Smith Regal picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Wrangler Jeans Busch Grand National Series career in the Season 1 Kroger 200 at the Indianapolis Raceway Park when his #09 unsponsored Pontiac fell out with camshaft problems after completing 6 of the 20 laps.
The finish came in his 22nd start.
Regal was a rookie looking to make a name for himself in the SCRL's second highest division while competing against some of the very best drivers in the world when he signed up. Regal finish 31st in his debut at Daytona, before finished 12th at Richmond and scoring back-to-back 13th place finishes at Bristol and Martinsville. A 3rd at the first South Boston event would be his best finish before scoring another 3rd at Hickory before finishing 10th in the last round at Langley.
On race day, Regal rolled off starting 2nd while starting last was the #24 Budweiser Light Ford of Jeff Arndt, the first lap was calm before the first of two cautions came out on Lap 2 during which time the #79 Native Tan Chevrolet of Josh Barker was damaged and was forced to pit for repairs. During the caution laps, Regal's car began to start smoking, while running in 2nd, before losing power as he costed down the backstretch, into the pits and into the garage as the team looked under the hood, finding out that the camshaft was broken, the car being listed as "out" by Lap 5.
Finishing 41st was the #79 of Josh Barker, who was damaged during the first caution on Lap 2 and lost two laps in the pits during repairs, and due to the lack of attraction, Barker was unable to gain any spots over the remaining laps.
40th was second Caraway last-place finisher the #22 A.G. Dillard Pontiac of Marcus Saatchi, who lost a lap himself for repairs during the second cation. Saatchi would also be unable to gain any positions just like Barker over the final laps and was the only other car to not finish on the lead lap.
The remaining Bottom Five finished on the same lap with the race leaders; 39th was the #62 Automotive Specialists Pontiac of Keinan Busch and 38th was the aforementioned #24 of Jeff Arndt.
Smith's busch career would end with a 15th place in the season finale at Martinsville, enough for him to finish 13th in the overall points. He hasn't completed in a SCRL race since.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #09 had finished last in the Busch Series as well at IRP.
*This is the first time a driver has trailed the field due to camshaft issues since the Sunkist 200 at the Hickory Speedway when AJ Jones's #4 Connie Mining Tire Pontiac fell out without completing any of the 10 laps; 10 races ago.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #09-Smith Regal / 6 laps / camshaft
41) #79-Josh Barker / 18 laps / running
40) #22-Marcus Saatchi / 19 laps / running
39) #62-Keinan Busch / 20 laps / running
38) #24-Jeff Arndt / 20 laps / running
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