Chris Kyle picked up the 2nd last place finish of his SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in the December 2nd Coca-Cola Family 200 at the Bristol Motor Speedway when his #43 Dodge Motorsports Dodge completed all 20 laps under power.
The finish, which came in his 36th career series start, was his first on the circuit since the O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 at the I-70 Speedway when he completed all 20 laps under power; 1 race ago. In the Truck Series's last-place rankings, it was the 30th for running at the finish and 4th for the #43. Across SCRL's top three series, it was the 120th for running at the finish and the 4th for #43.
After trailing for the first time in his career, Kyle sits 33rd in points while still looking for his first career win in the series as the series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, which was making it's fifth appearance in the Rainbow Dash Truck Series, a race that has not yet had a repeat winner.
The entry list for the seventh 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, but unlike at I-70 in the last round, no one would fail to qualify. In qualifying, two-time last-place finisher Derrick Edison would score his second career series pole, posting a time of 17.196 seconds. Kyle would fair decently in qualifying around the 0.533 mile short track, posting a time of 17.472 seconds, 0.276 seconds seconds behind Edison's time, placing him 18th on the starting line up. The #99 Exide Batteries Ford of Chakat Whitelion would be the last to get in on speed, posting a time of 17.657 seconds, who was 0.461 seconds behind Edison's lap time.
On race day, Whitelion was determined to not finish last for the third time in hir career as shi would quickly knock the #75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet of Michael Hoaks into last as the field entered Turn 2 with Hoaks trailing the first two circuits before knocking the #16 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet of Samet Ozkan into last on Lap 3, a position he would hold for two laps as well before knocking the #12 Team ASE / Ultra Wheels Ford of Reggie Fogleman into last on Lap 5. Fogleman would remain in last for only one lap before he knocked the #44 Federated Auto Parts Ford of Mitchell Hodack into last on Lap 6, with Hodack remaining in last for just one lap before he knocked the #15 Ortho Ford of Sébastien Palmer into last on Lap 7 before he would lose last place to the #24 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet of Alexander Rowe on Lap 8.
Rowe would struggle to keep pace with the field as the race entered the halfway mark, trailing till with five laps to go he knocked Palmer back to last on Lap 16, but once again Palmer was determined to not finish last, as the very next lap, Kyle, who had dropped through the field due to being stuck on the high line, took over last on Lap 17 and as much as he tried to gain a postion back, he was unable to, finishing 17.139 seconds behind the race leaders when the checkered flag waved.
The remaining Bottom Five were; 35th was the #21 HS Die & Engineering Ford of Zachary DiLello, 34th was the aforementioned #15 of Sébastien Palmer, 33rd was the aforementioned #24 of Alexander Rowe and 32nd was the #44 of Mitchell Hodack.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #43 has finished last in a Truck Series race at Bristol.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
36) #43-Chris Kyle / 20 laps / running
35) #21-Zachary DiLello / 20 laps / running
34) #15-Sébastien Palmer / 20 laps / running
33) #24-Alexander Rowe / 20 laps / running
32) #44-Mitchell Hodack / 20 laps / running
S5 SCRLASTCAR Rainbow Dash Truck Series Driver's Championship
