TRUCKS: Broken Piston gives Cameron Hathaway second last-place finish in a row at Memphis

Cameron Hathaway picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in Saturday's Memphis 200 at the Memphis Motorsports Park when his #86 RC Cola / King of the Hill American Dream Dodge fell out with piston problems after completing 12 of the 20 laps.

The finish, which came in his 33rd career series start, was his first on the circuit since the Season 4 Memphis 200 at the Memphis Motorsports Park when his #50 Grainger Ford fell out with camshaft issues after completing 12 of the 20 laps; 12 races ago. In the Truck Series's last-place rankings, it was the 1st for piston and 2nd for the #86. Across SCRL's top three series, it was the 2nd for piston and the 2nd for #86.

Hathaway is still making a name for himself in the SCRL, having found victory lane twice in his career but was still winless in the Truck Series after making his debut in Season 4. After driving for Roush Racing for one season, Hathaway was released from his ride, and he found a home driving for David Hodson and his Impact Motorsports team. Hathaway's second ever season in the Truck Series started with a disappointing 31st at Homestead, a 24th at Phoenix, 25th at Evergreen, 16th at Mesa Marin, before finishing 28th in the last round at Martinsville.

The entry list for the fourth time this season would be the usual 36 as Jamie Timber's team have no plans to make anymore starts until the tenth race of the season at Texas which means that no truck would fail to qualify for the second race in a row. In qualifying, Chakat Whitelion would score hir series tying third pole, posting a time of 23.266 seconds. Hathaway would once again struggle in qualifying, posting a time of 23.420 seconds, while only 0.154 seconds, it would place him 26th on the starting line up. The #0 Buyers Choice Chevrolet of Rogal Doran would be the last to get in on speed, posting a time of 23.592 seconds, who was 0.326 seconds behind Whitelion's lap time.

Hilda Pierson heads to pit road on the pace lap.

On race day, as the field would make it's pace lap, Homestead last-place finisher the #04 Chelsea Dodge of Hilda Pierson would suffer a flat tire and was forced to come to pit road as the field took the green flag, losing two laps before heading back out on track. With the lack of cautions coming out, it looked like Pierson would be heading to her second last-place finish in just six races, before the battle for last came to an end on Lap 12. At this point, Hathaway, who had fallen back to 27th, would slow in Turn 3 reporting he had lost power and would pull onto pit road and then into the garage, as the crew would look under the hood and found that the piston had broken, and with less than ten laps to go, there would be not enough time to replace it and send him back out, so the truck was retired, taking the final spot on Lap 16.

Pierson would be moved up one spot due to Hathaway's exit but that is all she would do, finishing two laps behind the race leaders when the checkered flag waved, placing her 35th.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders; 34th was the #12 Team ASE / Ultra Wheels Ford of Reggie Fogleman, 33rd was the #51 Garage Doors of Naples Ford of Zachary Fitzwater and 32nd was the aforementioned #0 of Rogal Doran.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #86 has finished last in a Truck Series race at Memphis.
*This is the first time the #86 has finished last in a Truck Series race since the Season 2 Loadhandler 200 at the Bristol Motor Speedway when Max Anderson's #86 Valvoline Instant Oil Change Ford fell out with engine problems after completing 21 of 50 laps; 74 races ago.
*This is the first time a driver has trailed in a Truck Series race due to "Piston" issues.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
36) #86-Cameron Hathaway / 12 laps / piston
35) #04-Hilda Pierson / 18 laps / running
34) #12-Reggie Fogleman / 20 laps / running
33) #51-Zachary Fitzwater / 20 laps / running
32) #0-Rogal Doran / 20 laps / running

S5 SCRLASTCAR Rainbow Dash Truck Series Driver's Championship