Wisconsin Invitational - Green Bay, WI
Final
Leo May, Tom Gariepy, Bobby Gallagher, Andy Bing, Dick Garrett, Steven Redden, Scott Hutchins, Jow Ramage
Several drivers and their teams found it difficult to be prepared for the first invitational final as three drivers would stall out and Steven Redden would barely re-fire his engine after failing to get away at the start. Andy Bing was the first among this select group to stop for good, Redden, Gariepy, Hutchins and May all taking advantage of the fact to rip into him, but with only eight cars competing there would be guaranteed and doubled points for all.
The second qualifier out of the consolation heat would be next to go as Dick Garrett, all over a stalled and helpless Redden, was finished off by his victim after the successful re-fire before he too bit the dust in sixth place. Scott Hutchins more than doubles his points haul for the year with a fifth place finish in Green Bay, his second top five finish of the year after grabbing third at Frostbite.
Leo May also breaks the thirty point mark with his third top ten finish but he wasn't on his game as both Gariepy and Hutchens managed to blindside him hard ultimately leading to a race ending stall to leave the final three going at it.
Bobby Gallagher knows that his regular time on the circuit will be limited once injured drivers return to action but he has shown what he is capable of with a couple of top ten finishes in the past three events (8th, VDM). Gallagher re-fire quickly from a couple of stalls and mainly focused his efforts on May and Joe Ramage, the latter of which was all too happy to fight back.
With a third straight final (1st VDM, 7th Ides of March) Ramage shoots straight up into second position in the championship standings just one point behind Will Thompson. A serious of mechanical failures led to two long stalls, the second of which was the death knell.
That means Tom Gariepy, joint runner-up at the Valentine's Day Massacr, makes it six different winners in six events, taking the massive forty point victory and is now just three points behind the leader. The victor made repeat targets of Hutchins and Ramage - his two earlier shots on the runner-up giving him a clear advantage at the end - and he rode the challenges from Gallagher, Garrett, Redden and Hutchins well.
Race Result
1. Tom Gariepy
2. Jow Ramage
3. Bobby Gallagher
4. Leo May
5. Scott Hutchins
6. Steven Redden
7. Dick Garrett
8. Andy Bing
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