in the finals. Robby edged the Reptoid by a half a truck or so after Corey had a bad last turn, and he would move on to the finals, making up just a bit of ground on Josh Rhodes in the racing points.
FINALS
Robby finally made it back to the finals in racing, and Landon was ready for him. Robby's has yet to beat Landon, and tonight it would stay that way, but not by much at all, in fact it was another race decided in fractions of a second! Landon got him on the hole shot...
but then Robby fought back with a couple of nice turns, making it dead even even to the jump, but it wasn't enough. Take a look at the photo finish:
Your winner is Landon "Slickster" Harrison...by half a tire! An amazing race, congratulations to Slick on setting the bar once again, with numerous people making life rough on him in the finals, he's come through.