IROC: Bizarre wreck on pace lap at Talladega makes Brian Fox only the second driver in series history to fail to complete a lap; Draco Drakul wins SCRLASTCAR Championship

Brian Fox picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL IROC Series career in Race 4 at the Talladega Superspeedway when he was involved in a two-car accident after failing to complete any of the 19 laps.

The finish, which came in his 13th career start, was his first on the circuit since April 6, 2016, Race 4 of Season 5 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he fell out with header issues after completing 5 of 16 laps, 8 races ago. In the SCRL IROC Series, it's the 4th for car #11 and the 9th from a crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 8th for the #11 and the 205th from a crash.

Brian Fox is one of the most longest active drivers in the history of the SCRL, as well as one of the most successful/winningest drivers in SCRL history, having picked up 12 career wins, which ranks him 8th in the all time list, on his path to picking up two championships, with his most recent coming in the last IROC Series Season and was the defending champion entering this season. Fox's hope at becoming the first ever back-to-back championship started off with a 5th at Daytona after leading 2 laps, a 4th at the series first ever short track race at Myrtle Beach before finishing 4th again in the last round at Michigan.

Brian Fox pulls onto pit road at the start of the race.

On race day, Fox was scheduled to roll off starting 8th while points leader the #7 of Zachary Fitzwater was forced to start last due to IROC rules inverting the field in the field two races by way of points. Just as the field was able to start their pace lap, miscommunication between drivers and officials caused for Fox to slam into the back of the #9 of Al Lagasee, causing severe damage to Lagasee's rear bumper, while Fox's radiator was destroyed. Lagasee was able to make the start, but Fox limped around the track on the apron of the track, pulling onto pit road as the field took the green flag, Fox pulled into the garage, the car retired by the time the field entered the backstretch on Lap 2.


Finishing 11th was the #4 of Leroy Jones, who suffered damage as well during the pileup, pitting on Lap 2 around the same time Fox's car was retired as Jones's crew took the hood off before sending their driver back out onto the track, finishing one lap down to the race leaders.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were drivers who were involved in the lone caution that ended the race under caution; 10th was the aforementioned #9 of Al Lagasee, 9th was the #5 of Chakat Whitelion and 8th was the #12 of Bulldog67.

By virtue of finishing 6th, Draco scored one more Bottom Ten finish, and won the SCRLASTCAR Championship by having one more Bottom Ten finish over Jonathan Raines. The Season 7 SCRL IROC Series Champion Zachary Fitzwater had no last-place finishes, but scored three Bottom Ten finishes, with his worst finish of the season being a 7th at Myrtle Beach.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the 3rd time the #11 has finished last at Talladega; Grayson Acevedo suffered piston issues after completing 13 laps in Season 5 while Jon Seymour trailed in Season 6 after being caught up in a multi-car crash after completing 4 laps.
*This is only the second time in IROC Series history a driver has failed to complete a lap; the only other time was when Oreius Centaur suffered piston issues in Race #3 at Michigan in Season 3.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
12) #11-Brian Fox / 0 laps / crash
11) #4-Leroy Jones / 18 laps / running
10) #9-Al Lagasee / 19 laps / running
9) #5-Chakat Whitelion / 19 laps / running
8) #12-Bulldog67 / 19 laps / running led 1 lap