Saturday, January 30, 2021

CHILI BOWL: Mid race crash places John Wesley Allen last in first ever SCRL Chili Bowl

John Wesley Allen picked up the 1st last place finish of his career in Saturday's SCRL Chili Bowl at the Tulsa Expo Center when his #6 Wells Bros Transportation was involved in a multi-car crash after 28 of the 57 laps.

After the success of the SCRL Snowball Derby in December, it was decided that for the first time in the six year history of the SCRL, the SCRL Chili Bowl would also be held. The 1/4 mile dirt track is the host to the "biggest Midget race of the year" and it is nicknamed the "Super Bowl of midget racing". The Chili Bowl is a 55 lap midget car racing event that is held annually in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. After the qualifying was held on Wednesday, the next day would host six heat races to help set the field, followed the next day by four Main races that would give five more drivers a chance to advance while Saturday a 26 car field was set for the A Main.

In Qualifying, Greg Lee would write his name in the SCRL history books by winning the pole with a time of 12.115 while Allen would struggle, posting a time of 12.418, 0.303 seconds off Lee's pole winning time, which placed Allen 23rd. Posting the slowest time in qualifying would be the #15 Strathmeyer Landscape entry of Brandon Mayhew, who posted a time of 12.583, 0.468 seconds off Lee's time. After the qualifying race was complete, Allen would finish 5th in his Heat event and would fail to make the field by transferring, but in his D Main, Allen was able to finish 2nd to Ryan Pritchard and would start the A Main in the final spot.

On race night, Allen would become the first driver to trail in a lap at the Chili Bowl before the next time around he would knock the #15 of Brandon Mayhew into last. Mayhew would trail for the next two laps before he knocked Allen back into last on Lap 5. Allen would trail for the next two circuits before knocking the #18 LCS Trucking Insurance of Matt McIntyre into the final spot on Lap 7, trailing for two laps before McIntyre would pass the #04 iRacing entry of Cassie Dent into last on Lap 9. Cassie would struggle on the dirt for the next nine laps, adjusting to the tricky track and getting back into a run as she knocked the #9 Great Clips entry of Kota Suzuki on Lap 19. Much like with many of the other drivers, Suzuki would remain in last for only two laps before knocking the #57 Finley Farms entry of Tony Green into last on Lap 21, a position he would hold until the race's first caution of the night.

While running in 21st, the #49 NAPA Auto Parts entry of Riley Spurlytube was trying to make a pass on the #317 of Ryan Pritchard, when the two cars made contact on the Backstretch, sending both cars for a spin and nowhere to Allen to go as Spurlytube backed into the pit road wall while Allen drove forward and hit the wall head on, severely damaging both cars, and while both drivers were ok, they would pull into the garage, their night over, being scored on the same lap with Allen scored last due to trailing Spurlytube before the crash.

Finishing in 24th was the aforementioned #57 of Tony Green, who would also be knocked out in a crash just six laps later.

Rounding out the Bottom Five was the #05 Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer entry of pole sitter Greg Lee who, after leading 23 laps, would be involved in a crash and would lose multiple laps over the last quarter of the race and 22nd was the aforementioned #15 of Brandon Mayhew, who would bring out two cautions after riding the wall twice.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #6 has finished last in the Chili Bowl.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
26) #6-John Wesley Allen / 28 laps / crash
25) #49-Riley Spurlytube / 28 lap / crash
24) #57-Tony Green / 34 laps / crash
23) #05-Greg Lee / 48 laps / running led 23 laps
22) #15-Brandon Mayhew / 48 laps / running

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Throwback LEGENDS: Draco Drakul gets second last-place finish in the last three races in return trip to Riverside

Draco Drakul picked up the 2nd last place finish of his ONL NASCAR Legends Series career in the Season 1 Riverside 400 at the Riverside International Raceway when his #32 Bestline Products Plymouth completed all 15 laps under power.

