BUSCH: Mid race contact at Bristol gives Boston Jones the first last-place finish of his career

Boston Jones picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Busch Grand National Series career in Friday's Free 200 at the Bristol International Speedway when his #45 Luck Stone / Dryden Oil Pontiac was eliminated in a multi-car accident after 26 of 50 laps.

The finish occurred in his 22nd career series start. In the SCRL Busch Series, it's the 3rd for car #45 and the 33rd from a crash. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 3rd for the #45 and 279th from a crash.

Entering Season 3 of the Busch Series, Jones was one of sixteen drivers not only making their Busch Series debuts, but would also be making his overall SCRL start, as he signed on to complete full time with hopes of making an impactful impression in his first ever season. Jones would has a dismal debut at Daytona, being caught up in a early wreck and finishing 27th, 14th at Richmond, 38th at Rockingham, 17th at Hickory and a 10th at Martinsville before scoring a career best 4th at Darlington. A 13th at Orange County, 5th at Nashville, 14th at Langley, 20th at Milwakee Mile, 38th at Dover, 24th at Charlotte before scoring his career best 3rd at South Boston. A 17th in the second event at Hickory would be followed by a runner up in the second Orange County event, 5th in the second South Boston event, 18th in the third Orange County event, 24th in the third Hickory event, 17th at IRP, 20th in the second Langley event before finishing 8th in the last round at South Boston.

The entry list for the 12th time this season would have both full and part-time drivers racing against each other as the series traveled to Bristol, Tennessee in the series lone stop at the 0.533 mile short track in Season 3.

In qualifying, Chase Miller would score his first career busch pole with a lap time of 16.242 seconds. Jones would struggle in qualifying, posting a time of 16.523, 0.281 seconds off Chase's pole, placing him 39th overall. Starting last in the race was the #7 Hardee's Oldsmobile of Blaise Zebrataur who posted a time of 16.607 seconds, 0.365 seconds behind Chase's pole winning time.

Cassie Dent is forced to pit as the race starts.

As the field rolled off for it's lone pace lap of the night, the #8 Wrangler Jeans Pontiac of Cassie Dent pulled to the inside of the track and followed the pace car down pit road, reporting of a flat left front tire as the field took the green flag. Cassie's team was able to change all four tires just in case, but would send their driver back out as the field drove by to complete the first lap, trapping Cassie a lap down. Cassie would remain in last place for the next nine laps before the #4 Thurman Enterprises Pontiac of Corrie Scott suffered a fuel system problem and was forced to make a pit stop, coming back out of the pits three laps down.

Corrie's team was would lose three laps during repairs before sending her back out, with Scott remaining in last for ten laps when the race's first caution came out on Lap 20 when Dover last-place finisher the #3 Wendy's Chevrolet of Michael Creed slowed going down the backstretch and stalled due to a flat left rear tire as well. Creed was towed back to pit road and given four fresh tires and sent back out onto the track, but had fallen three laps behind as well and was running in last when the battle for the final spot came to a sudden end.

While battling for 3rd, the #23 Miller High Life Oldsmobile of Samet Ozkan made contact with the #24 Komfort Koach / Budweiser Ford of Michael Brown, sending both cars down the track, hitting first Hickory last-place finisher the #07 Bob Banning Pontiac of Jeff White and the #16 Big Orange Market Pontiac of Juniper Skunktaur, sending all four cars for a spin down the Backstretch, with Juniper hitting the inside wall with the front and rear of the car. As White struggled to regain control of his car, Jones had nowhere to go and hit White's vehicle with the left front of his car. While the damage might have looked minor, the radiator had been damaged, with Jones pulling off the track on Lap 26, listed as "out "on Lap 29, the same lap he took the final spot, with Jones being the only driver to not finish the race under power.

Finish 39th and 38th was the aforementioned #4 of Corrie Scott and the #3 of Michael Creed, as both drivers were able to get one of their three laps back in the same caution, but was unable to get anymore back, finishing on the same circuit as each other.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were drivers who finished on the same lap as the race leaders: 37th the the unsponsored #1 Lindy White Racing Pontiac of David Beyers and 36th was the #99 Nelson Building Supply Pontiac of Aaron Lewis.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #45 has finished last in a Busch Series race at Bristol.
*This is the first time the #45 has trailed a Busch Series race since the Season 2 Autumn 150 at the Martinsville Speedway when Patrick Smith's #45 Luck Stone Pontiac was involved in a multi-car accident after 34 of the 50 laps; 26 races ago.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
40) #45-Boston Jones / 26 laps / crash
39) #4-Corrie Scott / 48 laps / running
38) #3-Michael Creed / 48 laps / running
37) #1-David Beyers / 50 laps / running
36) #99-Aaron Lewis / 50 laps / running