Only three events are left until Pocatello and it’s been a great season thus far for Checkered Flag Productions with numerous sold-out events and some great storylines in the battle for the championship. Let’s break down the title chase and see who we can expect to see compete in Pocatello.
The Primary Contenders – The following drivers are still in the hunt for the Monster Truck Winter Nationals championship:Sean Duhon, Traxxas T-Maxx
Rick Long, Bigfoot
Rob French, Twisted Dragon
Jerry Dalton, Bigfoot
Going to Pocatello – These drivers have earned their invite to the Grand Nationals with solid performances all season:
Mitch Tulachka, Geter Done
Kevin King, Sudden Impact
On the Bubble – These drivers are currently 7th and 8th in points—the final two positions that will receive an invite to Pocatello:
Shelly Kujat, Shell Camino
Bennett Clark, Clydesdale
On the Outside Looking In – The following drivers could conceivably still make their way into the top 8 with solid performances in the final three events:
Mark Foulk, Bulletproof
Keith Sturgeon, Bigfoot
Chris Powell, Bulletproof
Only one final west coast swing remains before Pocatello, featuring stops in Hobbs, NM, Billings, MT, and Pasco, WA. Keith Sturgeon is currently scheduled to be the Bigfoot driver at those three events, which will give him the minimum number of events required to qualify for Pocatello. The likelihood is that Sturgeon will perform well enough to make the top 8 in points, but unless he can raise his point total higher than teammate Jerry Dalton’s, Sturgeon will probably not be in Pocatello. Bigfoot has stated that they will only send two trucks to Pocatello, so they will likely send the two with the best point average, giving themselves the best shot at the title possible.
Bennett Clark is on the hot seat, currently sitting eighth in points. Rookie driver Mark Foulk could knock him out of the final slot with a strong showing in those final three events, all of which Bulletproof is booked for. Another option for Wildfire Motorsports would be to replace Foulk with the more experienced Chris Powell in an attempt to get Bulletproof the final invite to Pocatello. Powell currently needs three shows to meet the minimum 7 race requirement.
In past years, CFP has brought in local trucks such as Dragon Slayer & Spiderman and Arachnophobia & Shattered to add to the event’s entertainment value for the fans. These drivers can also play the role of spoiler to the championship contenders, adding an extra element of intrigue to the championship chase.
But that may not be the case this year however, as rumor has it that the additional trucks will perform encore freestyle performances only. Current word is that Bill Payne will be doing double duty behind the wheel of Rock Star and Deal Breaker, which if true, will no doubt add to the show’s entertainment value! We'll see...in the meantime, check out http://www.checkeredflagproductions.com/ for more info!
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