Throwback ARCA: Late race wreck at Atlanta gives Richard Torres first last-place finish in the ARCA Series

Richard Torres picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Lucas Oil ARCA Racing Series career in the Season 1 Pork The Other White Meat 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway when his #09 Hudson Performance Drivelines Dodge was involved in a multi-car crash after 22 of the 33 laps.

The finish came in his 2nd career start. Richard Torres is part of the legendary Torres family, along with his brother Sebastian, the Torres family is the most successful family in the five year history of the SCRL with Sebastian having 13 career wins, which ranks him 7th all time, along with winning 3 titles. Richard himself has picked up 5 career wins along the way to scoring 1 championship. Richard made his series debut at Daytona in the previous round, finishing a disappointed 25th after being caught up in a wreck with less then five laps to go.

On race day, Torres would roll off 4th while starting last was the #00 Thunder 2 Chevrolet of Matt Johnson when the field took the green flag. During the event several cautions would break out by no one would be knocked out of the race until with less then fifteen laps to go, that changed quickly. On Lap 22, Torres, who was running in 16th at the time, was spun out by the #99 Roulo Brothers Racing Ford of Eric Wayne coming out of Turn 4 as Torres hit the outside wall hard before sliding down the track right in the path of the #68 Kimmel Racing Ford of Nick Kennedy, with Kennedy hitting Torres in the driver's door, sending him back across the track and hitting the outside wall again. Amazingly both Torres and Kennedy would limp back to the pits, but both pulled into the garage, with Kennedy being placed higher since he completed one more lap.

31st was the #82 Text Salute to 50555 of Zachary Fitzwater, who had gotten damage from the first caution, fell one lap down and was never able to get it back. The remaining Bottom Five was in 30th the #06 Wayne Peterson Racing Ford of Tim Holiday and 29th the #17 Roulo Brothers Racing Ford of Tommy Hudson, both of whom finished on the same lap as the race leaders.

Richard Torres stills competes in selected series from time to time.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #09 had finished last in a ARCA Series race as well as at Atlanta.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
33) #09-Richard Torres / 22 laps / crash
32) #68-Nick Kennedy / 23 laps / crash
31) #82-Zachary Fitzwater / 32 laps / running
30) #06-Tim Holiday / 33 laps / running
29) #17-Tommy Hudson / 33 laps / running led 1 lap