CART: Multi-car crash just seconds after the start of the Indy 500 prevents Mairin Tayami from completing a lap

Mairin Tayami picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL CART Series career in Sunday's Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when his #2 Coppertone entry was involved in a multi-car crash without completing any of the 20 laps.

The finish came in his 4th career start. In the CART Series, it's the 1st for the #2 and the 2nd from a crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 15th for the #2 and 270th from a crash.

Tayami was one of twelve drivers not only making their CART Series debut, but making their overall SCRL debut, with all twelve drivers looking to make a name for themselves in the SCRL's newest series. Tayami would qualify 16th at Phoenix but would finish a disappointing 24th. At the second race of the season at Atlanta, Tayami would qualify an impressive 8th but again would finish down in the order, a 19th. With qualifying not being held and the field set by how they finished in the first Atlanta event, Tayami would start 19th and would go on to score the worst finish of his career so far, a 27th.

The entry list for the series's first ever trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the site of the most prestigious race of the season, the Indianapolis 500, would be bumped up from the usual 33 cars to 35. The first newest driver to be added to the entry list by the Porsche Motorsports team, and would be the #41 Pedigree entry of Blaise Zebrataur, who was looking to compete in his first SCRL race since the Chili Bowl in January, a race he finished 14th in. While just hours after Blaise entered the event, the field was knocked up to 35 cars, the biggest field in CART Series history to date, when ISCR League Owner Chris Kyle was entered by owner Vince Granatelli to drive the #60 Target entry, in Kyle's first ever race since the Chili Bowl as well, a race he placed 20th in.

Samet Ozkan would win the pole with a time of 48.063 seconds, while Tayami would struggle with his car, posting a time of 48.459 seconds, 0.396 seconds behind Ozkan's pole winning time, placing Tayami in 26th position. Posting the slowest time during qualifying was the #7 entry of Jay Jefferson, who was 0.707 seconds behind Ozkan's lap time.

On race day, Tayami would trail for the first three turns around the two and half mile track when chaos would break out in Turn 3. As the leaders entered Turn 3 at full throttle, the leaders slid up the track and into the outside wall with the #14 Pepto-Bistol entry of Derek Greene being hit and spinning out right in front of the field, with most drivers being able to avoid his spun out car, except for the #68 Jordache Jeans entry of Christian Russel, who slammed into Greene's car, causing his car to flip over once before landing back on all four wheels. While directly right behind Russel, Tayami had nowhere to go and slammed into the back of Russel, destroying the front end of his car and sliding up the track, narrowly getting hit by another car before Tayami was able to regain control of his car. While Russel's car stayed on the track unable to move, Tayami would make it back to pit road and then pulled behind the wall, with the officials first scoring Russel last, before with no explanation, Tayami's car was moved back to last place despite the fact he was able to drive back to the garage, both cars being scored having not completed a lap.

Finishing 33rd was the #14 of Derek Greene, who amazingly was able to not only drive it back around to the pits, but the team was able to work on the car briefly, sent him back out then told him to pull behind the wall, insuring that he would be scored having completed a lap, and he was able to a roar of cheers from the crowd.

The remaining Bottom Five wouldn't be filled for another five laps when the race's second caution of the day came out: 32nd was the #6 RCA entry of Daniel Bouchard and 31st was the #44 Carl's Jr. entry of Georgio Tsutomu.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #2 had finished last in the CART Series as well at Indy.
*This marked the first time in series history a trail has failed to complete a lap.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
35) #2-Mairin Tayami / 0 laps / crash
34) #68-Christian Russel / 0 laps / crash
33) #14-Derek Greene / 1 lap / crash
32) #6-Daniel Bouchard / 6 laps / crash
31) #44-Georgio Tsutomu / 6 laps / crash