James Stabilito picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Snap-On Tools Whelen Southern Series career in last Wednesday's Advance Auto Parts 199 at the Bowman Gray Stadium when his #00 G. Lopes Construction Chevrolet completed all 25 laps under power.
The finish came in his 5th career start. In the SCRL Snap-On Tools Whelen Southern Series, it's the 1st for car #00 and the 5th for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 9th for the #00 and 128th for running at the finish.
Entering Season 1 of the SCRL Snap-On Tools Whelen Southern Series, Stabilito had struggled to make a name for himself in the SCRL, but he did achieve something not everyone in the league can say they did; visit victory lane, which Stabilito has done one time in his career, winning in Season 3 of the SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series at the Stevens Beil / Genuine Parts 200 at the Flemington Speedway, leading wire-to-wire for his first, and so far, only career win. In his debut for the Whelen Southern Series, Stabilito finished 5th in the first event at Caraway, a spot he would repeat in the next event, finishing 6th in the third race and finishing a runner up finish in the last round at Caraway.
On race day, Stabilito would roll off starting in the 14th spot while the #4 DMC Auto Exchange Chevrolet of Chase McDowell would roll off in the 20th and final spot. McDowell's stay in the final spot last only two turns before the #2 Kleet Lumber / Reynolds Insurance Chevrolet of Carter Joey fell back to last after the first lap, before dropping Chase back to the final spot, who trailed till Lap 4 when the #07 Patterson Automotive Group Pontiac of Keith Stevens took last on Lap 4. Stabilito would enter the battle when he took last on Lap 6, but he would knock the #16 Diversified Metals Chevrolet of Chris Kyle to the final spot on Lap 9.
Kyle would lose ground with the field, losing almost a second by Lap 12, but thanks to side-by-side battling, Kyle was able to pull back within range and on Lap 15, he knocked Keith Steven into last, and Steven himself struggled to keep up, while the leaders closed in on him, only a couple seconds from lapping him. Stevens was able to find something in his car in the last five laps, as he was able to knock Stabilito back to last with three laps to go and no matter how hard he tried, Stabilito got his first last-place finish of the season.
The remaining Bottom Five finished on the same lap as the race leaders; Finishing 19th was the aforementioned #07 of Keith Stevens, 18th was last Caraway last-place finisher the #48 Wheelers Auto / Mr. Rooter Chevrolet of Jay Jefferson, 17th was the aforementioned #2 of Carter Joey and 16th was the #16 of Chris Kyle.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #00 has finished last in a Whelen Southern race as well at Bowman Gray.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
20) #00-James Stabilito / 25 laps / running
19) #07-Keith Stevens / 25 laps / running
18) #48-Jay Jefferson / 25 laps / running
17) #2-Carter Joey / 25 laps / running
16) #16-Chris Kyle / 25 laps / running
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