BUSCH: "Big One" just seconds after start gives Jeremy Ickle the first last-place finish in his SCRL debut; becomes 9th driver in series history to fail to complete a lap

Jeremy Ickle picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Busch Grand National Series career in Monday's Goody's 300 at the Daytona International Speedway when his #00 Thomas Bros. Country Ham Oldsmobile was involved in a multi-car crash without completing any of the 20 laps.

The finish occurred in his 1st career series start. In the SCRL Busch Series, it's the 4th for car #00 and the 29th from a crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 12th for the #00 and 275th from a crash.

For the first time in two years, the SCRL returned to the Busch Series, now renamed the SCRL Busch Grand National Series, as a field of forty drivers would sign up to race in the third season of the series, twenty five that would drive the full schedule, and 15 would sign up to drive part-time and race in only the big events on the schedule. Ickle was one of sixteen drivers not only making their Busch Series debuts, but would also be making his overall SCRL start

The entry list for the first race of the season would be filled with all forty drivers, both full and part time, looking to start their season off on a high note on the high banks of the 2.500 mile superspeedway.

In qualifying, Corrie Scott made history by scoring the first pole of her SCRL career in her first ever start with a time of 46.435 seconds, while Ickle would impress in his first ever attempt, posting a time of 46.611, only 0.176 seconds off Scott's pole, placing Greene 17th. Posting the slowest time in qualifying was the #48 Williford Prod. Builders Pontiac entry of Matt McIntyre, who would struggle as he would smack the Turn 2 wall during his lap, posting a time of 51.353 seconds, a full 4.918 seconds behind Scott's pole winning time.

On race day, the battle for last would end as quickly as the race had begun as pole the #4 Thurman Enterprises Pontiac of Corrie Scott made contact with the #22 Miller High Life Oldsmobile as the two cars would travel down the inside of the track entering Turn 1 before coming back across the track right in front of the rest of the field, first hitting the #99 Nelson Building Supply Pontiac of Aaron Lewis, creating a huge big one that would involved 27 of the 40 drivers. Ickle would be in the middle of the field and had nowhere to go as he first hit the #8 Wrangler Jeans Pontiac of Cassie Dent and then get hit from behind by the #30 Pride of Victoria Pontiac of Chakat Duskwatcher, as Ickle's car had severe damage on both ends of his car, unable to drive his car back to the garage as well as the #09 Caspro Mercury of Shane Shields and the #17 Hodgdon / Curb Pontiac of Chakat Lightingblaze as all three drivers would be scored having not completed a lap, but it was Ickle who was scored in last.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were drivers who also had been involved in the crash, but would be scored having two laps before pulling behind the wall; 37th was the aforementioned #8 of Cassie Dent and 36th was the #32 Econo Lodge Pontiac of Riley Spurlytube.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #00 has finished last in a Busch Series race as well at Daytona.
*This is the first time a driver has failed to complete a lap in a Busch Series race since July 23, 2018, the Season 2 Coca-Cola 200 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, when Alexio Antonio's #33 Dalton Chevrolet Dealers Pontiac was involved in a multi-car accident without completing any of the 40 laps; 7 races ago.
*This is the first time the #00 has finished last in a Busch Series race since April 17, 2017, the Season 1 Autumn 150 at the Martinsville Speedway when Dinkdrinker's #00 Thomas Bros. Country Ham Buick was involved in a multi-car crash after 2 of the 50 laps; 39 races ago.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
40) #00-Jeremy Ickle / 0 laps / crash
39) #09-Shane Shields / 0 laps / crash
38) #17-Chakat Lightingblaze / 0 laps / crash
37) #8-Cassie Dent / 2 laps / crash
36) #32-Riley Spurlytube / 2 laps / crash