Riley Spurlytube picked up the 5th last place finish of his SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in the goracing.com 200 at the Michigan Speedway when his #8 GM Goodwrench Service Chevrolet fell out with engine problems without completing any of the 10 laps.
The finish, which came in his 106th career series start, was his first on the circuit since the Season 4 Lund Look 275K at Heartland Park Topeka when his #22 Red Dog Ford completed 8 of the 9 laps under power; 25 races ago. In the Truck Series's last-place rankings, it was the 18th for engine issues and 4th for the #8. Across SCRL's top three series, it was the 24th for engine issues and the 7th for #8.
Entering his fifth ever season in the Truck Series, Spurlytube has built up a great career, having scored 2 wins in the Truck Series, while 19 overall in the SCRL, which ranks him 5th all time as well as having one championship in his career, in the SCRL CART Series. For his fifth attempted at the truck championship, Spurlytube signed on to drive for Richard Childress Racing as a second entry to rookie teammate Colin Cropley. Spurlytube's season would start off with a disappointing 29th at Homestead, 19th at Phoenix and a 30th at Evergreen before scoring his first Top 10 of the season, a 9th at Mesa Marin. A 5th in the next round at Martinsville would place Spurlytube 15th in points and he would back up his momentum by finishing 3rd at Memphis. A 15th at Pikes Peak would be followed by a 4th at I-70, 11th at Bristol, 4th at Texas, 9th at Portland, 16th at Watkins Glen, 6th at the Milwaukee Mile, 14th at Nashville before finishing 25th in the last round at Nazareth.
The entry list for the tenth time this season would the usual 36 entries. In qualifying, Texas last-place finish Samet Ozkan would score his second straight career series pole, posting a time of 40.612 seconds. Spurlytube's truck would struggle in qualifying around the two mile track, posting a time of 40.940 seconds, 0.328 seconds behind Ozkan's time, placing him 32nd on the starting line up. The #51 unsponsored Chevrolet of Zachary Fitzwater would be the last to get in on speed, as during his qualifying lap he would suffer a flat tire, posting a time of 143.305 seconds, who was 102.693 seconds behind Ozkan's lap time.
On race day, the battle for last ended seconds after the drivers were given the command to start the engines as Spurlytube's truck began to smoke heavily as he pulled to the side to allow the drivers behind him access around. Spurlytube would limp around on the apron before following the pace truck down pitroad before pulling into the garage as the field took the green flag. His team would look under the hood and would discover that the problem was terminal, and with only ten laps being the distance of the race, it was decided to not attempt to make repairs, with the truck being listed as "out" by the fifth lap.
Finishing 35th was two-time last place finisher the #43 Dodge Motorsports Dodge of Chris Kyle, who was forced to pit early during the event due to a flat tire, losing a lap early and was never able to get it back.
Finishing 34th was fellow two-time last place finisher the #04 Chelsea Dodge of Hilda Pierson, who would be involved in the last lap crash after the #75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet of Michael Hoaks suffered a broken Piston, with Pierson running into the back of Hoak's truck in Turn 2 and spinning out before being hit in the driver's door by the #17 Hollandia Sunroofs Chevrolet of Lucien Bianchi, causing her truck to flip and land on her roof, sliding for more than five hundred feed before coming to stop on the grass on the backstretch.
The remaining Bottom Five were: 33rd the #17 Hollandia Sunroofs Chevrolet of Lucien Bianchi and 32nd was the #75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet of Michael Hoaks, who were both involved in the last lap crash, but would limp across the start/finish to be scored having completed all the laps.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #8 has finished last at Michigan.
*This is the first time the #8 has trailed the field since the Season 4 Dodge California Truck Stop 300 at the Mesa Marin Raceway when Jay Jefferson's #8 PBA Tour Chevrolet fell out with engine issues without completing any of the 30 laps; 18 races ago.
*This is the first time a driver has trailed the field due to engine issues since the Federated Auto Parts 250 at the Nashville Speedway when Dilan Ebrahimian's #2 Team ASE Racing Ford fell out with engine problems without completing any of the 25 laps; 2 races ago.
*This is the first time a driver has failed to complete a lap since the Federated Auto Parts 250 at the Nashville Speedway when Dilan Ebrahimian's #2 Team ASE Racing Ford fell out with engine problems without completing any of the 25 laps; 2 races ago.
*This is the first time the #8 has finished last at Michigan.
*This is the first time the #8 has trailed the field since the Season 4 Dodge California Truck Stop 300 at the Mesa Marin Raceway when Jay Jefferson's #8 PBA Tour Chevrolet fell out with engine issues without completing any of the 30 laps; 18 races ago.
*This is the first time a driver has trailed the field due to engine issues since the Federated Auto Parts 250 at the Nashville Speedway when Dilan Ebrahimian's #2 Team ASE Racing Ford fell out with engine problems without completing any of the 25 laps; 2 races ago.
*This is the first time a driver has failed to complete a lap since the Federated Auto Parts 250 at the Nashville Speedway when Dilan Ebrahimian's #2 Team ASE Racing Ford fell out with engine problems without completing any of the 25 laps; 2 races ago.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
36) #8-Riley Spurlytube / 0 laps / engine
35) #43-Chris Kyle / 9 laps / running
34) #04-Hilda Pierson / 9 laps / crash
33) #17-Lucien Bianchi / 10 laps / running
32) #75-Michael Hoaks / 10 laps / running
36) #8-Riley Spurlytube / 0 laps / engine
35) #43-Chris Kyle / 9 laps / running
34) #04-Hilda Pierson / 9 laps / crash
33) #17-Lucien Bianchi / 10 laps / running
32) #75-Michael Hoaks / 10 laps / running
S5 SCRLASTCAR Rainbow Dash Truck Series Driver's Championship
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