Formula 1: Early engine failure places Cassie Dent last at COTA

Cassie Dent picked up the 1st last place finish of her SCRL Red Bull Formula One Series career in the Season 2 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas when her #30 Renault Sport F1 Team fell out with engine issues after 1 of the 6 laps.

The finish came in her 13th career start. In the SCRL Red Bull Formula One Series, it's the 1st for car #30 and the 2nd due to engine issues. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 4th for the #30 and the 48th due to engine issues. Cassie is still a rookie when it comes to competing in the SCRL, having only driven one full time season, that being in Season 4 of the NASCAR Legends Series, picking up her first career win in just her 7th start at Talladega and would finish 2nd overall in the points to champion Christian Russell. After having a historic making debut season, she quickly decided to join the open wheel world by signing up to compete in the highest Formula division; the SCRL Red Bull Formula One Series. Cassie would finish 10th in her debut at Melbourne, 12th at Bahrain, 15th at Hockenheimring and Zandvoort, 16th at CTMP, 17th at Monza, 14th at Shanghai before finally scoring her first points of the season by finishing 5th at Monaco. A 10th at Silverstone would lead into her second points results with a 6th at Magny-Cours, 13th at Spa before finishing 19th in the last round at Yas Marina.

On race day, Cassie rolled off starting 12th while starting in the final spot for the second race in a row was the #8 Haas F1 Team of Joseph Huffman, a position he would hold for the first lap, but as the field took the yellow flag, Cassie's car began to slow as she limped back to the pits and then into the garage, crossing the start/finish line to be scoring having competed a lap as the team looked over the car, discovering the problem was a blown engine, ending her day.

The remaining Bottom Five would all be knocked out in crashes before the race was over: 21st was the aforementioned #8 of Joseph Huffman, 20th was the #6 Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team of Colin Dryburgh, 19th was the #19 Williams Martini Racing of Patrick Smith and 18th was Monza last-place finisher the #22 McLaren-Honda F1 Team of Trevor Collins.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #30 has finished last in a Formula One race as well at COTA.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
22) #30-Cassie Dent / 1 lap / engine
21) #8-Joseph Huffman / 3 laps / crash
20) #6-Colin Dryburgh / 3 laps / crash
19) #19-Patrick Smith / 4 laps / crash
18) #22-Trevor Collins / 5 laps / crash