ARCA Trucks: Early crash at Lake Erie gives Hunter Blade the first last-place of his career and enters SCRLASTCAR Championship showdown at Winchester

Hunter Blade picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL ARCA Truck Series career in the Lake Erie 50 at the Lake Erie Speedway when his #05 Little Mountain Insurance Ford was involved in a multi-truck crash after 1 of the 20 laps.

The finish came in his 11th career series start. In the SCRL ARCA Truck Series, it's the 1st for truck #05 and the 5th from a crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 2nd for the #05 and the 257th from a crash. 

Blade was one of ten drivers that were making their SCRL debuts by signing up to compete in the ARCA Series second highest division, the ARCA Truck Series. In his league and series debut, Blade finished 23rd at Toledo, a 16th at Kil-Kare, 19th at Nashville, 20th at Lanier and a 9th at Flat Rock before scoring a career best of 4th in back-to-back races at Salem and Oxford Plains. A 17th at Toledo, 12th at Eldora before finishing a disappointing 22nd in the last round at Mesa Marin.

In qualifying, Blade would post a time of 19.413 seconds(74.177mph) putting him 0.428 seconds off Nick Productions's pole run, which would be his first of the year. Staring last on race day would be the #4 unsponsored Chevrolet of Gatlin Downey, who would be a full three miles slower behind Productions's pole time and 0.810 seconds behind his lap, giving Downey the first last-place start of the year.

When the race started, Downey would trail for the first two turns around the 0.452 mile short track before he knocked the #51 Exxon Chevrolet of Briam Myers into the final spot, a position he would hold for one lap when entering Turn 2, chaos would begin. The #28 ETS / Engine Rebuilders Chevrolet of Al Lagasee would be spun out while running in 15th and would block the track as both Blade and Downey would have nowhere to go, both slamming into his truck, giving all three damage. Blade would quickly pull behind the wall that same lap before Downey would on Lap 2, both listed as being knocked out due to crash damage.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders: 24th was Toledo last-place finisher the unsponsored #20 Chevrolet of Dillon Jones, 23rd was the unsponsored #27 Chevrolet of Kyle Patricks and 22nd was the aforementioned #28 of Al Lagasee.

Entering the season finale at Winchester, seven drivers have a mathematical chance of winning the SCRLASTCAR Championship; Chakat Duskwatcher, Dain Martin, Chakat Blizzardmane, Jimmy Potter, Hunter Blade, Leonard Pearson and Jimmy Dawson. Duskwatcher would win the championship out right if anyone but the other six drivers finishes last, while the same could be said if any of the other six do finish last, they could win the championship.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #05 has finished last in the SCRL ARCA Truck Series as well at Lake Erie.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
26) #05-Hunter Blade / 1 lap / crash
25) #4-Gatlin Downey / 2 laps / crash
24) #20-Dillon Jones / 20 laps / running
23) #27-Kyle Patricks / 20 laps / running
22) #28-Al Lagasee / 20 laps / running