In the final pair of the opening round, Rick Grindstaff and Mike Wheeler squared off as Grindstaff got a huge advantage off the line and never looked back, taking the nod with a 5.09 at 139 mph over Wheeler’s 6.60 at 101 mph. The four quickset winners including Grindstaff, Brainerd, Johnson and Ament would head back to the pits and prepare for their semi-final round.

Willie Brainerd again opened the semi-final round, this time along side Leonard Ament. Ament got the jump off the line then went sky high and toward the wall as it appeared three wheels were off the ground as he passed the tree in the “Black Magic” fiat while Brainerd jumped ahead and took the win with a 5.14 at 116 mph to Ament’s 5.86 at 113 mph. This sent Brainerd to back-to-back finals in as many starts with the TBFA and a chance to win the first two races of the season.

Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson and Rick Grindstaff rolled out next to see who would face Brainerd in the final. Grindstaff took a slight advantage off the line but immediately spun the tires as Johnson pulled ahead and pedaled to a 5.71 at 115 mph to take the nod and advance to his first TBFA final round.

In the bonus round, eligible only to the winners of first round who didn’t advance to the semi-final, Chris Stouffer and Mike Wheeler lined up. Stouffer blasted to an outstanding 4.66 at 149 mph while Wheeler clicked off a 5.95 at 108 mph, both earning five bonus points for their efforts.