Hilda Pierson picked up the 2nd last place finish of her SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in the Grainger Industrial Supply 225K at the Portland International Raceway when her #04 Chelsea Dodge completed all 19 laps under power.
The finish, which came in her 11th career series start, was her first on the circuit since the Florida Dodge Dealers 400K at the Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex when she was eliminated in a multi-truck accident after 2 of 19 laps; 10 races ago. In the Truck Series's last-place rankings, it was the 30th for running at the finish and 3rd for the #04. Across SCRL's top three series, it was the 120th for running at the finish and the 5th for #04.
After trailing at Homestead, Pierson would rebound with a strong 15th at Phoenix before it would be back to the bottom of the field by finishing 33rd at Evergreen, rebounding with a 14th at Mesa Marin, a 16th at Martinsville, 35th at Memphis, 31st at Pikes Peak before scoring a career best 8th at I-70. Finishes of 9th at Bristol and a 28th in the last round at Texas had placed Pierson 29th in points as the series headed to the first road course event of the season.
The entry list for the eighth time this season would be the usual 36 as Jamie Timber's team have no plans to make any more starts until the fourteenth race of the season at Nashville Speedway, and due to the size of the track, no driver would fail to qualify at Portland. In qualifying, Mitchell Hodack would score his first career series and league pole, posting a time of 80.745 seconds. Pierson would struggle in qualifying around the twisting 1.967 mile road course, posting a time of 82.730 seconds, 1.985 seconds behind Hodack's time, placing her 34th on the starting lineup. The #2 Team ASE Racing Ford of Dilan Ebrahimian would be the last to get in on speed, posting a time of 82.886 seconds, who was 2.141 seconds behind Hodack's lap time.
On race day, Dilan Ebrahimian would trail the first lap before he would knock the #15 Ortho Ford of Sébastien Palmer into the final spot on Lap 2. As the field entered Turn 1, Pierson, who had worked her way up to 31st position, would run into the back of the #14 Circle Bar Motel & RV Park Ford of Michael Brown, damaging the front end of her truck, while seconds later, Pierson would be slammed from behind by the #31 Auto Trim Design Ford of Kristian Bracken, giving her damage on the rear end of her truck as well. As the field came around to complete Lap 3, Pierson was forced to head to pit road for repairs, with her crew deciding to merely remove the hood of her vehicle before sending her back out onto the track hoping that a caution would come out so they could catch back up. However, due to the lack of attrition, no caution would fly, as Pierson would finish a full fifty-four seconds behind the leaders when the checkered flag waved.
The remaining Bottom Five were; 36th was two-time last-place finisher the #26 Mittler Brothers / American Trucking Ford of Derrick Edison, 35th was the aforementioned #31 of Kristian Bracken, 34th was the aforementioned #2 of Dilan Ebrahimian and 33rd was the #7 Conely Rent-a-Car Sales Tools Chevrolet of Tyler Kepman.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #04 has finished last in a Truck Series race at Portland.
*This is the first time the #04 has finished last in a road course race in the Truck Series.
*This is the first time the #04 has finished last in a Truck Series race at Portland.
*This is the first time the #04 has finished last in a road course race in the Truck Series.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
37) #04-Hilda Pierson / 8 laps / running
36) #26-Derrick Edison / 8 laps / running
35) #31-Kristian Bracken / 8 laps / running
34) #2-Dilan Ebrahimian / 8 laps / running
33) #7-Tyler Kepman / 8 laps / running
37) #04-Hilda Pierson / 8 laps / running
36) #26-Derrick Edison / 8 laps / running
35) #31-Kristian Bracken / 8 laps / running
34) #2-Dilan Ebrahimian / 8 laps / running
33) #7-Tyler Kepman / 8 laps / running
S5 SCRLASTCAR Rainbow Dash Truck Series Driver's Championship
