Thursday, June 23, 2022

Throwback ARCA: Bizarre crash at Rockingham prevents Riley Spurlytube from completing a lap; SCRLASTCAR Championship battle set for Kansas



Riley Spurlytube picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Lucas Oil ARCA Racing Series career in the Season 1 American 200 at the Rockingham Speedway when his #15 RaceHard.com / Accelerade Toyota was involved in a multi-car crash without completing any of the 20 laps.

The finish, which came in his 18th career start, was his first on the circuit since the Governor's Cup 200 at the Milwaukee Mile when he fell out with header problems after completing 19 of the 40 laps; 2 races ago.

After suffering mechanical problems at Milwaukee, Spurlytube was hoping to change his luck around on the twisting road course at Watkins Glen, but would only continue to find more trouble as he would be taken out in a early crash and finished a disappointing 39th.

On race day, Spurlytube would roll off starting 30th while starting in the final spot was Chicagoland last-place finisher the #48 Radon.com Ford of Truttle, but he wouldn't stay there for too long. As the field entered the backstretch for the first time under green conditions, the #92 unsponsored NTS Motorsports Chevrolet of Sammath Kennedy went wide and smacked the outside wall, coming down the track in the path of the #06 unsponsored Wayne Peterson Racing Ford of Tim Holiday, sending Holiday day the track and almost head on into the inside wall. Thankfully for Holiday, the track had long since had safer barriers, but the impact of the crash sent him up the track and right into the path of Talladega last-place finisher the unsponsored #77 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge of John Racer, causing a chain reaction that would involve fifteen cars. At the time of the crash, Spurlytube was stuck on the high side and actually avoided the first half of the crash and looked like he might avoid any damage, but Spurlytube made contact where the concrete wall met the safer barrier, sending Spurlytube's car off the track and into the air before landing on all four wheels, the right front completely destroyed and the rest of the car not looking to great either. Spurlytube would climb from his car once the chaos had ended and was extremely upset over the track owner for having an unsafe wall, with his car being listed as "out" by the third circuit.

Finishing 40th would be the #68 unsponsored Kimmel Racing Ford of Ford of Nick Kennedy, who was right behind Spurlytube when the crash happened, with nowhere to go, Kennedy's front end was destroyed beyond repair and would actually make it around the track for one circuit before he pulled behind the wall, out after a single circuit.

The remaining Bottom Five would all be involved in that same wreck but where able to limp around for two laps before pulling behind the wall and into the garage; 39th was the #20 Coal - America's Energy Chevrolet of AJ Jones, 38th was the #34 unsponsored Darrell Basham Racing Chevrolet of Ciaden Irene and 37th was the #23 Allegiant Air Chevrolet of Cassie Waz.

Entering the season finale at Kansas, seven drivers have a chance to win the SCRLASTCAR Championship; Riley Spurlytube, Daniel Bouchard, John Arndt, Tayon Kennedy, Cam Nixey, Cole Nixey and Richard Torres. If any of the seven drivers finishes last, they will win the championship outright, while if any driver finishes in the Bottom Five, Riley Spurlytube will lock up the championship or if any driver other then the seven, Spurlytube will also lock up the championship.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #15 had finished last in a ARCA Series race at Rockingham.
*This is the first time a driver has failed to complete a lap since the BetOnUSA.com 150 at Watkins Glen International when Geoff Hunter's #28 Aluma Aluminum Trailers Chevrolet was involved in a multi-car crash without completing any of the 9 laps; 1 race ago.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
41) #15-Riley Spurlytube / 0 laps / crash
40) #68-Nick Kennedy / 1 lap / crash
39) #20-AJ Jones / 2 laps / crash
38) #34-Caiden Irene / 2 laps / crash
37) #23-Cassie Waz / 2 laps / crash

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