Formula 3: Battle for last a heated affair at Monza until late race wreck gives Brandon Brown the first last-place finish of his career

Brandon Brown picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Formula 3 Series career in Round 12 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza when his #4 National Guard was involved in a multi-car crash after 5 of the 7 laps.

The finish came in his 12th career start. In the SCRL Formula 3 Series, it's the 1st for car #4 and the 2nd from a crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 11th for the #4 and the 234th from a crash. Brown is a brand new rookie that is looking to use the Formula 3 division as a stepping stone to one day complete against the very best in the SCRL Red Bull Formula One Series by becoming the first ever champion of the Formula 3 Series. Brown's racing career started off with a 2nd and a 20th at Catalunya, 17th and 3rd at Silverstone, 15th and 6th at Hockenheimring, 10th and 8th at Hungarioring, 2nd and 14th at Kyalami before finishing 11th in the last round at Monza.

On race day, Brown rolled off starting 11th while starting last was first Monza last-place finisher the #1 IZOD of Sebastian Cucalon, a position he would hold for only two turns as he knocked second Hockenheimring last-place finisher the #6 TrueCar of Brian Fox into last, a spot he would hold for one lap as Fox would knock the #33 Shell V-Power / Pennzoil Ultra of Mitchell Collins into the final spot on Lap 2. Collins stay in last would last one lap as well when the #5 CITGO / PDVSA of Greg Torres took the final spot on Lap 3. Torres would remain in last for two laps and appeared he was going to finish last for the first time in his career when the battle for last ended very quickly.

While battling first Catalunya last-place finisher the #26 RC Cola of DJ Dogo for 9th entering Turn 8, Brown ran into the back of Dogo at the same time Dogo was going up the track, sending both cars for a spin, hitting the outside guard rail and sliding along the track. While Dogo was above to drive away and finish 17th, Brown's car was done for the day, having to be towed back to the garage, taking the final spot on Lap 5, with the car being listed as "out" just as the field took the white flag behind the pace car.

The remaining Bottom Five finished on the same circuit as the race leaders: 21st was the aforementioned #33 of Mitchell Collins, 21st was the #11 GEICO / Mouser Electronics of Nathan Ormond, 20th was the aforementioned #5 of Greg Torres and 19th was the #3 Shell V-Power / Pennzoil Ultra of Samet Ozkan.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #4 had finished last in a Formula 3 race as well as at Monza.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
23) #4-Brandon Brown / 5 laps / crash
22) #33-Mitchell Collins / 7 laps / running
21) #11-Nathan Ormond / 7 laps / running
20) #5-Greg Torres / 7 laps / running
19) #3-Samet Ozkan / 7 laps / running