CUP: Chris Tuckett trails in action packed battle for last at Jacksonville

Chris Tuckett picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Grand National Series career in Race 38 at the Speedway Park when his #8 Fry Motors Lincoln completed all 20 laps under power.

The finish, which came in his 38th career series start, was his first on the circuit since Race 2 at the Charlotte Speedway when he completed all 15 laps under power; 36 races ago. In the SCRL Grand National Series, it's the 3rd for car #8 and the 48th for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 24th for the #8 and 369th for running at the finish.

After trailing at Charlotte, Tuckett would continue to struggle for the next three races with finishes of 29th at Lakeview, 19th at Carrell and 31st at Hillsborough before scoring his second ever points paying finish with a 9th at Arizona State Fairgrounds. A disappointing 17th at North Wilkesboro would be followed by his best finish of his career, back-to-back runner up finishes at Martinsville and Canfield, before falling to 11th at Columbus and then scoring back-to-back 8th finishes at Columbia and Dayton. A return trip to Carrel would give Tuckett a 4th place finish followed by a 6th at Grand Rapids, a 19th at Bainbridge, 12th at Heidelberg, 19th at Asheville-Weaverville, 9th at Monroe County, 15th at Altamont, 20th at Michigan State Fairgrounds before finishing 4th at Fort Miami.

A 15th at Morristown, 10th at Air Base and a 20th at Darlington would be followed by Tuckett scoring his first career SCRL sanctioned win at Columbia. The win at Columbia wouldn't give Tuckett much time to celebrate as a disappointing 17th at Central City, 30th at Langhorne and a 13th at Charlotte would follow before Tuckett rebounded with a 4th at Dayton and a 3rd at Wilson. A 13th at Hillsborough would keep his streak of three points finishes would end the next round at Thompson, where he struggled to finish 41st before bouncing back with another 4th at Pine Grove. A 19th at Martinsville was followed by a 20th at Oakland, 7th at North Wilkesboro before finishing 3rd in the last round at Marchbanks. 

The entry list for the 26th time this season would be filled with only the full-time drivers, the first time since Race 35 at the Oakland Stadium, 3 races ago.

In qualifying, Christian Russel scored his series leading 6th pole of the year, with a time of 19.963 seconds. Tuckett would show his talent around the half mile dirt track, posting a time of 19.981, 0.018 seconds behind Russel's time, placing Tuckett 4th. Securing the 22nd and final starting spot was the #42 Petty Special Plymouth of Ty Westner, who posted a time of 20.186 seconds, 0.223 seconds behind Russel's time.

When the race started, Westner would struggle for the first lap before knocking three-time last-place finisher the #22 Hudson of Chris Kyle into last on Lap 2, but Kyle's stay in the final spot was short lived as he knocked the #2 Ford of Bronson Minnick into last the very next lap on Lap 3. Minnick's stay was also only one lap as he knocked Columbus last-place finisher the #51 Cherokee Garage Oldsmobile of Austin Abilene into last on Lap 4. Abilene would trail for two laps before knocking Columbia last-place finisher the #78 Lincoln of Addy Jade into last on Lap 6, but Jade would also only trail for one lap before she knocked three-time last place finisher the #81 Ford of Sergeant Young into last on Lap 7. Unlike at Marchbanks, Young would trail for only two laps before knocking Abilene back to last on Lap 9.

Abilene would struggle for the next six laps to gain any positions before finally knocking Young back to last on Lap 16, but Young's stay was even shorter this time, knocking Asheville-Weaverville last-place finisher the #58 Kaiser of Brent Davison into last on Lap 17. Davison would remain in the final spot as the field entered the white flag, which at this point, Tuckett had fallen all the way to the back of the field and Davison was determined to not trail once again, made his move on the backstretch and knocked Tuckett back to last, but Tuckett would fight back in Turn 3 and the two drivers remained side by side coming to the start/finish line, with Davison inching ahead as they crossed the line, giving Tuckett the final spot and Davison 21st.