The finish, which came in his 13th career series start, was his first on the circuit since he completed 49 of the 50 laps of the Virginia 500 at the Martinsville Speedway, 2 races ago.

Ever since trailing the field at Martinsville, Draco finished an impressive 9th at Michigan in the last round as the series made a return trip to Riverside, a place where Draco finished 18th earlier in the season.

On race day, Drakul would roll off the grid starting last, a spot he would remain for the entire race, finishing nearly 15 seconds behind the race leaders, and easily scoring his second last-place finish of the season uncontested.

The remaining Bottom Five finished on the same lap as the race leaders: 19th was Michigan last-place finisher the #4 Mills Plumbing Dodge of Sicarius, 18th was four time last-place finisher the #64 Woodfield Ford of dragonboy, 17th was Atlanta last-place finisher the #30 unsponsored Dodge of ItalianDragon and finishing 16th was spring Riverside last-place finisher the #24 Casa Linda / Sahara Motel Ford of Chakat Whitelion.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #32 had finished last at Riverside.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
20) #32-Draco Drakul / 15 laps / running
19) #4-Sicarius / 15 laps / running
18) #64-dragonboy / 15 laps / running
17) #30-ItalianDragon / 15 laps / running
16) #24-Chakat Whitelion / 15 laps / running

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Throwback Formula E: Early crash at Sebring makes Grayson Acevedo the third driver to fail to complete a lap

Grayson Acevedo picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Formula E Series career in the Season 1 Sebring Sprint at the Sebring International Raceway when his #7 Scuderia Ferrari was involved in a multi-car crash without completing any of the 7 laps.

The finish came in his 8th start. 

Acevedo at this point in his career had already visited victory lane several times in his career and was looking to bring that same success in the Formula division's second highest division as he was signed to drive for the legendary Scuderia Ferrari team. Acevedo finished 9th in his debut at Mexico City and repeated that same success in the next round at Kyalami. In the next round at Hockenheimring, Aceavedo scored a runner up finish to Jeff Bright and followed it up with his third 9th place finish at Shanghai before struggling in his first race all season, finishing 16th at Monaco. A finish of 5th at Long Beach and then a 14th in the last round at Hungaroring would have the team hoping to continue their good runs at the eight mile road course in Florida.

On race day, Acevedo rolled off starting 21st while starting in the final spot was Mexico City last-place finisher the #20 Renault Sport F1 Team of Gavyn Moore, a spot that Moore would hold for the first eight turns when chaos broke out as cars spun out in the hairpin. Acevedo would make it through the cars having spun out when Acevedo made his way toward Turn 9 and would lose control, spinning out and slamming into the tire barriers, ending his day.

Finishing 21st through 19th were drivers who were involved in the same Lap 4 crash in that same turn; 21st was Hockenheimring last-place finisher the #21 Haas F1 Team of Cally Joetta, 20th was Long Beach last-place finisher the #19 Williams Martini Racing of Nicolas Lothaire-Irvine and 19th was the #55 Scuderia Toro Rosso of James Barker.

Rounding out the Bottom Five in 18th was two-time last-place finisher the #44 Mercedes of Daniel Evans, who was the last car on the lead lap.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This marked the first SCRL Formula E Series last-place finish for the #7 as well as at Sebring.
*This is the third time in the SCRL Formula E Series a driver has failed to complete; the other two coming this season at Shanghai and Monaco; both by Daniel Evans.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
22) #7-Grayson Acevedo / 0 laps / crash
21) #21-Cally Joetta / 4 laps / crash
20) #19-Nicolas Lothaire-Irvine / 4 laps / crash
19) #55-James Barker / 4 laps / crash
18) #44-Daniel Evans / 7 laps / running

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Throwback MEXICO: Colin Dryburgh trails for the first time in the Mexico Series in caution free race at Peach State

Colin Dryburgh picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Telcel Mexico Series career in the Season 1 Jackaroo Sauces 250 at the Peach State Speedway when his #15 Citizen Toyota completed all 20 laps under power.

