Throwback ARCA TRUCK: Broken camshaft ends Adam Karlson's day while leading at Rockingham

Adam Karlson picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL ARCA Truck Series career in the Season 1 Naked Chicken Chips 200 Presented by Taco Bell at the Rockingham Speedway when his #51 Exxon Chevrolet fell out with camshaft problems after completing 4 of the 20 laps.

The finish came in his 11th career series start.

Karlson was one of several drivers making their SCRL debuts in the ARCA division's newest series and was looking to make a name for himself with dreams of hopefully one day competing in the main ARCA Series. Karlson, as every other driver, made his debut at the home of ARCA, the Toledo Speedway, starting a disappointing 21st but would work his way through the field and finished an impressive 8th in his first ever appearance in league history. With his first race behind him, Karlson was looking to continue to impress and he would do just that, finishing 6th in the very next race at Mesa Marin before struggling for the first time all season to a 13th place finish at Dover. Unknown to Karlson but Dover would begin a five race stretch of finishing outside the Top 10 as finishes of 25th at Bowman Gray, 13th at Gateway, 24th at Eldora and 25th at Oxford Plains would affectively end his championship hopes after seven races in. A 9th at Lanier would give Karlson his first Top 10 since Mesa Marin but he would once again struggle with a 21st at Winchester before finishing 20th in the series second trip to Toledo in the last round.

In qualifying, Karlson would win his first career series pole, posting a time of 23.232 seconds. Starting last in the race was the #54 Mansfield Welding Service Chevrolet of Mike Pearson, who posted the slowest time of 23.458, 0.226 seconds behind Karlson's pole winning time.

On race day, Pearson would trail for the first two turns before chaos would break out as the #88 unsponsored Chevrolet of Davis Sylvester went wide in Turn 2 and smacked the wall and came down the track, hitting the #05 Little Mountain Insurance Ford of Toot Braunsteain and sending both trucks down the track and into the inside wall as well as collecting the #26 Coyote Entertainment Chevrolet of Isaac Nicholls as Sylvester would trail for the first lap and would keep control of the final spot as the field traveled around the one mile track behind the pace truck before suddenly Karlson, who had led all three laps at the time, started to smoke coming down the backstretch. Karlson would pull to the inside of the track reporting to his crew that something had broke in his truck, as he pulled onto pit road and behind the wall. Karlson's crew would look over the truck for a few minutes before discovering the camshaft had broken, with the truck being listed as "out" on Lap 7.

The next two spots would be filled just a lap after Karlson's truck was retired as Mike Pearson and the #50 Corona Extra / Goosebumps Ford of Jimmy Potter would be involved in the race's second caution on the frontstretch, ending their day after eight laps and being scored 25th and 24th.

Finishing 23rd would be the #9 unsponsored Chevrolet of Laura Delano, who would suffer a fuel pump issue with five laps to go while running in 6th and would pull onto pit road and then behind the wall, her truck being retired just a few seconds later.

Rounding out the Bottom Five in 22nd was two-time last-place finisher the #72 Big Blue Dodge of Lowden Clear, who was the only truck running to not finish on the same lap as the race leaders.

Karlson would finish 14th in the season finale at Airborne and would finish 25th overall in the standings as Season 1 of the ARCA Truck Series would be the lone series he would compete as he hasn't competed in a SCRL race since.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #51 had finished last at Rockingham.
*This was the first time a driver has trailed the field in a ARCA Truck Series race due to "camshaft" problems.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
26) #51-Adam Karlson / 4 laps / camshaft led 3 laps
25) #54-Mike Pearson / 8 laps / crash
24) #50-Jimmy Potter / 8 laps / crash
23) #9-Laura Delano / 15 laps / fuel pump
22) #72-Lowen Clear / 19 laps / running

Throwback ARCA: Massive crash at Watkins Glen prevents Geoff Hunter from completing a lap

Geoff Hunter picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Lucas Oil ARCA Racing Series career in the Season 1 BetOnUSA.com 150 at Watkins Glen International when his #28 Aluma Aluminum Trailers Chevrolet was involved in a multi-car crash without completing any of the 9 laps.

The finish came in his 17th career start.

