In Round 5 of the Silverball Sunday finals, the tension inside the room centered entirely on Flight 2000 (Stern Electronics, 1980). Jim Smith AZ (IFPA #634) stepped up to the flippers facing a daunting 477-spot ranking deficit against Mark Pearson (IFPA #157), the strongest overall competitor in the building. Pearson brought the heavy weight of a 17-year career, 724 tournaments, and 51 recent victories to the table. The finals format dictated that only one of them would survive the round, and after 14 grueling minutes, Smith delivered an absolute masterclass.
He racked up 316,370 points to Pearson’s 175,610, sending the tournament favorite packing and fundamentally altering the trajectory of the championship. This defining moment broke the bracket wide open. It proved that in a small, tight field, past performance meant nothing compared to execution under sudden-death pressure.
The Nine Ball Decider
The ripples of that massive upset on Flight 2000 carried Jim Smith AZ straight into the ultimate showdown. The elimination format had successfully whittled the eight-player field down to just two contenders: Smith and Mark Farina Jr.. Farina Jr. came into the day hot, riding a three-event podium streak and boasting a phenomenal year-over-year ranking climb of 262 spots. The championship was ultimately settled on a quick, brutal eight-minute game of Nine Ball (Stern Electronics, 1980).
Despite a valiant effort, Farina Jr.’s final score of 248,760 was not enough to claim the crown. Jim Smith AZ held his nerve to take first place overall, capping off an incredible, resilient run through the bracket. Top-seeded Jason Barre, who had terrorized the field earlier in the day, was forced to settle for third place. Barre was knocked out just prior to the final game on Eight Ball Deluxe (1984 edition) after putting up 346,090 points in Round 6.
Vintage Vibes at Atomic Age Modern
This dramatic finish unfolded inside Mesa’s Atomic Age Modern, a venue beloved for its meticulously maintained vintage pinball collection. Stepping out of the 93°F heat under clear Arizona skies, players found a cool, welcoming haven dedicated entirely to mid-century aesthetics and silverball history. The casual, friendly atmosphere is a hallmark of the shop, where players can comfortably sip a beer in moderation between rounds.
The owners are widely known for keeping their classic tables in exceptional condition. This dedication to maintenance ensures that tournament outcomes are decided strictly by player skill rather than frustrating mechanical quirks. With a convenient change machine on site and an incredible Venezuelan restaurant right next door for mid-tournament dining, it was the ideal proving ground for a grueling dual-format Sunday event.
Barre’s Eight-Fold Advantage
Long before the sudden-death pressure of the finals, the afternoon kicked off with a 14-player Pace Match Play qualifier. The rules guaranteed players a minimum number of rounds, accumulating points from head-to-head wins before any cuts occurred. This early phase belonged entirely to Jason Barre, who entered the room as an absolute juggernaut. Barre found himself facing a qualifying field that averaged an IFPA rank of #2876, giving him a staggering 8x ranking advantage over his average opponent.
He certainly did not squander that mathematical edge. Barre put up the top score on all five machines he played during the qualifier, executing a flawless arena sweep on his way to securing the number one overall seed for the finals. His sheer dominance was punctuated during a marathon 25-minute Round 5 game on Metallica Remastered (Premium). In that four-player match, he outlasted fellow top finishers John Magyar and Mark Farina Jr. to secure another commanding victory.
Shaking Up The Standings
While Barre was cruising at the top of the leaderboard, the rest of the Pace Match Play qualifier featured intense, unpredictable battles to secure a spot in the final eight. The most shocking moment of the afternoon belonged to Diane Smith (IFPA #7,228). Playing on Hot Wheels (American Pinball, 2020), she navigated an 18-minute, four-player game with remarkable precision. Diane outplayed Dave Halley (IFPA #880), overcoming a massive 6,348-spot ranking gap to secure a thrilling upset win.
Halley would eventually scrape into the finals as the sixth seed, but his struggles continued in the main event. The Amazing Race format proved unforgiving, and Halley was eliminated in Round 2 after a 22-minute grind on Dolly Parton. The attrition continued steadily from there. Bob Kennedy met his end in Round 4, finishing fifth overall after scoring 72,850 on Evel Knievel.
The Harlem Globetrotters Runaway
The beauty and cruelty of the Amazing Race format is that aggregate numbers do not matter; head-to-head results dictate everything. All players compete individually each round on the exact same machine, and the lowest scorer is immediately sent home. This tight competitive context left no room for hiding, and Jim Smith AZ used the pressure to his absolute advantage.
During Round 3 on Harlem Globetrotters On Tour (Bally, 1978), Smith asserted his dominance by posting a monumental score of 123,930 points. That runaway performance was 2.9 times higher than the next-best score of 42,310 recorded by John Magyar. Magyar was eliminated in sixth place right then and there, while Smith rode the momentum of that blowout straight into his fateful matchup with Pearson, and ultimately, the tournament championship.
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