The finish, which came in his 78th start, was his first on the circuit since the Season 3 Greenville 200 at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway where he also fell out with engine problems without completing any of the 20 laps, 16 races ago. In the SCRL NASCAR Legends Series, it's the 4th for car #98 and the 10th for engine issues. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 7th for the #98 and the 41st for engine issues.
Chris Kyle is one of the most longest active drivers in the SCRL and was one of the original twenty drivers who took that first green flag way back in 2014 for this very series, and had driven the #98 car to two career wins in the Legends Series, both at Bristol, while having 9 career wins total in the entire SCRL and just picked up his first career championship in Season 2 of the SCRL Tim Hortons Canadian Series. Kyle's fourth ever season in this series started off with an 11th at the twisting road course at Riverside before finishing 24th in the last round at Ontario.
On race day, Kyle was scheduled to roll off starting in 31st while starting last Season 3 Champion the #27 unsponsored Ford of Cole Nixey but just shortly after the field rolled off the pit lane, Kyle's car began to lose power as he quickly pulled onto the apron and followed the pace car onto pitroad and made that sharp left turn into the garage as the green flag was waved. The crew looked under the hoof of their Ford and noticed that the engine had blown up and the driver had switched the car off to prevent any oil getting onto the track, Kyle's car officially listed as "out" by Lap 7.
The remaining Bottom Five wouldn't be filled up until six laps to go when a multi-car crash broke out in Turns 3 and 4; 41st was the #4 Mills Plumbing Dodge of Mitchell Collins whose car stalled in Turn 4, having completed only 42 laps. Finishing 40th through 38th were drivers who limped around for two more laps before pulling into the garage; 39th was the #68 Auto Specialists / Auto Lad Ford of Trevor Collins and 38th was Riverside last-place finisher the #72 DeWitt Enterprises Mercury of Nathan Ormond.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This marked the first SCRL NASCAR Legends Series last-place finish for the #98 at Richmond.
*This marked the first time "engine" was the cause of a driver finishing last at Richmond; the last time a driver trailed due to engine issues was in the Season 3 Talladega 500 at the Alabama International Motor Speedway when Jesse Turner's #30 unsponsored Dodge fell out without completing any of the 18 laps; 11 races ago.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #98-Chris Kyle / 0 laps / engine
41) #4-Mitchell Collins / 42 laps / crash
40) #09-Paul Hogan / 44 laps / crash
39) #68-Trevor Collins / 44 laps / crash
38) #72-Nathan Ormond / 44 laps / crash
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