Hunter was one of the original thirty three drivers that signed up for the first ever ARCA Season, Hunter started out his season by impressing, finishing 10th in his first start at Daytona and then finishing 5th in the next round at Atlanta. A 13th at Charlotte would be followed by a 15th at Talladega, before Hunter would score back-to-back 4th place finishes at Gateway and Kentucky before scoring back-to-back 28th place finishes at Pocono and Michigan. A series worst 34th at Texas would start a string of bad finishes with a 27th at NJMP, 23rd at Iowa, 30th at Chicagoland and a 34th at ORP before scoring his third 4th place finish of the season at the second Pocono event, but that would be followed with a 36th at Nashville before finishing 22nd in the last round at Milwaukee Mile.

On race day, Hunter rolled off starting 35th while starting in the final spot was the #99 unsponsored Roulo Brothers Racing Ford of Eric Wayne but he wouldn't stay there for long as the field entered Turn 1, pole sitter Daytona last-place finisher the #32 Win-Tron Racing Chevrolet of Dinkdrinker would lose control and spun out and would collect several other drivers. While trying to get back on track, Dinkdrinker made contact with the #1 ModSpace Ford of Grayson Acevedo as the two cars would crash into the Turn 2 guardrail, causing the track to be blocked and would result in a massive twenty car pileup. With nowhere to go, Hunter slammed into the #34 unsponsored Darrell Basham Racing Chevrolet of Caiden Irene, causing severe damage to the front end of Hunter's car before he was hit from behind by two time last-place finisher the #22 Ebay Motors / St. Jude Children's Hospital Dodge of Cam Nixey. Hunter was able to drive back around the 2.450 mile twisting road course but would pull behind the wall just before the start/finish line, not having been scored a lap as he parked the car in the garage.

One lap later, the #54 Costy's Energy Services Dodge of Benoit Lothaire-Irvine would also pull behind the wall, his car severely damaged as well but was able to make it one circuit before pulling behind the wall, giving the driver his second 40th place finish in a row.

It would take another five laps before another position was filled, as Milwaukee Mile last-place finisher the #15 RaceHard.com / Accelerade Toyota of Riley Spurlytube would be spun out in Turn 4 after contact from the #11 Syngenta Ford of Todd Kennedy, sending Spurlytube nearly head on into the guardrail before coming back across the track into the path of the #2 ModSpace / Hixson-Belmont Ford of Jonathan Raines, causing severe damage to Spurlytube's car at both ends. Spurlytube was able to coast back to the pits before pulling behind the wall and into the garage, and after a brief look over by his Venturini Motorsports team, his car was listed as "out" by the 8th lap.

Finishing 38th was the #00 Thunder 2 Chevrolet of Matt Johnson, who led three laps early in the race before losing control and spinning out in the Inner Loop and causing damage to his car, and despite going a lap down, Johnson was running at the finish.

Rounding out the Bottom Five in 37th was the aforementioned #2 of Jonathan Raines, as his team was able to fix the damage on his car as best they could and he was able to remain on the lead lap and would drive to be the last car on the lead lap.

Watkins Glen would turn out to be Hunter's lone last-place finish of his entire SCRL career. Hunter would finish his first ARCA season with back-to-back 12th place finishes at Rockingham and Kansas and would finish 14th in the overall point standings. In the entire SCRL, Hunter would never visit victory lane despite competing in several SCRL Series and hasn't competed in a series for several years.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #28 had finished last in a ARCA Series race as well as at Watkins Glen.
*This marked the first time a driver has failed to complete a lap since the Ansell ActivArmr 150 at the Chicagoland Speedway when Truttle's #48 Radon.com Ford was involved in a multi-car crash without completing any of the 27 laps; 5 races ago.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
41) #28-Geoff Hunter / 0 laps / crash
40) #54-Benoit Lothaire-Irvine / 1 lap / crash
39) #15-Riley Spurlytube / 6 laps / crash
38) #00-Matt Johnson / 8 laps / running led 3 laps
37) #2-Jonathan Raines / 9 laps / running

Throwback TRUCKS: Sour engine prevents Nitahbk from completing a lap at Sears Point; becomes only the second driver to fail to not complete a lap

Nitahbk picked up the 2nd last place finish of her SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in the Season 1 Subway 100 at the Sears Point Raceway when her #61 Roush Performance Products Ford fell out with engine problems without completing any of the 12 laps.

