"My own worst enemy..."
KillBillies defeat Junkyard Dogs; spoil Championship celebration

Junkyard Dogs team owner Mark Ziesmer engineered the takeover of the vacant Team 6 in August and we got the first glimpse of the KillBillies' power and potential back at Round 4. Surely Ziesmer wanted a competitive team. However, he may have created a monster.

The renegade band of crafty veterans and upcoming second generation stars ripped apart Damage, Inc in the opening race, delivered their biggest win yet stunning the former National Champions the Killer Bees, and then rocked the Team Demo world with an emotionally charged victory over the Junkyard Dogs in the FInals, snapping their perfect season.

The finale to a fantastic five event season kicked off with a slugfest. Mean Green Machine's stacked the deck with new cars and new names, but they could not find the combination to crack JYD's dominance. #34 Johnny "Rude" Ryan and #13 "Crazy" Art Scarbro hunted one another down on every end of the track before finally having a meeting of the minds in a vicious head-on shot. #17 Tim "The Terminator" Pankow was literally knocked out after sliding driver's side-first into the wall after a high speed hit on #35 Gerritt "Big Kahuna" Vanderbilt. #36 Tom "Brickman" Lewis and #10 Ron Johnson collided in another scary impact which ignited Johnson's engine forcing him to abandon the vehicle and eliminate MGM's hopes of winning just one race all season. The JYD needed nearly 4 minutes to get the job done, but they had survived for now.

Stranglehold could not contain Havoc in the second race of the night. #43 Steve Gursky Jr's car ran into problems on Lap 2 and Stranglehold appeared to have an opening to take control, but the opportunity slammed shut as #47 Jason "Rotten" Ritacco stormed his wagon around the track in firm control for Havoc. #57 Matt Pierce, still filling in for the injured Trey Van Allen, connected with a head-on and moments later #55 Josh Van Allen nailed a nasty side shot on Ritacco, but the wagon continued to rumble forward. Gursky's car recovered and he ran back-up along with throwing blocks with #44 Rich Wilson and #48 Chris "The Disturbed One" McGuire. Wilson blasted #54 Jason Van Allen as he came out of Turn 1, which left both cars twisted and stalled against the wall. Wilson got a push from Gursky out onto the back stretch and unfortunately left him wide open for a payback shot as Jason returned the favor with a great rear door hit. In the end, several missed timely blocks by Stranglehold and some late-lap speed from Ritacco's wagon were enough to seal the win.

A car-short Beyond Driven squared off against the Killer Bees and this one got ugly real quick. #28 Freddy Knight's car was completely torn apart and ripped from the frame after repeated beatings from #77 Robby Stahulak and #74 "Speedy" Steve Vollbrecht. Knight's teammates were also not much more than moving targets for the Bees. #71 Tim Smolik and #7 Brian Anderson sprinted around the tires without incident and all four Killer Bees drove off the track and headed into the next round.

The first round came to a crush conclusion with excessive destruction between Damage, Inc. and KillBillies. #86 Dave Swan tried to break away from the pack on Lap 1, but was completely crushed up against the Turn 4 wall by #61 Steven Scarbro. #06 Kyle Shearer took the lead as the hits continued to rain down on the yellow cars. #85 Johnny Klemek attempted to spin out Shearer but received a nasty head-on from Scarbro as well. #84 Nick Ritter had some running room on Lap 2 but was pounded into the mud from a double team of Scarbro and #67 Chris Cruver, a founding member of the JYD in 2003. Shearer and #66 Levi Turnbaugh collected the 5 laps while Scarbro and Cruver continued to torment #88 Freddy Knight and Ritter. Damage, Inc. ends 2008 without a victory and the KillBillies continued to impress.

Havoc had been steadily improving throughout the season and especially in their two defeats against JYD. The Dogs were two races from perfection, while Havoc was looking for their biggest victory in years. Kahuna went untouched around the first corners and sprinted to the lead with Bleuer right behind. #44 Rich Wilson's car did not even make it to Turn 2 and died in the middle of the track! Ritacco and McGuire were tangled up with JYD blockers, which left Gursky with the only open shot on the leaders. He attempted a full-speed reverse hit, but missed Kahuna and totaled the rear end of his car! The anticipated race became very lop-sided in a hurry. Brickman and Ryan delivered a double front end hit to eliminate McGuire followed up by another big head-on to Ritacco. Havoc never got any traction in this race and succumbed to a dominating JYD performance.

