The finish came in his 9th career start. In the SCRL Icebreakers Whelen Series, it's the 1st for car #99 and the 4th from a crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 8th for the #99 and the 194th from a crash.
Entering Season 1 of the SCRL Icebreakers Whelen Series, Joshua has raked up success in the SCRL, having four career wins to date and had high hopes for the brand new Whelen Series after scoring two wins in Season 2 of the SCRL Wrangler Jeans Busch Grand National Series and finishing 14th in points. Rush's Whelen career started off with an impressive 6th place finish at Thompson and while he struggled at Martinsville and Stafford, a return trip to Martinsville netted him his first Top 5 finish with an impressive 5th. Rush would enter another slump, finishing 21st in the first ever dirt event at New Egypt, a 17th at Waterford, a 22nd at the second New Egypt and a 16th in the last round at Spencer.
On race day, Rush would roll off starting in the 5th spot while starting last was the #52 Dari-Farms Ice Cream of Patrick Smith. Smith would trail the field for the first lap before the #0 Stakey's Pumpkins / Jessup Chevrolet of Carter Friesen took last on Lap 2, but one lap later the #43 Supreme Mfg. Co. Chevrolet of Marko Tellez entered the battle as he trailed the next two laps before Thompson last-place finisher the #59 Space Fitters / Ed Bennett Prop. Chevrolet of Zachary Fitzwater fell back on Lap 6 and trailed till Lap 9. New Egypt last-place finisher the #11 Marek Engineering Chevrolet of Evan Hunter entered the battle on Lap 10 and trailed the next two laps. At this point the battle was still wide open when the first caution came out when Fitzwater and Stafford last-place finisher the #50 SMG Motoring Chevrolet of Samet Ozkan wrecked hard in Turn 3. Ozkan would lose a lap and appeared on his way to his second last-place finish of the season but the battle was quickly ended two laps later.
Rush at this point had also lost a lap but was able to pass the race leaders to get himself back on the lead lap and was hoping for a caution to rejoin the tail of the field, but on Lap 13 he entered Turn 2 too fast, the car drifted up the track and he nailed the wall at the end of pit road head on, completely destroying his car. The driver was able to climb from his car, shaken, but not injured, but his car was done for the day.
Finishing 23rd was the aforementioned #50 of Samet Ozkan, who suffered a blown engine during the final caution laps before the race was extended by rule of the Green, White, Checkered. 24th was the aforementioned #11 of Evan Hunter, who was caught up in the final caution and was unable to compete in the GWC due to not finishing on the lead lap.
The #43 of Marko Tellez and the #3 D & H Potato Farms Chevrolet of Nick Kennedy would round out the Bottom Five.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #99 has finished last in a Whelen race as well as at Riverhead.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
24) #99-Joshua Rush / 13 laps / crash
23) #50-Samet Ozkan / 18 laps / engine
22) #11-Evan Hunter / 18 laps / running
21) #43-Marko Tellez / 22 laps / running
20) #3-Nick Kennedy / 22 laps / running
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