CART: Engine problems keeps Casey Nanako in last at Atlanta

Casey Nanako picked up the 1st last place finish of her SCRL CART Series career in Thursday's Gould Twin Dixie 125 #1 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway when her #1 Doritos entry completed 18 of the 20 laps under power.

The finish came in her 2nd career start. In the CART Series, it's the 1st for the #1 and the 2nd for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 15th for the #1 and 284th for running at the finish.

Nanako was one of twelve drivers not only making their CART Series debut, but making their overall SCRL debut, and Nanako would struggle in her first race, finishing 30th after a race long battle. With the first race of the season complete, the teams and drivers traveled across the country and to the one and a half mile track in Hampton, Georgia for the first of two twin races.

Danyal Gitirokh would win the pole with a time of 27.204 seconds, while Nanako would struggle with her car, posting a time of 27.302 seconds, while only 0.098 seconds behind Gitirokh's pole winning time, it placed Nanako in 27th position overall. Posting the slowest time during qualifying was the #14 Pepto-Bistol entry of Derek Greene, who was 0.159 seconds behind Gitirokh's lap time.

On race day as the field began their lone pace lap, Nanako would pull to the inside of the track, reporting to her team of problems with the engine, following the pace car down pit road while the other thirty two drivers took the green flag. Nanako's team would look over the engine to see what could be done, with Casey losing one lap before the race's lone caution coming out for a multi-car crash, and then a second lap before the team would finally fix the problem as best they could, sending her back out on track. While back on track, Nanako's car would be under powered and would trail for every single lap on track and would finish last for the first time in her SCRL career.

Finishing 32nd and 31st was the #13 Interstate Batteries entry of Dexter Black and the aforementioned #14 of Derek Greene, who both was damaged in the lone caution on Lap 1, and was severely damaged, both going a lap down on the last lap.

The remaining Bottom Five finished on the same lap as the race leaders: 30th was the #6 RCA entry of Daniel Bouchard and 29th was the #54 Atari entry of Carol Dent.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #1 had finished last in the CART Series as well at Atlanta.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
33) #1-Casey Nanako / 18 laps / running
32) #13-Dexter Black / 19 laps / running
31) #14-Derek Greene / 19 laps / running
30) #6-Daniel Bouchard / 20 laps / running
29) #54-Carol Dent / 20 laps / running