CART: Flat tire at Michigan gives Daniel Bouchard the 6th last-place finish of his SCRL career

Daniel Bouchard picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL CART Series career in Saturday's Gould Grand Prix at the Michigan International Speedway when his #6 RCA entry completed 18 of the 20 laps under power.

The finish came in his 12th career start. In the CART Series, it's the 1st for the #6 and the 6th for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 18th for the #6 and 288th for running at the finish.

Entering the first ever season of the SCRL's newest series, Bouchard had tasted success before, scoring three career wins in various series as well as winning the first ever SCRL Snowball Derby by leading 201 of 300 laps. Bouchard would finish 10th in his first series start at Phoenix, 30th and 31st at the twin Atlanta races, 32nd at Indy, 23rd and 28th at the twin Trenton races before finishing 23rd in the first Michigan race. In the second Michigan race, Bouchard would score his first win of the season at the second Michigan race, 15th at Watkins Glen, before finishing 2nd in the third Trenton event before finishing 23rd at Ontario in the last race.

In qualifying, Carlos Rodriguez scored the first pole of his CART career with a time of 38.387 seconds, while Bouchard would struggle around the two mile track, posting the slowest time of thirty three drivers, 38.846 seconds, while it was only 0.459 behind Rodriguez's time, he would start last on race day.

On race day, just as the field got the green flag, Bouchard quickly turned to the inside of the track, going slow before stopping just short of the start/finish line. Despite Bouchard's car being just outside of the racing line, the SCRL officials decided that for the safety of the drivers and Bouchard, the caution would come out while Bouchard's car would be towed back to the pits. Bouchard would lose two laps as the tow truck made it's way around the track before Bouchard's team would put four fresh tires on his car before sending him back out to start beside the leaders when the restart happened. Bouchard would fight hard for the last half of the race, briefly getting one of his two laps back, but falling behind again, Bouchard would be the lone driver to not finish on the lead lap.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders; 32nd was the #26 entry of Chad Myers, 31st was the #23 ABC entry of Easton Meyers, 30th was the #19 entry of David Byers and 29th was the #69 of Chakat Duskwatcher.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #6 had finished last in the CART Series as well at Michigan.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
33) #6-Daniel Bouchard / 18 laps / running
32) #26-Chad Myers / 20 laps / running
31) #23-Easton Myers / 20 laps / running
30) #19-David Byers / 20 laps / running
29) #69-Chakat Duskwatcher / 20 laps / running