CUP: Sergeant Young trails for the third time in his career at Columbia

Sergeant Young picked up the 3rd last place finish of his SCRL Grand National Series career in Thursday's Race 25 at the Columbia Speedway when his #81 Oldsmobile completed 19 of the 20 laps under power.

The finish, which came in his 25th career series start, was his first on the circuit since Race 15 at the Bainbridge Speedway when he completed 14 of the 15 laps under power; 10 races ago. In the SCRL Grand National Series, it's the 3rd for car #81 and the 36th for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 7th for the #81 and 357th for running at the finish.

After trailing at Bainbridge, Young would rebound in the next two races at Heidelberg and Asheville-Weaverville, finishing 14th in both events before finishing 14th at Monroe County. Non-points finishes of 16th at Altamont-Schenectady and 35th at Detriot would be followed by back-to-back 7th place finishes at Fort Miami and Morristown, a 5th at Air Base before struggling to a disappointing 23rd in the last round at Darlington.

The entry list for the 18th time this season would be filled with just the part-time drivers, the first time since Air Base Speedway, two races ago.

In qualifying, Chris Tuckett would score his first career pole, with a time of 20.920 seconds. Young would impress in qualifying around the bumpy half mile track, posting a time of 21.084, 0.164 off Tuckett's pole time, placing placing Young 3rd on the grid. Securing the 22nd and final starting spot was the #42 Petty Special Plymouth of Ty Westner, who posted a time of 21.294, 0.374 seconds off Tuckett's time.

Sergeant Young heads to pit road on the first lap.

When the race started, Young would remain in third place as the field excited Turn 2, he could feel something was wrong with his car, reporting to his team of a possible oil leak, as he would turn the car to the inside of the track and onto pit road, taking last as a result. As the field looked under the hood, the team found there wasn't much they could do under green, so they sent their driver back out onto the track, one lap behind once he returned to the racing surface. Hoping that a caution would come out, Young would drive around the track, but unfortunately for the team, the yellow never came, with Young trailing as the only car a lap down when the checkered flag waved.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders: 21st was the #4 Blevins Motor Co. Studebaker of Austin Line, 20th was Canfield last-place finisher the #50 Mercury of Christian Russel, 19th was the aforementioned #42 of Ty Westner and 18th was two-time last-place finisher the #69 Oldsmobile of Chakat Duskwatcher.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #81 has finished last in a Cup race at Columbia.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
22) #81-Sergeant Young / 19 laps / running
21) #4-Austin Line / 20 laps / running
20) #50-Christian Russel / 20 laps / running
19) #42-Ty Westner / 20 laps / running
18) #69-Chakat Duskwatcher / 20 laps / running

S3 SCRLASTCAR Grand National Series Driver's Championship