A battle of the KILL-ers. Bees vs. Billie's. Who would be clubbed and who'd get stung? All 8 cars were peddle down out of the blocks though some didn't make it too far. #66 Levi Turnbaugh was spun by #7 Brian Anderson whom was then immediately turned around by #63 Scarbro! #77 Stahulak had a lead but was met with a t-bone into the wall by Scarbro. A major pileup was taking shape and Shearer added another victim with a good hit on Vollbrecht up against the concrete. Turnbaugh took the lead with Anderson giving chase. Scarbro sped along the wall aiming for a head-on smash with Vollbrecht and got his man, but Stahulak missed his and took a hard impact into the wall.
Cruver and Turnbaugh were separated from the mess and Shearer blocked Anderson's run game for several seconds on Lap 2 while #71 Smolik knocked Cruver off his course momentarily. Anderson found himself stopped and blocked up against the Turn 1 wall by Shearer and Vollbrecht's stalled car. Scarbro saw the opening and blasted Anderson in the passenger side door and Anderson would go no further. Scarbro timed a beautiful reverse hit/block on Smolik entering Turn 1, which left only Stahulak in motion for the Bees! Cruver completed 2 more laps and bashed both Stahulak and Smolik on the way across the Finish for good measure. A stunning upset win for KillBillies over the former Champs!

Jim Burns thrilled the crowd with his second mud-slingin' monster truck freestyle of the season behind the wheel of Mechanical Mischief. Burns was a fill-in for Fred Sibley's Lil' Red Beer Hauler jet truck which suffered engine trouble a day prior at a different event. Burns got the call to come crush around 2:00 and was ready to roll onto the track with plenty of time to spare. Big thanks to Burns for performing on such short notice and doing another great job.

 

Finals:

Last month there were cries of "foul" over the pairing of JYD verse KillBillies and accusations of the race being thrown in JYD's favor. Was this going to be a legit race between teammates or a free ride for JYD to the perfect season? Some may have expected a blowout, others perhaps "just a good show." Instead, what we saw from green flag to checkered flag was a thrilling, heart-stopping, jaw-dropping finale to a fantastic season.

