NTNT RACE 16-NTNT World Finals 1
After 15 hard weeks of racing, the top eight monster trucks from NTNT's regular season battles were invited to the final event in NTNT's inaugural season in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina for NTNT WORLD FINALS 1! The action was legendary, intense, but most importantly, a fun reward for the top competitors from the first season! 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)
-Corey Davis (Reptoid)
-Mike Alston (Team Meents)
-Halid Kurtic (The Rock)
All the trucks in the pits prior to NTNT World Finals 1 posed for a picture before the action got underway.
RACING:
With the points battles yet to be settled, the action was intense. Those that made the finals and were out of contention for points didn't let up at ALL though; Corey Davis' Reptoid was a case in point-he qualified fastest in the 8-truck field and looked to run VERY strong throughout the night. A big story coming in was Josh Rhodes...he stumbled in qualifying, getting the slowest time in the eight-truck field. Also, Mike Alston decided that Sniper just wasn't cutting it and hopped back into the seat of his Team Meents, but with an exciting new paint scheme-since the fourth of July was just a day earlier, he decided to give Team Meents a "USA" theme, and the truck looked great. But, as has been the case most of the season, the action was focused on Blue Thunder (John Everett), Half Breed 3 (also sporting a new World Finals paint scheme and American flag, driven by Josh Rhodes), and Skitso 4 (Robby Haught). Robby would need a miracle to knock Dig off of the top in freestyle, needing 20-plus points there, but the most intense part was how close the Overall and Racing points were. If Dig lost in the first round of racing and Robby and John moved on, then it would become a two-way race for the title there, and Overall points would end up being decided in freestyle. Let's get right down to all the great action in Kill Devil Hills!
ROUND 1 HIGHLIGHTS
All the drivers were a bit apprehensive about the amazing track that the NTNT officials laid out; it was a huge, never-before-seen layout...a "Vegas S," as the announcers dubbed it. The trucks would start outside the arena, coming blasting down a straightaway going faster than ever recorded, hitting speeds of close to 95 miles per hour! But that's not all, they had to jam on the brakes and slide around a turn before hammering it again and getting almost as fast in another long straightaway before sliding the final turn, hitting a huge dirt mogul, and nailing it again across a 10-car jump! Before the night was over, it would provide some great action for all the competitors.
The first ever racing matchup in NTNT World Finals 1 was Corey Davis against Josh Rhodes. Corey ended Josh's night quite early, but not without a fight from Josh and the Half Breed 3, who went down swinging. This would leave the door open for Robby Haught and John Everett to take over the racing points lead. We'll have to see how they do. As you can see, in that first race, the drivers showed that it took just the right way of getting the trucks lined up so they weren't out of control over the dirt mogul...a very important part of the race that could decide it.
The next race was between Halid "Bull" Kurtic and John Everett. Halid surprised many people by qualifying in the top half of the field; he's known for freestyle more than racing. As the race started, the trucks were even, but John had a lead going into the dirt mogul after the final turn...
Halid knew he was behind and punched the throttle, but that threw the truck off course and John took the win. He had his eye on the NTNT Racing title from the start and it showed in that matchup.
Our third first-round matchup featured Mike Alston and Dustin Hart. Mike had been strong all year, but mentioned some troubles getting used to the unique course after qualifying. Dustin, on the other hand, came out of nowhere to claim the eighth and final spot in the World Finals in Pure Adrenalin, but he didn't want to stop at just making it in...Mike pulled a slight hole shot, but OH! What's this? Mike has major trouble going into the first turn, almost knocking over a turning pole and sliding out badly...Dustin got it straight, and both trucks still looked even after the first turn and second straight...both trucks went wide in the second turn again! Dustin takes a slight lead out of the turn! It's gonna be close...
...and Mike pulls it out by INCHES! Definitely the closest race so far, and one of the closest in NTNT history...check out the snapshot of the finish, amazing job by both drivers.
That one definitely got the capacity crowd at NTNT Stadium fired up and ready for more! They didn't have to wait long, as yet AGAIN it would be a battle of the brothers, Bill and Robby Haught. Bill and Robby are both in their rookie seasons still technically, and Robby's had a bit more experience. Bill wouldn't let up a bit, and there have been some great races between them recently. Robby started off with a holeshot, but Bill made it up after the first turn...down the second straightaway the trucks went, and into the all-important final turn, they are almost dead even...
Uh-oh, Bill's in trouble after hitting the dirt hill crooked, and almost tags Robby's back wheels! Robby sailed on to the finish line for the win and Bill would go to the pits to prepare for freestyle.
SEMI-FINALS HIGHLIGHTS
What an amazing first round! After a round like that, the crowd knew they were seeing history. With four trucks left, the action just got more intense. Two trucks were competing for the racing title, Blue Thunder and Skitso 4. If either lost out and one won, then it'd be decided. If not, then Robby and John would tie for the championship and share it. First up was Corey Davis and Reptoid against John Everett and Blue Thunder. The trucks staged, and there's the green light! The trucks once again were dead even until the final turn...Chilly managed to slide a little better and pulled to a slight lead going over the mogul...
...and Corey pulls it out by about a truck! That gave Robby a chance at the racing title...
...but he'd have to go through Mike Alston and Team Meents to get it! This is never an easy task, and the drivers ran to a TIE in the first time they ran the race! The second time, however, Mike took Robby out after he spun out in the final turn, giving Mike a shot at the finals, while Robby would share the Racing points championship for the season with John Everett and Blue Thunder. Congratulations to both drivers.
That set up the finals, and both drivers wanted nothing more than to take a win at the World Finals!
FINALS
The crowd was going absolutely nuts in anticipation of this great matchup. Both drivers were familiar with the finals, with Corey taking a win in NTNT's first event of the season and making a few more finals along the way.
Mike had taken a couple of wins and made a few more finals in the season, so everyone knew this would be a close race...
but they had no idea just how wild it would get! Corey certainly was the favorite after dominating the field today, and Mike still was looking for a good run in racing on this track. They started off even, blasting down the first straight, neither driver let up and both slid the first turn almost perfectly...and Corey took a slight lead heading into the dirt mogul!
OH MY! Chilly nails the mogul at full speed even though he was crooked heading into it and Mike does too...but Chilly gets way out of control with some major air...
Mike keeps it straight, but Corey is still ahead, both trucks nail it to head for the finish and the glory...
Corey can not recover in time! MIKE WINS IT! Mike Alston is your NTNT World Finals 1 Racing CHAMPION! What a great race! Congratulations to both drivers on a job well done.
The crowd roared its approval as Mike took a victory lap, then headed over and congratulated Corey. After that, they met up in the pits with the other drivers and trucks, preparing for FREESTYLE! There is still the Overall and Freestyle championships to be decided, and the crowd and drivers are pumped up for it!