Sunday, August 28, 2022

SHORT TRACK: Kaitlyn Coyne trails for the first time in her career in caution free race at Langley; SCRLASTCAR battle set for North Wilkesboro



Kaitlyn Coyne picked up the 1st last place finish of her SCRL Short Track Division career in Saturday's Season 1 Race 10 at the Langhorne Speedway when her #28 LaFayette Ford completed all 15 laps under power.

The finish came in her 10th career start. In the SCRL Short Track Division, it's the 1st for car #28 and the 7th for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 21st for the #28 and the 335th for running at the finish.

Entering the first ever Short Track Division season, Coyne had made her debut in Season 2 of the SCRL Grand National Series where she would finish 24th in points before competing in the 2nd Annual SCRL Chili Bowl where she would finish 25th. Coyne would finish 17th in her debut at Dayton, before scoring her first career SCRL win at Charlotte. A 11th at Greenville-Pickens, 16th at Hickory, 19th at Bowman-Gray, 12th at Martinsville, 21st at Monroe County, 13th at Richmond before finishing 21st at Langley.

In qualifying, Chakat Whitelion scored hir second ever pole in the Short Track Division, posting a time of 31.191 seconds. Coyne would fair decent in qualifying, posting a time of 31.495 seconds, 0.304 seconds behind Whitelion's time, which placed Coyne 11th on the starting lineup. Starting last in the race was two-time last-place finisher the #17 Carling Dodge of Rebecca Zeal, who posted the slowest time of 31.981, 0.790 seconds behind Whitelion's pole winning time.

On race day, Rebecca's stay in the final spot would last two turns before knocking the #5 Black River Dodge of Bussy Beavers into last as Beavers would trail for the first two laps around the one mile track before knocking Zeal back to last on Lap 3. Zeal would trail for two laps before knocking Charlotte last-place finisher the #12 Dodge Boys Dodge of Samet Ozkan back to last on Lap 5. Ozkan would trail for two laps before knocking the #75 Hershey's Chevrolet of Brantley Higdon to last on Lap 7. Higdon's stay in last was brief as he trailed for one lap before knocking the #07 Bubba's Stumble Inn Ford of Savannah Line to last on Lap 9. Line's stay would also only last one lap before knocking Coyne to last on Lap 10. Over the next five laps, Coyne would lose touch with the cars in front of her, falling two full seconds behind and was more than nine seconds behind the race leaders when the checkered flag waved.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were: 21st was the #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet of Austin Greenwood, 20th was the aforementioned #07 of Savannah Line, 19th was the #75 of Brantley Higdon and 18th was the #12 of Samet Ozkan.

Entering the season finale at North Wilkesboro, the battle for the SCRLASTCAR Championship comes down between Rebecca Zeal and Bailey Leigh as every other driver is unable to catch Zeal. Zeal enters Wilkesboro with two last-place finishes to Leigh's one, but if Leigh trails in the final, Leigh will win the championship as long as Zeal doesn't finish in the Bottom Five. If anyone but Leigh finishes last, Zeal will win the championship.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #28 had finished last as well at Langhorne.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
22) #28-Kaitlyn Coyne / 15 laps / running
21) #3-Austin Greenwood / 15 laps / running
20) #07-Savannah Line / 15 laps / running
19) #75-Brantley Higdon / 15 laps / running
18) #12-Samet Ozkan / 15 laps / running

SCRL LASTCAR SHORT TRACK DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP


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