The remaining Bottom Five were: 20th was the aforementioned #81 of Sergeant Young, 19th was the #51 of Austin Abilene and 18th was Air Base last-place finisher the #82 Oates Motor Co. Hudson of Breezy Brisbane.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #8 has finished last in a Cup race at Jacksonville.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
22) #8-Chris Tuckett / 20 laps / running
21) #58-Brent Davison / 20 laps / running
20) #81-Sergeant Young / 20 laps / running
19) #51-Austin Abilene / 20 laps / running
18) #82-Breezy Brisbane / 20 laps / running

S3 SCRLASTCAR Grand National Series Driver's Championship

CUP: Chase Chryst trails for the second time in his career in series' first ever event at Marchbanks

Chase Chryst picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Grand National Series career in the May 17 Race 37 at the Marchbanks Speedway when his #10 Ford completed all 20 laps under power.

The finish, which came in his 12th career series start, was his first on the circuit since Race 16 at the Heidelberg Raceway when his #10 Mercury completed all 20 laps under power; 21 races ago. In the SCRL Grand National Series, it's the 2nd for car #10 and the 47th for running at the finish. Across all the series in the SCRL, it's the 23rd for the #10 and 368th for running at the finish.

After trailing at Heidelberg, Chryst would skip the next three races at Asheville-Weaverville, Monroe County and Altamonty-Schenectady, before making his return at Michigan State Fairgrounds, a race he would struggle to finish 27th at. Chryst's team would decide again to skip the next three events, at Fort Miami, Morristown and Air Base, before making his first ever start in the Southern 500 at Darlington, a race hw would struggle to finish in 31st. Choosing to skip the next two events at Columbia and Central City, Chryst would return focused at Langhorne and would score his second ever Top 10 finish, and the second best finish for him all season, by finishing 10th.

After another three race break and choosing to skip Charlotte, Dayton and Wilson, Chryst's team was hoping their momentum would continue at Hillsborough; it didn't, but Chryst would finish 18th. A finish of 13th in the next event at Thompson would be followed by another string of three races skipped, Pine Grove, Martinsville and Oakland before Chryst would return in the last round at at North Wilkesboro, a race he would barely miss out on scoring points, due to finishing in 15th.

The entry list for the 12th time this season would be filled with both the full-time and part-time drivers, the first time since the Wilkes 200 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, 1 race ago.

In qualifying, two time and defending champion Sebastian Torres scored his fourth career pole, with a time of 39.165 seconds. Chryst would fair decent around the half mile dirt track, posting a time of 39.440, 0.275 seconds behind Torres's time, placing Chryst 11th. Securing the 42nd and final starting spot was second Hillsborough last-place finisher the #4 Ford of Austin Line, who posted a time of 41.157 seconds, 1.992 seconds behind Torres's time.

When the race started, Line's stay in the final spot would last for the first three laps as the entire field was still getting used to the track, but Line finally made his move on Lap 4 when he knocked three time last-place finisher the #89 Plymouth of Brent James to last. James's stay in the final spot lasted only one lap before he knocked Line back to last on Lap 5, but Line once again would trail for only two laps before he would knock fellow three-time last place finisher the #81 Ford of Sergeant Young into last on Lap 7.

Young would struggle for grip around the dirt track, and he would lose seconds to the leaders, but he would remain right on the back bumper of the cars in front of him as the laps ticked by, Young would remain in the final spot as the field took the white flag. At this point in the race, Chryst had dropped all the way to the tail of the field, and Young was determined to not finish last, so as the field made their way into the second turn, Young pushed his car under Chryst, knocking him back to last, and with only one more turn left, Chryst had no time to fight back and would trail the field when the checkered flag waved.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders: 41st was the aforementioned #4 of Austin Line, 40th was the #30 Plymouth of Jeremiah Weaver, 39th was Sergeant Young, who had gained three spots over the final lap and 38th was the #100 of Jeff Stott.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #10 has finished last in a Cup race at Marchbanks.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #10-Chase Chryst / 20 laps / running
41) #4-Austin Line / 20 laps / running
40) #30-Jeremiah Weaver / 20 laps / running
39) #81-Sergeant Young / 20 laps / running
38) #100-Jeff Stott / 20 laps / running

S3 SCRLASTCAR Grand National Series Driver's Championship