CART: Tire problems at start of the race keeps Carol Dent last at Michigan; assumes SCRLASTCAR Championship lead with 6 races to go

Carol Dent picked up the 1st last place finish of her SCRL CART Series career in Tuesday's Norton Twin 125 #2 at the Michigan International Speedway when her #54 Atari entry completed 19 of the 20 laps under power.

The finish came in her 8th career start. In the CART Series, it's the 1st for the #54 and the 4th for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 5th for the #54 and 286th for running at the finish.

Entering the first ever season of the SCRL's newest series, Carol was still looking to make a name for herself in the SCRL, as she had only found a small amount of success in her career, visiting victory lane only once, that coming in the SCRL Formula 2 series at Circuit de Nevers - Magny-Cours, a series that she would finish 3rd overall in points, her best season to date. In her first ever race in the CART Series, Carol would impress by finishing runner up to Rohan Marmot at Phoenix, but would struggle in the next race at Atlanta, finishing 29th, before coming back strong with a 9th place in the second twin event at the Georgia track. A 14th in the Indy 500 would be followed by back-to-back disappointing finishes of 26th and 30th at Trenton before finishing 25th in the last round at Michigan.

For the third time this season, qualifying wasn't held, with the field being lined up based on where they had finished in the race before, so that meant that first Atlanta last-place finisher the #1 Doritos entry of Casey Nanako would be starting first, while Carol would be starting 25th. Starting last would be first Michigan last-place finisher the #33 Ikea entry of Danyal Gitirokh.

On race day as the field was starting their lone pace lap, Carol reported to her team that something felt off on the car, as she pulled to the inside of the track to prevent anything getting in the racing line, following the pace car down pit road while the green flag waved. Carol would make it to her stall as the team quickly looked over the car before replacing all four tires as the left rear had been fully deflated, sending Dent out onto the track just five seconds away from the race leaders. Carol would remain on the lead lap for a few more circuits before finally being put a lap down on Lap 11. Carol would fight back and actually get back in front of the leaders on Lap 16 before being passed right back and put back down a lap, and with no caution or other cars having any problems over the final laps, Carol was the only car a lap down.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders: 32nd was the #11 entry of Marcus Saatchi, 31st was the #24 Charlotte Hornets entry of Samet Ozkan, 30th was the #13 Interstate Batteries entry of Dexter Black and 29th was the aforementioned #1 of Casey Nanako.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #54 had finished last in the CART Series as well at Michigan.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
33) #54-Carol Dent / 19 laps / running
32) #11-Marcus Saatchi / 20 laps / running
31) #24-Samet Ozkan / 20 laps / running
30) #13-Dexter Black / 20 laps / running
29) #1-Casey Nanako / 20 laps / running led 3 laps