Trucks: Late Gearbox problems gives Zachary Fitzwater first last-place finish in the truck series at Nashville

Zachary Fitzwater picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in Saturday's Federated Auto Parts 250 at the Nashville Speedway when his #17 Sears DieHard Chevrolet fell out with gearbox problems after completing 17 of the 20 laps.

The finish came in his 62nd career series start. Entering Season 3 of the truck series, Fitzwater had already written his name in the SCRL history books, having scored nine wins in his career, but two winless seasons in the truck series had haunted Fitzwater. In Season 1, Fitzwater drove the #75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet that is currently being raced on a part-time schedule with Joshua Rush and a best finish of 2nd at IRP would lead him to a 17th place points standing finish. In Season 2, Fitzwater would pilot the #80 LCI Telecommunications Ford that is currently being driven by Greg Lee, and once Fitwater would finish 2nd three times at Phoenix and then in back-to-back races at Nazareth and the Milwaukee Mile would place him 11th in points, but still he was winless in 44 starts.

Fitzwater started off his third straight truck series season with back-to-back top ten finishes at Walt Disney World and Tucson before scoring his fourth career second place finish at Phoenix yet again. A 4th at Portland would be Fitzwater's best finish until the series 11th stop of the season at Nazareth were he would finish 3rd, in the next round at Milwaukee where one year earlier he finished second, Fitzwater would finally get his first truck series win and as the field rolled into Nashville, Fitzwater picked up his 5th second place finish at Flemington one race ago.

On race day, Fitzwater would roll off the field in the 14th spot while starting last was the #98 Raybestos Ford of Jason Larker who would trail the field lap before the Jason's brother the #20 Orleans Hotel & Casino Chevrolet of Steve Larker would take last on the second lap, a spot he would hold all the way up until the 12th lap when the first caution came out as Nazareth last-place finisher the #8 Cintas Chevrolet of Mani Salado would get damage and would pit for repairs, getting back onto the track before the final restart. At the same time, Fitzwater was involved in the same wreck as Salado, and was riding around in 31st when his truck began to smoke just as the field took the green to restart the race. Fitzwater quickly pulled to the inside of the track and would coast back to the pits, his truck pulled into the garage and was quickly listed as "out" by the 18th lap, a lap after he'd fallen back to last place.

32nd went to the aforementioned #8 of Mani Salado, 31st went to the aforementioned #20 of Steve Larker, 30th went to the aforementioned #98 of Jason Larker and rounding out the bottom five was the #6 RE/MAX International Chevrolet of Alexander Rowe, all of whom who finished on the same lap as race winner Simon Fox.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #17 has finished last in a truck series race as well as at Nashville.
*This is the first time in Truck Series history where the last-place finisher fell out with gearbox issues

THE BOTTOM FIVE
33) #17-Zachary Fitzwater / 17 laps / gearbox
32) #8-Mani Salado / 20 laps / running
31) #20-Steve Larker / 20 laps / running
30) #98-Jason Larker / 20 laps / running
29) #6-Alexander Rowe / 20 laps / running