Shaker Memorial: Joe Jefferson starts and finishes last due to early wreck

Joe Jefferson picked up the 1st last place finish of his Shaker Memorial Race career in the 4th Annual Shaker Memorial Race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway when his #15 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet was involved in a multi-car crash after 7 of the 37 laps.

The finish came in his 1st career start. The Shaker Memorial Race began in 2015 when the dog of this blog's author, Shaker, passed away in 2015, in her honor, a yearly race is held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the closest track to where she lived, with drivers completing in a one race showdown to see who is the best. The entry list for the 4th annual, but 5th running of the event for the second year in a row was a full 42 car field.

On race day, Jefferson would roll off starting in the final spot, a position he would hold for two laps when he knocked the #14 VB/APlus at Sunoco Ford of Christian Vargas into the final spot. Vargas would trail for the next two laps before he passed the #55 Year One Chevrolet of TJ Pablo, a spot that Pablo would hold for only one lap as the very next time around, the #10 Valvoline Chevrolet of Dain Martin into the last spot. Much like with Pablo, Martin would remain in last for only one lap and was trailing the field when the battle for last ended in the blink of an eye.

As drivers raced down the backstretch, the #97 Sharpie / Irwin Industrial Tools Ford of Dilian Ebrahimian made contact with Joe's left quarter panel and wouldn't let off as Joe's car slide up the track in front of the #29 GM Goodwrench 20 Years Chevrolet of Leroy Jones, turning Joe's car in a straight angle where his car hit the outside wall head on, a scary angle that mirrored the one that had claimed the life of Dale Earnhardt. Joe's car would spin around and be hit by the #43 Cheerios / Betty Crocker / Chex Dodge of Marcus Saatchi, starting a seven car pileup in Turn 4. Joe would limp across the start/finish line in 38th while crossing last was the #38 M&M's Ford of Chris Kyle. Kyle would remain in last for just one lap as the next time around, Joe would limp onto pit road and then the garage, the only driver knocked out from the lap 6 crash.

Finishing 41st through 39th were drivers involved in the same wreck on Lap 17; 41st was the #91 McDonald's Dodge of Samet Ozkan, 40th was the #11 FedEx Express Chevrolet of Geo Twyman who limped around to be scored completing 18 laps and 39th was the #16 National Guard Ford of Damien Blue, who went around two more circuits before pulling behind the wall.

Rounding out the Bottom Five in 38th was the #24 DuPont Chevrolet of Nitahbk, who was involved in the second "Big One" on Lap 25 and pulled behind the wall, done for the day.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #15 had finished last in the Shaker Memorial Race.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #15-Joe Jefferson / 6 laps / crash
41) #91-Samet Ozkan / 17 laps / crash
40) #11-Geo Twyman / 18 laps / crash led 10 laps
39) #16-Damien Blue / 19 laps / crash
38) #24-Nitahbk / 25 laps / crash