Webb was trying really hard to be that guy all night. He was riding possessed in both Hot Lap sessions to set the tone and, in the evening, earn any extra points possible. But his time didn‰Ûªt come until the main event. However, his undeniable skills through the toughest obstacles on the track were impressive all night. Webb was clearly fastest through a brutal matrix section and was airing the sketchy obstacles-turned-jumps with the biggest names in the sport all night.
When the main event gate dropped, Haaker took the $500 Nexen Tire Holeshot award and put his trademark heater lap into motion aboard the factory Husqvarna, trying to stretch a gap on the field. Nearly next to him around the first turn was returning five-time champion Taddy Blazusiak. Blazusiak would be in contention for only two obstacles before going down and tangling off the track, getting back up in sixth place to start the race. Meanwhile, Webb, Tremaine and SRT-backed Cory Graffunder gave chase to Haaker. Redmond would come out in fifth as the train formed in pursuit of Haaker.
By the second lap, Webb made a pass on Haaker for the lead and didn‰Ûªt look back. Haaker put the heat on over-and-over, but Webb was simply faster and more consistent, especially across the matrix section, so Haaker‰Ûªs charges were always matched. Even when he would gain on the smallest mistakes by Webb, Webb erased the gains nearly as quickly.
By lap four, Webb was running into lapped traffic and Tremaine was pulling a lead over the rest of the top five. By lap five, the lapped traffic was getting heavier and Webb sliced through them cleanly putting more time on Haaker in second. The lapped traffic slowed Tremaine in third more, as well, allowing Redmond to get close enough to apply pressure. Meanwhile, Blazusiak had rebounded up to pass for fifth, only to lose the position with another mistake.
Before lap 10, Webb was lapping into the top five. And once he passed Redmond‰ÛÓwho was in fourth at the time‰ÛÓit took Haaker two laps to get by the same position. That was really the difference for the top two spots and at this point, it was a cruise to the finish for Webb without much pressure from Haaker. In the final laps, a few mistakes by Haaker sealed the deal and Webb went on to the checkers.
Again, the top two passed the entire field, including third-place finisher Tremaine, in route to their dominant performance.
‰ÛÏI really sent it in the Hot Lap tonight because I need to get as many points as I can,‰Û
