The finish occurred in his 25th career series start. In the SCRL Busch Series, it's the 1st for car #23 and the 24th for reason by crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 3rd for Car #23 and 184th for reason by crash.
Before signing up for Season 2 of the busch series, Ozkan had struggled to make a name for himself in the SCRL and was hoping the secondary highest series would be a change of pace. In his series debut, Ozkan finished a respectable 13th at Daytona and in the very next event at Richmond Fairgrounds, Ozkan scored his first career SCRL win after spinning out leader Brian Fox in the late stages. Since then Ozkan's best finish in the series was a 2nd and a 4th at Hickory. Coming into the event, Ozkan had only one previous start at Bristol in the busch series, finishing 35th earlier in the season in a race where Joe Jefferson trailed the field.
On race day, Ozkan rolled off the starting grid in 22nd while starting last was the #40 unsponsored Pontiac of Zapatos Amarrados. By the end of Lap 1, Amarrados had knocked the #6 Mason Day Paving Chevrolet of Henry Urchman into last spot, before on Lap 2 the #68 unsponsored Pontiac of Eric Wayne entered the battle, but his stay was brief as the #8 TGR Enterprises Pontiac of Eli Bright took last on Lap 3, two time last-place finisher the #5 unsponsored Pontiac of Chakat Whitelion took last on Lap 4, the unsponsored #9 of Zachary Fitzwater on Lap 5, two-time last-place finisher the #33 Dalton Chevrolet Dealers Pontiac of Alexio Antion on Lap 6 before Samet Ozkan entered the battle on Lap 7. The very next lap, the #41 Marvaco Inc. Pontiac of Marcus Saatchi had smacked the Turn 4 wall and was knocked back to last, trailing the field by nearly three seconds and remained in last until chaos broke out on Lap 15.
While battling for the 8th spot, the #4 unsponsored Pontiac of AJ Jones was spun out by the #42 unsponsored Pontiac of Derek Hamill coming out of Turn 2, Jones's car was sent up the track, blocking the track as a "big one" carried the wreck into Turn 3 as Jones was hit in the drivers door two times, sending the car over five times. Ozkan tried to slam on the brakes but it wasn't enough as he ran into the back of the #9 of Zachary Fitzwater, while he himself was hit from behind by the #71 Maxie's Vending Pontiac of Truttle. As a big pack of cars sat destroyed in Turn 3, scoring first recognized that the #4 of AJ Jones had taken last despite the fact that Ozkan was behind him before before the wreck and afterwards. Scoring would show Jones was last until the 17th lap, when Ozkan's car was officially listed as "out" nearly two laps after Jones had "taken" last and had been retired, giving Ozkan the last place spot and Jones was given 41st.
The remaining Bottom Five was filled by drivers taken out in the same Lap 16 wreck; 40th was Greenville-Pickens last-place finisher the #24 Budweiser Ford of Connor Hurley, 39th was the aforementioned #33 of Alexio Antonio and 38th was the #90 unsponsored Pontiac of Matt Bowyer.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #23 has finished last in a Busch Series race as well at Bristol.
*This is only the second time Samet Ozkan had trailed a field in the entire SCRL league, the only other time was when Ozkan trailed the field in the Season 3 finale of the SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway when, driving the #3 GM Goodwrench Service Chevrolet, failed to complete any of the 27 laps due to engine problems.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #23-Samet Ozkan / 16 laps / crash
41) #4-AJ Jones / 16 laps / crash
40) #24-Connor Hurley / 16 laps / crash
39) #33-Alexio Antonio / 16 laps / crash
38) #90-Matt Bowyer / 16 laps / crash
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