The finish came in his 56th career series start, was his first of the season, and his first in a truck series race since January 11, 2017 when he was involved in another multi-truck crash after completing 11 of the 20 laps in this very race in Season 1, 47 races ago.
Coming into Season 3 of the truck series, Rudd is one of the most successful drivers in league history, having scored 10 wins in his entire career, one of which was in the truck series, coming in Season 1 where he won in a shootout at Richmond. Due to signups being in high demand, Rudd missed a full time ride and was one of only a few drivers to have started every single truck race. Rudd started off the season by finishing a disappointing 31st at Walt Disney World, 9th at Tucson and 20th at Homestead. Entering the fourth race of the season, Rudd would start in third spot and after the leaders got together on the second lap, Rudd would defend his lead for the final 31 laps and scored his second truck win.
Rudd's team would only have one week to celebrate as their driver's consecutive streak of 46 races in a row as broke as he had to sit out the next three races due to being a part-time ride. Rudd would return at Loudon and picked up where he left off, finishing a respectable 10th place. A string of bad luck would strike the team as Rudd finished in the lower half of the field the next few races until he once again finished a well respected 9th at Heartland Park one race ago as the series return to IRP, the same track were Rudd has the record for scoring the closest margin of victory in league history(0.005 seconds in the SCRL Busch Series), as well as the site of his lone last place finish in the truck series.
On race day, Rudd would roll off the field in the 5th and had high hopes for the night. On the other end of the field, rolling off 40th on the grid was the #9 Rhino Linings USA Chevrolet of Brian Fox, who has been in a downward spiral over the past few races. When the green flag flew, Fox trailed the field as he reported into his crew that his truck appeared to be losing power as he remained in last until the first caution when chaos broke out on the Backstretch as Milwaukee Mile last-place finisher the #66 Carlin Burners & Controls Ford of Zaptos Amarrados would spin out after contact from Loudon last-place finisher the #18 Dana Corporation Dodge of Chakat Whitelion as Rudd would have nowhere to go and slammed into Amarrados. Rudd would limp around the track under caution, slipping Amarrados back to last on the sixth lap but as the field prepared to go back to racing, Rudd pulled off the track, locking up his second last-place finish.
Finishing 39th was the aforementioned #9 of Brian Fox, his bad luck continued as he was involved in the second multi-truck crash of the night, running into the back of 38th place finisher the #04 M-R Motorsports Chevrolet of Maria Valera, who had won the last race at Heartland Park, as both trucks would be done for the night. Rounding out the Bottom Five were 37th, the #26 Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool Ford of Derrick Edison and 36th, Bristol last-place finisher, the #86 Valvoline Instant Oil Change Ford of Max Anderson, who both completed the race on the same lap as race winner Simon Fox.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #31 has finished last at IRP.
*This was the first time the #31 has finished last in a truck series race since January 19, 2017, when Truttle suffered camshaft problems without completing any of the 32 laps of the Season 1 finale, the GM Goodwrench / Delco Battery 200 at the Phoenix International Speedway, 40 races ago
THE BOTTOM FIVE
40) #31-Evan Rudd / 7 laps / crash
39) #9-Brian Fox / 16 laps / crash
38) #04-Maria Valera / 17 laps / crash
37) #26-Derrick Edison / 22 laps / running
36) #86-Max Anderson / 22 laps / running
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