The finish, which occurred in his 26th career series start, was his first on the circuit since the Ram Tough 200 Presented by Pepsi at the Gateway International Raceway when he was eliminated in a multi-truck accident after 14 of 22 laps; 4 races ago. In the Truck Series, it's the 4th for the #99 and the 35th from a crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 16th for the #99 and 268th from a crash.
After trailing for the first time in his career at Gateway, Allen would fight back with a 7th at Martinsville, 20th at the twisting road course of Sears Point before having to miss the last round at Mesa Marin as his Roush Racing team focused their truck on the one mile Phoenix track.
The entry list, for the 16th time this season, and the first since Martinsville, would be bumped back up to 37 entries. Points leader Zachary Fitzwater would collect his second career series pole in qualifying, his first since I-70 Speedway, a race he would win, by posting a time of 28.537 seconds, while Allen would struggle in qualifying, posting a time of 28.815 seconds, 0.278 seconds behind Fitzwater's pole winning time, placing Allen in 30th position. Posting the slowest time during qualifying was the #00 Sprayer Auto Parts Chevrolet of Nick Kennedy, who was 0.383 seconds behind Kyle's lap time.
On race day, Kennedy would trail for the first lap around the mile track before the race's first caution would come out when two time last-place finisher the #3 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet of Samet Ozkan would make contact with the #4 All American Museum Dodge of Daniel Bouchard which sent Ozkan up the track and into the #20 Orleans Hotel & Casino Chevrolet of Chakat Stripepaws, which would cause a chain reaction and broke out into a seven truck crash. While the wreck was happening, Allen stayed on the high side of the track to try and avoid the crash, but actually ran into Nashville last-place finisher the unsponsored #60 Addington Racing Chevrolet of Christian Russell, as it would damage the front end of Allen's truck, as he would limped back to the pits and into the garage. The team would look over the truck and found that the impact to Russell's truck had damaged the radiator, ending their day after only two laps.
Finishing 36th was two time last-place finisher the #75 Spears Manufacturing, who was also damaged in the same crash and while his team did make repairs to the truck, he was well off pace, losing a lap in the final stages and would fall back to the 36th spot.
Finishing 35th was the #98 Hastings Premium Filters Ford of Al Lagasee, who suffered a blown tire while running in 12th just seconds before the final caution of the race came out. While it prevented from Lagasee from going multiple laps down, he was able to remain one lap down and when the rest of the field caught Rush's slow truck, Lagasee was able to pass him easily as well and would finish above Rush.
The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders; 34th was the #16 NAPA Brakes Chevrolet of Chris Kyle and 33rd was the aforementioned #20 of Chakat Stripepaws.
Entering the season finale at Las Vegas, mathematically only Joshua Rush, Darren Allen, Jay Jefferson, Samet Ozkan and Carlos Rodriguez can win the SCRLASTCAR Championship. If anyone but those four drivers trail at Vegas, it will give Rush the championship out right, but if either of the other four drivers can finish last, even if Rush finishes in the Bottom Five, they will win the championship.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #99 has finished last in a Truck Series race at Phoenix.
*This is the first time the #99 has finished last in a Truck Series race at Phoenix.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
37) #99-Darren Allen / 2 laps / crash
36) #75-Joshua Rush / 31 lap / running
35) #98-Al Lagasee / 31 laps / running
34) #16-Chris Kyle / 32 laps / running
33) #20-Chakat Stripepaws / 32 laps / running
37) #99-Darren Allen / 2 laps / crash
36) #75-Joshua Rush / 31 lap / running
35) #98-Al Lagasee / 31 laps / running
34) #16-Chris Kyle / 32 laps / running
33) #20-Chakat Stripepaws / 32 laps / running
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