Throwback BUSCH: Broken Camshaft prevents AJ Jones from completing a lap at Hickory; becomes the first driver in series history to not complete a lap

AJ Jones picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Wrangler Jeans Busch Grand National Series career in the Season 1 Sunkist 200 at the Hickory Speedway when his #4 Connie Mining Tire Pontiac fell out with camshaft problems without completing any of the 10 laps.

The finish came in his 12th start. 

Entering Season 1 of the Busch Series, Jones was looking to make a name for himself in the SCRL's second biggest series. Jones's busch career started off with a 27th at Daytona, a 15th at the first Richmond event, 19th at Bristol, 36th at Martinsville, 33rd at Darlington, 35th at Hickory, 12th at South Boston, 39th at Caraway, 41st at the second Richmond event, 28th at Langley before scoring a series best 3rd at Dover in the last round.

On race day, Jones would roll off starting 5th while starting last was Daytona last-place finisher the #6 Mason Day Paving/Old Milwaukee Pontiac of Colin Dryburgh but just seconds after the field rolled off pit road to begin the pace lap, Jones's car began to smoke as he slowed down and pulled to the apron and onto pit road as the field took the green flag. Jones would pull into the infield that held the small garage as the team looked under the hood and found that the engine was beyond repair, and so Jones became the first ever driver to fail to complete a lap in the busch series.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same circuit as the race leader; 41st was South Boston last-place finisher the #00 Thomas Bros. Country Ham Buick of Dinkdrinker, 40th was the second Richmond last-place finisher the #63 Ashby Sheet Metal & Machine Shop Pontiac of James Barker, 39th was Caraway last-place finisher #02 unsponsored Pontiac of Grayson Acevedo and 38th was the #82 unsponsored Pontiac of Aidan Shepherd.

For Jones, he would score his first busch win just seven race later at the Lowes 200 at the South Boston Speedway and would finish 32nd in points. Jones currently has 5 career wins, and 2 non point wins in LCQs(Last Chance Qualifer), with three wins coming in the busch series.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #4 had finished last in the Busch Series as well as at Hickory.

*This marked the second time in series history a driver trailed due to camshaft issues; the first was in the Dogwood 500 at the Martinsville Speedway when Jay Jefferson's #75 PET Dairy Pontiac fell out after completing 6 of the 50 laps; 8 races ago.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #4-AJ Jones / 0 laps / camshaft
41) #00-Dinkdrinker / 10 laps / crash
40) #63-James Barker / 10 laps / crash
39) #02-Grayson Acevedo / 10 laps / crash
38) #82-Aidan Shepherd / 10 laps / crash