Chase Miller picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Grand National Series career in Wednesday's Race 19 at the Occoneechee Speedway when his #44 Daytona Motors Cadillac completed all 18 laps under power.
The finish, which came in his 19th career series start, was his first on the circuit since Race 1 at the Beach & Road Course when he was involved in a two-car accident after he completed 2 of the 10 laps; 18 races ago. In the SCRL Grand National Series, it's the 2nd for car #44 and the 14th for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 6th for the #44 and 318th for running at the finish.
After trailing in the season opener at Daytona Beach, Miller was looking for redemption in the next round and would find it with a 7th place finish at Charlotte. A 28th in the next round at Langhorne, 29th at Martinsville, 18th at Canfield, 5th at Vernon, 16th at Dayton, 4th at Monroe County, 27th at the summer Charlotte event, 36th at Hillsborough, 5th at the summer Dayton event, 19th at Hamburg, 29th at Darlington, 14th at the summer Langhorne, 15th at North Wilkesboro, 23rd at the summer Vernon event, 4th at Martinsville before finishing 7th in the last round at Winchester.
The entry list for the seventh and final time this season would be the full 42 car field with both full and part-time drivers racing.
In qualifying, Omar Gutierrez would score his first career series pole with a time of 36.135 seconds. Chase would struggle around the bumpy one mile track, posting a time of 36.744, while 0.609 seconds off Gutierrez's time, it would place Chase 40th on the grid. Starting last in the race was the #7 Bob Flock Garage Oldsmobile of Patrick White, who posted a time of 21.459, 0.696 seconds behind Gutierrez's pole winning time.
On race day, Patrick would have a slow start getting around the track, as he would trail for the first three laps before finally getting a run and knocking the #23 Lincoln of Chavis Mitchell into last on Lap 4. Mitchell was determined to complete his first ever full time season in his SCRL career without trailing the field, and so his stay in last was just one lap before knocking Patrick back into last on Lap 5. White would once again find it hard to pass around the track, as he would remain in the final spot for another three laps before finally getting another run and knocking Miller back to last on Lap 9. It was unknown at the time, but the battle for last ending on Lap 9, as Miller would also find it hard to pass on the one groove track, and with no other drivers having problems or any cautions flying, Miller would trail the remaining nine laps and finished a full twelve seconds behind the race leaders.
Rounding out the Bottom Five were: 41st was fall Martinsville last-place finisher the #48 Ford of Jay Jefferson, 40th was the aforementioned #7 of Patrick White, 39th was the #41 Eanes Motor Co. Oldsmobile of Christian Vargas and 38th was the Moyer Co. Lincoln of Brian Fox
With Miller trailing the field at Hillsborough, it meant that AJ, won the SCRLASTCAR Championship since Brent Davison or Bruce Webster didn't finish last, no one could beat out Jones. Jones had two last place finishes this season at Monroe and Dayton. It is the first ever SCRLASTCAR Championship that AJ has won in the SCRL.
The Season 2 SCRL Grand National Series Championship went to Sebastian Torres, the second in a row for Torres in the SCRL's premier series, as well as his 4th overall championship in the SCRL, tying him with Zachary Fitzwater for most in a career. Torres had one last place finish this season - coming at Winchester - and is the only time in the two year history of the Grand National Series the number 16 has finished last in series history.
Congratulations to Torres for having a great year.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #44 has finished last in a Grand National Series race at Hillsborough.
*This was the first time the #44 has finished last in a Grand National Series race at Hillsborough.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #44-Chase Miller / 18 laps / running
41) #48-Jay Jefferson / 18 laps / running
40) #7-Patrick White / 18 laps / running
39) #41-Christian Vargas / 18 laps / running
38) #46-Brian Fox / 18 laps / running
42) #44-Chase Miller / 18 laps / running
41) #48-Jay Jefferson / 18 laps / running
40) #7-Patrick White / 18 laps / running
39) #41-Christian Vargas / 18 laps / running
38) #46-Brian Fox / 18 laps / running
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