Throwback BUSCH: Lap 2 crash at Charlotte gives Kyle Mests the 2nd last-place finish of his Busch career

Kyle Mests picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Wrangler Jeans Busch Grand National Series career in the Season 1 Mello Yello 300 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway when his #12 Industrial Boiler Pontiac was involved in a multi-car crash after 2 of the 40 laps.

The finish, which came in his 13th start, was his first on the circuit since the TranSouth 200 at the Darlington Raceway when he completed all 37 laps under power, 8 races ago. 

After trailing for the first time at Darlington, Mests would rebound with a 11th at the first Hickory event, 34th at South Boston, 25th at Caraway, 18th at Richmond, 25th at Langley, 15th at Dover before finishing 5th in the last round at Hickory.

On race day, Mests rolled off starting 32nd while starting last was the #27 Mason Day Paving Chevrolet of Cole Nixey, the first lap was clean but as soon as the field entered Turn 1 to start Lap 2, chaos would break out. At the time the #21 Chattanooga Chew/Carolina Tool Pontiac of Derrick Edison was racing four wide with the #24 Budweiser Light Ford of Jeff Arndt, the #50 The New Fayetteville Speedway Ford of Dylan Theroux and Dover last-place finisher the #88 unsponsored Pontiac of Keith Stevens as the four cars would run out of room, spinning out Theroux and Stevens, starting a fifteen car pileup. Mests would slow down and try to pull on the apron, but didn't react in time as he slammed into the #37 Hayes Jewelers Pontiac of Matt Johnson, destroying the front end of Mests's car before he was hit from behind by the #27 of Cole Nixey. Mests was able to limp back around before pulling into the garage, the only car knocked out of the race due to the crash.

Finishing 41st was the #32 Pet Dairy Pontiac of Max Anderson, who was leading the race on Lap 6 as the field rode around under caution, when his car suffered a blown engine. 40th was the #15 Wrangler Jeans Pontiac of John Arndt, who would pull behind the wall on Lap 22 suffering with suspension problems after smacking the Turn 4 wall. 

Finishing 39th eight laps later first Hickory last-place finisher the #7 unsponsored Pontiac of Truttle would also pull behind the wall, reporting of a sour engine.

Rounding out the Bottom Five in 38th was the #2 unsponsored Pontiac of Luke Rainey, who was involved in the Lap 2 crash, but was able to limp home to finish the race, five circuits behind race winner Todd Kennedy.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #12 had finished last at Charlotte.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #12-Kyle Mests / 2 laps / crash
41) #32-Max Anderson / 6 laps / engine led 3 laps
40) #15-John Arndt / 22 laps / suspension led 1 lap
39) #71-Truttle / 30 laps / gearbox
38) #2-Luke Raney / 35 laps / running