Kahuna and Bleuer darted out front and only had Cruver at their sides going into the first turn. Scarbro caught up, however, and raced through the infield and nailed Kahuna in the side to stop his momentum and put himself right in front of Bleuer as well, spinning both JYD cars out. Scarbro collided hard with Turnbaugh against the wall but the #66 pulled away and raced into the open track. #34 Johnny Ryan dealt Scarbro a shot in the trunk for his troubles.
The entire JYD team was pointed in the wrong direction as Turnbaugh widened his lead into Turns 3 and 4.
Brickman nailed a clutch head-on to stop the run, but KillBillies continued to match hit-for-hit as Scarbro smashed Bleuer in Turn 3. Turnbaugh picked off Ryan back in Turn 2 with a hit definitely on the edge of being an illegal door shot. Shearer picked up the lead to complete Lap 1, but had Bleuer pushing him right into Lap 2. Shearer would spin out and Bleuer assumed his familiar over powering run into the lead down the back stretch. Numerous cars again piled up in Turn 1 trading blows.
Bleuer slipped past Scarbro and raced out of Turn 4 near the top of the track. Turnbaugh tracked Bleuer as he bounced off the wall and absolutely annihilated Bleuer with a disgusting driver's side door shot that stopped Bleuer's car dead in it's tracks! Without question a horrific impact and Bleuer was visible shaken up inside the car and now coasting in the wrong direction.
#34 Ryan delivered some payback with a head-on hit to Turnbaugh as Kahuna tried to chase down Shearer who was one turn away from taking over the lead! Shearer passed by the stalled cars of Ryan and Turnbaugh, but Kahuna slowed down perhaps to avoid the impending impact! Scarbro masterfully smashed Ryan's car into Kahuna's #35 car and shut him off from collecting the second lap.
But, here comes Bleuer! He crossed into Lap 3 at the same time Brickman dropped a head-on smash into Shearer out of Turn 2! In a stunning moment, Shearer's car completely absorbs the hit and pushes past Brickman! Bleuer continued to close in, now only 3 car lengths behind! Shearer leaves his passenger side wide open around Turn 3 and Bleuer delivers a stiff shot as they battle for the lead. Brickman lends the assist and Shearer is completely backwards, which hands the lead back to Bleuer as he races towards Lap 4.
All of a sudden, Johnny Ryan's #34 car barrels into the Turn 4 wall at full tilt speed and collides with a vicious impact, nearly ending up on top of it. Sparks and smoke shoot out from everywhere! Bleuer enters Turn 1, but has trouble steering and is left vulnerable for an insult-to-injury hit from Turnbaugh, thankfully this time on the front of the car. Bleuer fights to get the #03 pointed in the right direction and does at the right moment as Scarbro accidentally hits Shearer into the wall and gives Bleuer a shove at the same time.
Bleuer powered down the back stretch, but again had Turnbaugh in-toe. Bleuer tries to blast through the corner and avoid the oncoming KillBilly, but he's not quick enough and is spun violently into Ryan's car still dead from the ill-fated wall impact. Bleuer's car stalls out and he gets a front row view to Shearer driving right on by back into the lead!
Kahuna's car is pouring smoke, Ryan's car is toast, Bleuer's car is running but not moving and Brickman is tied up in Turn 1! Shearer had no competition around as he crossed into Lap 5!
Bleuer's car is moving and it's do or die on the back stretch. Shearer mashes the gas and darts low, Bleuer's is already committed high and misses the #06! Bleuer's car won't turn left to go after Shearer again and the KillBillies were two turns from the impossible!
The sell out crowd was beyond insane with everyone on their feet either screaming for the upset or screaming "NO!" Shearer rounded Turn 4 and cruised across the Finish to complete the biggest, and most improbable, upset victory of his career!
KillBillies defeat the streak!

To say this was an emotional win may be the biggest understatement in Team Demo history. Kyle Shearer was ecstatic and rightfully so. Did the whole team feel that way, or perhaps slightly remorseful? The JYD were in a position they had never been all year and were they suppose to support their teammates? Or fume with anger? Bleuer was injured and feeling a whole different kind of pain while fans in both KillBillies and JYD shirts lashed out in all directions. This was not the celebration anyone envision for the night's winner let alone the presenting of the Junkyard Dog's National Championship trophies and jackets.

Original Junkyard Dog members Wayne Boston (L) and Tom Croshane (R) handed out the National Championship trophies and acknowledged the hard work and supreme season of the 2008 Junkyard Dogs!

This season was dominated by the Junkyard Dogs, but all 8, and actually, 9 teams provided numerous memorable moments. From the very first hit of the season: #22 Joe Snow's termination of #17 Tim Pankow, to the very last: #06 Kyle Shearer, not even behind a wheel until August, shoving #03 Ryan Bleuer, the fastest guy on the track all season, out of the way to capture the Round 5 Finale Victory.

An emotional night and without question a roller coaster of emotions for all teams throughout the year. The tragic and untimely passing of Joe Collins (Mean Green Machines), Bert "The Hurt" Noble (Stranglehold), and Owen Bleuer (Junkyard Dogs) rattled each team, but brought them even more strength and meaning every time out. These teams sacrifice an extraordinary amount of time, energy, money, and its beyond belief as to how they physically and psychologically don't break down after just one night. Sometimes living a "demo derby life" takes a toll on family and friends, but when there is a bond like these teams have, it is equally no wonder why they strive so hard to succeed.

Congratulations to the KillBillies on the thrilling win and capping the year in dramatic fashion. Huge congrats to the Junkyard Dogs for their near perfect season and claiming the 2008 National Championship, their second since 2003! What will the off-season bring? That's a question we can never be too sure about. Stick with TeamDemo.com for all the winter month rumblings and news from the Team Demo Association.

Thanks to all the great fans for making this one of our most successful seasons ever and we look forward to seeing you at the greatest tournament in the world in 2009!