A record crowd of 67,355 was on its feet throughout the night for a great racing program and a series of awesome freestyles at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. While the highlights were many and the fans were the biggest winners, Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger and Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction each walked away with a winner’s plaque.

 

Meents was awesome in setting the fast qualifying time and in winning his early round races, but the tricky Georgia clay got him in the semi-finals. Racing against Steve Reynolds in Obsession, Meents took the lead into the final turn but apparently went in too hot and the truck went over onto its side wheels. The former five time World Champion made a great save to keep the truck from rolling over, but it cost him the race as Reynolds returned to the final race (Reynolds shocked the sport on this same floor a year ago when he won the 2003 Georgia Dome racing event behind the wheel of Ragin Steel).

 

The Obsession truck proved to be no match for Grave Digger in this year’s finale as Anderson powered his new #19 to the winner’s stage as the crowd roar became deafening in support of the sport’s icon. After the finish line Anderson lost control and rolled the truck, but the Digger was able to come back for freestyle.

 

In freestyle the fans got classic performances from both Meents and Anderson, with Meents scoring a 30 from the judges with a run that included huge air and a wild rollover at the end. Anderson was equally spectacular but when the Digger flipped over with :30 left in the run, it cost him a chance to tie for the win, scoring a 29.

 

The top two had to be on their games to beat surprising Mark Schroeder in Devastator, who gave the Atlanta fans what had to be one of  his best freestyles ever. The highlight of Devastators fantastic :90o seconds was the final leap over the van stack where he turned the move into a memorable slap wheelie, riding almost the length of the floor on the truck’s tailgate. Other freestyle highlights included Bryan Winston rolling the Monster Mutt and Phil Foster putting in another great run in Hot Wheels, something he has been doing week in and week out since his breakout freestyle performance last October in Montreal.

 

Foster was getting incredible hang time, getting sick air that rivaled Meents and Anderson. Also rolling over in the Georgia was Kathy Winston in Team Suzuki, her crash coming in race competition.

 

The Pro Stadium Truck win went to Rich Armbrust, who drove his Rancho Ford to victory, topping Rory Campbell and On The Edge in the finals.

 

RACE RESULTS

 

Fast Qualifier – Maximum Destruction

 

Round One -  Maximum Destruction defeated Monster Mutt

Obsession def Wild Hair

Hot Wheels def Gunslinger

Devastator bye run (Backdraft broke after qualifying)

Team Suzuki def Reptoid

Grave Digger def Summit

 

Round Two – Maximum Destruction def Obsession

Hot Wheels def Devastator

Grave Digger def Team Suzuki

Obsession advanced to semis as fast loser’

 

Semi-finals – Obsession def  Maximum Destruction

Grave Digger def Hot Wheels

 

FINALS – Grave Digger defeated Obsession

 

FREESTYLE RESULTS

Maximum Destruction  30

Grave Digger  29

Devastator  28

Hot Wheels  25

Monster Mutt  24

Summit  19

Reptoid  15

Obsession  12

Team Suzuki  6

Gunslinger  4

 

PRO STADIUM TRUCK RESULTS

Fast Qualifier – Chris McCoy, Mac Attack

 

Round One – Mac Attack bye

Twister 2 Remains def Ledfoot Racing

Tropical Depression def Twister’s Sister

Bubba def Bad Investment

Rancho Ford def Lil Ram

General Lee def Nemesis

Over the Edge def Dynomax Ford

 

Round Two

Mac Attack def Twister 2 Remains

Bubba def Tropical Depression

Rancho Ford def General Lee

Over the Edge def Dynomax

 

Semi finals

Bubba def Mac Attack

Rancho Ford def Over the Edge

 

Finals