The finish came in his 4th career series start. 

Dryburgh had already found success in the SCRL before he signed up to compete in the inaugural season of the SCRL's Mexico Series. In his first start for the series, Dryburgh would finish 4th at Phoenix, before in the neck round at Central Texas, Dryburgh would easily lead all twenty laps to score his first series victory. Proving it was no fluke, Dryburgh would once again lead every single lap as he would hold off Crazy Is Crazy to score his second win of the season and second in a row on the twisting road course at Willow Springs.

On race night, Dryburgh would start 7th while starting in the final spot was the #88 Canel's / Scotiabank / HDI Seguros Toyota of Yutaii. For the second race in a row, the caution would not fly which short term would be good for the drivers and fans, but after about halfway through the race, things started to spread out some and in doing so, Dryburgh would fall back to last in the final few laps, ending his chance at tying the record of winning three races in a row.

The remaining Bottom Five were: 11th was the #58 Axtel X-Tremo Toyota of Crazy Is Crazy, 10th was Willow Spring last-place finisher the #20 Avaya / Axtel X-Tremo Toyota of Zachary Fitzwater, 9th was the #18 Canel's / Scotiabank / HDI Seguros Toyota of Chakat Whitelion and 8th was the #2 Arris Toyota of Steve Morgan.

Dryburgh's two wins at Central Park and Willow Springs would be the only wins of his career in the Mexico Series, and while he finish finish the season with three straight Top 3 finishes, Dryburgh would come up short in the championship, losing by 8 points to Chakat Whitelion. Dryburgh would go on to score 20 career wins in the SCRL and would while going on to win three championships in his career.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #15 had finished last in a Mexico Series race as well as at Peach State.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
12) #15-Colin Dryburgh / 20 laps / running
11) #58-Crazy Is Crazy / 20 laps / running
10) #20-Zachary Fitzwater / 20 laps / running
9) #18-Chakat Whitelion / 20 laps / running
8) #2-Steve Morgan / 20 laps / running

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Throwback ARCA TRUCK: Anthony Lopez trails the field for the fourth time at Lanier

Anthony Lopez picked up the 4th last place finish of his SCRL ARCA Truck Series career in the Season 1 Georgia 250 Presented by Jani-King at the Lanier National Speedway when his #20 unsponsored Chevrolet completed all 22 laps under power.

The finish, which came in his 8th career series start, was his first on the circuit since the Oxford Plains 150 at the Oxford Plains Speedway when he was involved in a multi-truck crash after 20 of the 25 laps, 1 race ago.

After trailing at Oxford Plains, Lopez rebounded by scoring back-to-back 7th place finishes at Gateway and in the last round at Eldora.

On race day, Lopez would roll off the field starting 11th while starting last was the unsponsored #88 Chevrolet of Davis Sylvester. A clear day in Georgia gave the crowd a great chance to watch the drivers of the ARCA Truck Series compete as two cautions would force the race to be extended by the Green, White, Checkered(GWC) rule. At that point, Lopez was running in the final spot and over the last two laps, he was unable to gain any positions and scored his fourth last-place finish of the season.

The remaining Bottom Five were; 25th was the #3 Gearhart Timber Management Chevrolet of Jon Burge, 24th was the unsponsored #9 Chevrolet of Laura Delano, 23rd was the #47 PB2 Chevrolet of Michael Matoushek and 22nd was the #28 ETS / Engine Rebuilders Chevrolet of Caiden Irene.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #20 had finished last at Lanier.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
26) #20-Anthony Lopez / 22 laps / running
25) #3-Jon Burge / 22 laps / running
24) #9-Laura Delano / 22 laps / running
23) #47-Michael Matoushek / 22 laps / running
22) #28-Caiden Irene / 22 laps / running