Jake Bloom picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Shaker Memorial Race career in Wednesday's 7th Annual Shaker Memorial Race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway when his #88 UPS Ford was involved in a multi-car crash after 2 of the 33 laps.
The finish came in his 1st start.
The Shaker Memorial began in 2015 when the dog of this blog's author, Shaker, passed away in 2015, in her honor, a yearly race is held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the closest track to where she lived. The entry list for the 7th annual, but 8th running of the event, was for the fourth year in a row that was a full 42 car field, as only one former winner of this event would be competing this year.
In qualifying, rookie Tyler Ferris would impress in his first ever attempt behind the wheel in the SCRL by winning the pole with a time of 26.292. Bloom would struggle around the 1.540 track, posting a time of 26.401, while it was only 0.109 seconds off Ferris's pole time, it would place Bloom 23rd on the starting line up. Starting last in the race was the #20 The Home Depot / Lithium-Ion Chevrolet of Blaise Zebrataur, who posted a time of 26.571 seconds, 0.279 behind Ferris's pole winning time.
With over one hundred twenty thousand people in the stands, the green flag waved as Blaise would get a good run from the start and knocked the #10 Valvoline Chevrolet of Addison Way into the final spot in Turn 1 as Way would trail for the first lap and was trailing the field as drivers raced out of Turn 4 to start Lap 2. As the field entered Turn 1, defending Shaker Memorial race winner the #22 Caterpillar Dodge of Chris Kyle made contact with the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet of Brandon Mayhew, as Mayhew knocked Kyle down the track and into Bloom who was also going four way with the others as Kyle and Bloom locked bumpers and drove down onto the apron and back up the track with the #27 Freddie B's Ford of Sun Mao Keys as all four cars would be collected to bring out the race's first caution. After the accident was over, Bloom would actually drive his car head on into Mayhew's stalled car, causing more damage to both cars as both drivers would be scored as competing two laps with Bloom being given the final spot.
Being scored 40th and 39th was Chris Kyle and Sun Mao Keys, who were both able to limp back around to the front stretch and crossed the start/finish line before pulling behind the wall, both scored as competing three laps and would be done for the day.
Rounding out the Bottom Five in 38th was the #11 FedEx Ground Chevrolet of Derek Greene, who had been in the four wide battle when the crash happened but had been lucky to barely miss hitting Bloom's car as it came back up the track. Greene, who was running in 22nd at the time as the field ran around behind the pace car began to smoke heavily as he pulled to the inside of the track and then behind the wall, as the crew looked over the car it was discovered the gearbox was broke, and with not enough time to get back out for a non-points paying event, the team decided to retire the car, with it being listed as "out" on Lap 10.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #88 has finished last in the Shaker Memorial.
*This was the first time the #88 has finished last in the Shaker Memorial.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #88-Jake Bloom / 2 laps / crash
41) #31-Brandon Mayhew / 2 lap / crash
40) #22-Chris Kyle / 3 laps / crash
39) #27-Sun Mayo Keys / 3 laps / crash
38) #11-Derek Greene / 6 laps / gearbox
42) #88-Jake Bloom / 2 laps / crash
41) #31-Brandon Mayhew / 2 lap / crash
40) #22-Chris Kyle / 3 laps / crash
39) #27-Sun Mayo Keys / 3 laps / crash
38) #11-Derek Greene / 6 laps / gearbox
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