The finish, which came in her 18th career series start, was her first on the circuit since the Lowe's 150 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway when she was involved in a multi-truck wreck after 24 of the 40 laps, 1 race ago.

On race day, Nitahbk was scheduled to roll off starting 20th while starting last was the #52 AC Delco Chevrolet of Cesar Chavez but as the drivers made their way through the Carousel, Nitahbk's truck began to slow, with the driver reporting the truck had no power, pulling onto the pit road and then into the garage as the green flag was waved, the team looked under the hood and saw that the engine was unrepairable, the truck officially listed as "out" by the start of the 3rd lap.

Finishing 35th was two time last-place finisher the #58 Wayne Jacks Racing Chevrolet of Bulldog67, who had spun out in Turn 10, while a local caution would come out, no full course caution would. Bulldog67 would limp back to the garage with the truck retired from the event by the 5th lap.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders: 38th was Saugus last-place finisher the Caiden Irene, 37th was Bristol last-place finisher the #25 Budweiser Chevrolet of John Racer and 36th was the #43 Comfrey Corner / U.S. Bobsled Team of Josh Nixey.

Nitahbk would finish 39th in the overall point standings for season 1 and would come back to compete in Season 2 where she would score her 3rd and most recent victory at Colorado in a season she would finish 38th in points. She currently is ranked 6th on the all time win list with 16 wins.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #61 had finished last at Sears Point.
*This is the second time a driver has trailed the field due to engine issues; the only other time a driver a trailed was the Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic at the Phoenix International Raceway when Matt Johnson's #84 Coca-Cola Classic Ford fell out with engine problems after completing 23 of the 32 laps; 17 races ago.
*This is the second time a driver has failed to complete a lap in the Truck Series; the only other time it happened was in the Scott Irvin Chevrolet / Craftsman 200 at the Saugus Speedway when Caiden Irene's #06 Ultra Custom Wheels Ford fell out with camshaft problems without completing any of the 20 laps; 15 races ago.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
40) #61-Nitahbk / 0 laps / engine
39) #58-Bulldog67 / 2 laps / crash
38) #06-Caiden Irene / 12 laps / running
37) #25-John Racer / 12 laps / running
36) #43-Josh Nixey / 12 laps / running

Throwback BUSCH: Grayson Acevedo picks up second career last-place finish in the Busch Series after failing to advance in LCQ at Hickory

Grayson Acevedo picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Wrangler Jeans Busch Grand National Series career in the Season 1 Goody's 200 at the Hickory Speedway when his #02 unsponsored Pontiac completed all 10 laps under power.

The finish, which came in his 20th start, was his first on the circuit since the Budweiser 200 at the Caraway Speedway when he completed all 10 laps under power, 12 races ago. 

After trailing at Caraway, Acevedo would try to rebound in the next race at Richmond, only to finish a disappointing 28th. The struggles would continue with a 40th at Langley before rebounding with a 18th at Dover. 39th in the second Hickory event, 33rd at Charlotte, 39th at Asheville, 40th in the third Hickory event, 35th at the second South Boston event, 14th at Rockingham, 40th at the second Caraway event, and finished 35th in the last round at South Boston.

On race day, Acevedo rolled off starting 4th while starting last was Daytona last-place finisher the #6 Mason Day Paving / Old Milwaukee Pontiac of Colin Dryburgh. Much like the other LCQ(Last Chance Qualifiers)'s that had been run that season, it was a clean ten lap race, and due to starting on the outside line, Acevedo was stuck on the high line and had fallen back to last by the time the checkered flag waved.

The remaining Bottom Five were; 41st was the #37 Hayes Jewelers Pontiac of Matt Johnson, 40th was second Hickory last-place finisher the #4 Connie Mining Tire Pontiac of AJ Jones, 39th was the aforementioned #6 of Colin Dryburgh and 38th was the #82 unsponsored Pontiac of Aidan Shepherd.

Acevedo would finish 40th in the overall point standings and would never visit victory lane in the Busch Series, but does have 9 career SCRL wins in various other series.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #02 had finished last at Hickory.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #02-Grayson Acevedo / 10 laps / running
41) #37-Matt Johnson / 10 laps / running
40) #4-AJ Jones / 10 laps / running
39) #6-Colin Dryburgh / 10 laps / running
38) #82-Aidan Shepherd / 10 laps / running