TRUCKS: Zachary DiLello trails for first time in his career at IRP

Zachary DiLello picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in the Power Stroke 200 by Ford at the Indianapolis Raceway Park when his #21 HS Die & Engineering Ford completed all 20 laps under power.

The finish came in his 18th career series start. In the Truck Series's last-place rankings, it was the 35th for running at the finish and 1st for the #21. Across SCRL's top three series, it was the 125th for running at the finish and the 3rd for #21.

DiLello was one of seventeen drivers that were making their Rainbow Dash Truck Series debuts, as well as one of a record nineteen drivers competing for Rookie of the Year, choosing to sign to drive for Steele Racing, who were also making their debut season in the Truck Series. DiLello would be impressive in his debut by finishing 13th at Homestead, finishing 35th at Phoenix, 14th at Evergreen before scoring his first ever Top 10 by finishing 7th at Mesa Marin. A 34th at Martinsville would be followed by a career best runner up at Memphis followed by a 9th at Pikes Peak, 16th at I-70, 35th at Bristol, 6th at Texas, 28th at Portland, 13th at Watkins Glen, 17th at Milwaukee Mile, 17th at Nashville, 5th at Nazareth, 21st at Michigan before finishing 4th in the last round at New Hampshire.

The entry list for the twelfth time this season would the usual 36 entries. In qualifying, Chris Kyle would score his fourth career series pole, posting a time of 23.368 seconds. DiLello would truck struggle in qualifying around the 0.686 mile track, posting a time of 40.940 seconds, 0.324 seconds behind Kyle's time, placing him 29th on the starting line up. The #1 Mopar Performance Dodge of Angel Gutiérrez would be the last to get in on speed, posting a time of 32.064 seconds, who was 0.440 seconds behind Kyle's lap time.

On race night, Gutiérrez would struggle for the first few laps around the track as he would trail for the first five laps before knocking the #44 Federated Auto Parts Ford of Mitchell Hodack on Lap 6 as Hodack would trail behind the field for the next six laps before he knocked Watkins Glen last-place finisher the #83 Gwaltney / FW Siebert Construction Ford of Max Anderson into last on Lap 12. Anderson's stay in the final spot would only last two laps before knocking DiLello into last on Lap 14. DiLello would try over the remaining six laps to gain a spot to prevent from finishing last for the first time in his career but would not have the power as he finished a full eighteen seconds behind the race leaders when the checkered flag waved.

The remaining Bottom Five were: 35th was the aforementioned #1 of Angel Gutiérrez, 34th was the #44 of Mitchell Hodack, 33rd was the #0 Buyers Choice Chevrolet of Rogal Doran and 32nd was the #83 of Max Anderson.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #21 has finished last in a Truck Series race as well at IRP.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
36) #21-Zachary DiLello / 20 laps / running
35) #1-Angel Gutiérrez / 20 laps / running
34) #44-Mitchell Hodack / 20 laps / running
33) #0-Rogal Doran / 20 laps / running
32) #83-Max Anderson / 20 laps / running

S5 SCRLASTCAR Rainbow Dash Truck Series Driver's Championship

TRUCKS: Flat Tire gives Nick Holiday his first last-place finish in Truck Series; becomes sixth driver to finish last in all three Top Series

Nick Holiday picked up the 1st last place finish of his SCRL Rainbow Dash Truck Series career in the Pennzoil / VIP Auto Discount Auto Center 200 at the New Hampshire International Speedway when his #68 Hot Wheels Dodge completed 17 of the 20 laps under power.

The finish came in his 68th career series start. In the Truck Series's last-place rankings, it was the 34th for running at the finish and 1st for the #68. Across SCRL's top three series, it was the 124th for running at the finish and the 1st for #68.

Holiday, who made his first appearance in the Truck Series back in Season 2, has built up a decent career, having scored 1 win in the Truck Series, coming at Memphis in Season 4, 5 Top 5s, 11 Top 10s and 49 laps led, with a best finish of 22nd in points in Season 4. Holiday would choose to sign with Impact Motorsports for his third ever season and it would start off with a 7th at Homestead, 22nd at Phoenix before finishing 26th at Evergreen, in what was the series's 100th race. A 17th at Mesa Marin would be followed by his second career series win at Martinsville before finishing 29th at Memphis, the site of his first career win the season previously. A 8th at Pikes Peak would be followed with a 14th at I-70, 18th at Bristol, 30th at Texas, 10th at Portland, 32nd at Watkins Glen, 28th at Milwaukee Mile, 11th at Nashville, 8th at Nazareth before finishing 18th in the last round at Michigan.

The entry list for the eleventh time this season would the usual 36 entries. In qualifying, Al Lagasee would score his first career series pole, posting a time of 31.620 seconds. Holiday would truck struggle in qualifying around the 1.058 mile track, posting a time of 40.940 seconds, 0.344 seconds behind Lagasee's time, placing him 32nd on the starting line up. Two-time last-place finisher the unsponsored #38 unsponsored Chevrolet of Ashton Tifft would be the last to get in on speed, posting a time of 32.064 seconds, who was 0.444 seconds behind Lagasee's lap time.

On race day, the battle for last ended seconds after the drivers were given the command to start the engines as Holdiay's truck would slow coming off of pit road, with the truck pulling to the inside line and limping before stalling on the backstretch. The truck would be towed back to pit road as the race went green, with the crew replacing all four tires, finding that the left rear was completely flat, before sending their driver back out onto the track, having lost three laps to the race leaders. Hoping that another truck would have problems, Holiday would race around the track, posting lap times just a hundredth off the race leaders, but a lack of incidents would bring no cautions, with Holiday being the only driver to not finish on the same lap as the race leaders.

The remaining Bottom Five would finish on the same lap as the race leaders: 35th was the #7 Big Jon Marine / Hollandia Sunroofs Chevrolet of Tyler Kepman, 34th was the #24 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet of Alexander Rowe, 33rd was two-time last-place finisher the #04 Chelsea Dodge of Hilda Pierson and 32nd was Michigan last-place finisher the #8 GM Goodwrench Service Chevrolet of Riley Spurlytube.

SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first time the #68 has finished last in a Truck Series race as well at Nazareth.
*Holiday now a last-place finish in each of the SCRL's top three series. Holiday's lone Cup Series last-place finish happened on October 3, 2021 at Langhorne while his lone Busch Series last-place finish happened on March 14, 2018 at Martinsville. He becomes the 6th driver to complete the SCRLASTCAR Triple Crown.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

36) #68-Nick Holiday / 17 laps / running
35) #7-Tyler Kepman / 20 laps / running
34) #24-Alexander Rowe / 20 laps / running
33) #04-Hilda Pierson / 20 laps / running
32) #8-Riley Spurlytube / 20 laps / running

S5 SCRLASTCAR Rainbow Dash Truck Series Driver's Championship