BUSCH: Late tire problem makes Marcos Yepez last in calm race at Hickory

Marcos Yepez picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Wrangler Jeans Busch Grand National Series career in Sunday's Mello Yello 200 at the Hickory Speedway when his #62 1 Stop Food Store Pontiac completed 19 of the 20 laps under power.

The finish came in his 4th career series start. Entering Season 2 of the Busch Series, Yepez had found limited success, scoring only one win in his entire career, when he drove the #99 car to a wire-to-wire performance at Salem in the SCRL CatDog Pro Series West. Yepez made his Busch Series debut at Daytona earlier in the year, finishing 30th, in the second event he finished 24th at Richmond and in the last event Yepez finished a career best 18th at Rockingham.

On race day, Yepez would roll off the field in 26th while starting last was the #15 Wrangler Pontiac of Chris Kyle as the field took the green, Kyle would pass Daytona race winner the #33 unsponsored Pontiac of Alexio Antonio would fall back to the last spot for the first two laps before the #3 unsponsored Pontiac of Jay Jefferson would fall back to last on the third and fourth lap before Yepez entered the battle for the first time on Lap 5. The unsponsored #89 of Toby Fox would take the last spot on Lap 6 before the #15 of Chris Kyle would drop back to last on Lap 7, who would trail the field until the 12th lap as Yepez would slow down on the backstretch before heading to the pits, reporting of a flat left front tire. Yepez would lose a lap, never being able to get it back as he would stay trapped a lap down and would score his first last place finish.

The Remaining Bottom Five were filled by drivers who all finished on the same lap as race winner Riley Spurlytube: 32nd was fall Bristol winner the #8 TGR Enterprises Pontiac of Eli Bright, 31st went to the aforementioned #3 of Jay Jefferson, 30th went to the #1 New Con Leasing Pontiac of Carter Friesen and finishing 29th went to the aforementioned #15 of Chris Kyle.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #62 has finished last in a Busch race as well as at Hickory.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
33) #62-Marcos Yepez / 19 laps / running
32) #8-El Bright / 20 laps / running
31) #3-Jay Jefferson / 20 laps / running
30) #1-Carter Friesen / 20 laps / running
29) #15-Chris Kyle / 20 laps / running