The finish, which occurred in his 94th career series start, was his first on the circuit since the Kroger 225 at the Louisville Motor Speedway when he completed 21 of the 23 laps under power; 6 races ago. In the Truck Series, it's the 3rd for the #8 and the 15th for engine issues. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 22nd for the #8 and 58th for engine issues.
After trailing for the first time in his four year truck career at Louisville, Jay would bounce back with a 13th place finish at Richmond before he would struggle in the next three races with a 22nd at Memphis, 32nd at Gateway and a 31st at Martinsville. For the third and final road course event of the season, Jay would survive all the wrecks and a record 5 Green, White, Checkers to cross the line in a respectable 7th at Sears Point.
The entry list, for the first time since Louisville, would be cut down to only 31 trucks for the ninth and final time in Season 4, with the final two events at Phoenix and Las Vegas being able to hold all 37 entries. Chris Kyle would collect his third career series pole in qualifying, posting a time of 16.399 seconds, while Jay would struggle in qualifying, posting a time of 16.833 seconds, 0.434 seconds behind Kyle's pole winning time, placing Jay in 27th position. Posting the slowest time during qualifying was the #44 Federated Auto Parts Ford of Chase Harris, who was 0.473 seconds behind Kyle's lap time.
On race day as drivers began their lone pace lap around the half mile track, Jefferson's truck instantly started to smoke, with the driver on the inside line he would quickly move out of the way of the drivers behind him and pulled to the inside of the track, following the pace truck down pit lane as the field took the green flag. Jefferson would pull into the garage and not his pit stall as his ThorSport Racing crew rushed behind the wall to see what the problem was. Jay climbed out of the truck obviously in disgust, with the team looking over the truck for a few minutes before deciding there was nothing to be done, with Jay being listed as "Out" by the 7th lap.
The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders; 30th was the #20 Orleans Hotel & Casino Chevrolet of Chakat Stripepaws, 29th was the aforementioned #44 of Chase Harris, 28th was Richmond last-place finisher the #7 Prime Performance Chevrolet of Chakat Lightingblaze and 27th was Martinsville last-place finisher the #6 RE/MAX International Chevrolet of Dilan Ebrahimian.
With two races to go in the season, Jay has now joined Joshua Rush, Carlos Rodriguez and Samet Ozkan with two last-place finishes a piece on the season. If anyone other then those three drivers finishes last at Phoenix, it could set up a five driver battle at Las Vegas, but if Rush or Jay finishes last at Phoenix, they could lock up the championship with one race to go.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #8 has finished last in a Truck Series race at Mesa Marin.
*This is the first time a driver has trailed due to Engine issues since the Kragen / Exide 151 at the Sears Point Raceway when Ryan Pritchard's #89 Precision Automotive Ford fell out with engine issues without completing any of the 18 laps; 1 race ago.
*This is the first time the #8 has finished last in a Truck Series race at Mesa Marin.
*This is the first time a driver has trailed due to Engine issues since the Kragen / Exide 151 at the Sears Point Raceway when Ryan Pritchard's #89 Precision Automotive Ford fell out with engine issues without completing any of the 18 laps; 1 race ago.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
31) #8-Jay Jefferson / 0 laps / engine
30) #20-Chakat Flaremane / 30 lap / running
29) #44-Chase Harris / 30 laps / running
28) #7-Chakat Lightingblaze / 30 laps / running
27) #6-Dilan Ebrahimian / 30 laps / running
31) #8-Jay Jefferson / 0 laps / engine
30) #20-Chakat Flaremane / 30 lap / running
29) #44-Chase Harris / 30 laps / running
28) #7-Chakat Lightingblaze / 30 laps / running
27) #6-Dilan Ebrahimian / 30 laps / running
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