TRUCKS: Broken camshaft at IRP gives Carlos Rodriguez the second last-place finish of his short career

Carlos Rodriguez picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in Friday's Cummins 200 Presented by the Indiana Dodge Dealers at the Indianapolis Raceway Park when his #88 PBA Tour Chevrolet fell out with camshaft issues after completing 5 of the 20 laps.

The finish, which occurred in his 14th career series start, was his first on the circuit since the Parts America 150 at Watkins Glen International when he was eliminated in a multi-truck accident after 1 of 13 laps, 7 races ago. In the Truck Series, it's the 3rd for the #88 and the 10th for camshaft issues. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 16th for the #88 and 36th for camshaft issues.

After trailing for the first time in his SCRL career in the season's first road course event, Carlos would rebound by finishing 8th in the next round at Texas. A disappointing 20th at Bristol, 19th at the Milwaukee Mile, 21st at Nazareth, 23rd at Fontana before finishing 30th in the last round at Pikes Peak.

The entry list for the tenth time this season would be 37 trucks. Joshua Rush would collect his first career pole of his career in qualifying, posting a time of 24.069 seconds, while Carlos would impress, posting a time of 24.445, while only 0.376 seconds behind Rush's pole winning time, it placed him a impressive 5th position. Posting the slowest time during qualifying was the #52 Purolator PureOne Filters Chevrolet of Blaise Zebrataur, who posted a time of 25.037, a time that was 0.968 seconds behind Rush's pole time.

On race night, Blaise would trail for the first two turns and going down the Backstretch the lone caution came out for the night as the #5 Llumar Window Films Chevrolet of Chakat Whitelion was racing with hir daughter, Portland last-place finisher the #35 Ortho Lawn & Garden Products Chevrolet of Chakat Flaremane and the #99 Exide Batteries Ford of Darren Allen raced with each other three wide before the three trucks ran out of room, sending Flaremane and Allen into the Turn 3 wall, giving damage to the left rear of Flaremane's truck while Allen would trail for the first lap. As the field ran under caution, Allen would trail in the final spot on Lap 3 when Carlos, who had fallen back to the 8th spot, when his truck started to lose power going down the Frontstretch. Carlos was forced to ride around the track with a silent engine, the truck making no noise as he pulled onto pit road, and into his pit stall as his team looked over the truck briefly before pulling behind the wall, a broken camshaft being listed as the cause, with Carlos being listed as "out" on the 5th circuit, the same lap he took over the final spot.

The remaining Bottom Five would go on to finish on the same lap as the race leaders; 36th was the aforementioned #35 of Chakat Flaremane, 35th was I-70 last-place finisher the #43 Cummins Engines Dodge of Marcus Saatchi, 34th was the #99 of Darren Allen and 33rd was the #1 Team ASE Racing Ford of Michael Brown.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #88 has finished last in the Truck Series at IRP.
*This is the first time a driver has trailed due to camshaft issues since the NAPA Autocare 200 at the Nazareth Speedway when Joshua Rush's #75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet was eliminated in a multi-truck accident after 4 of 20 laps; 4 races ago.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
37) #88-Carlos Rodriguez / 5 laps / camshaft
36) #35-Chakat Flaremane / 20 laps / running
35) #43-Marcus Saatchi / 20 laps / running
34) #99-Darren Allen / 20 laps / running
33) #1-Michael Brown / 20 laps / running