ARCA: Owen Smith extends lead in drivers’ championship after third last-place finish

SCREENSHOT: NBC Sports, captured by @nascarcatholic

by William Soquet

LASTCAR.info Guest Contributor

Owen Smith finished last for the third time in his ARCA Menards Series career in Friday’s Dutch Boy 150 at World Wide Technology at Gateway when his #10 Fast Track Chevrolet fell out with brake problems after seven laps.

The finish came in Smith’s third career series start.

Since his most recent start at Toledo Speedway, Smith has been relatively quiet, only posting a picture of his late model shop on Instagram. He arrived at Gateway to drive a plain white #10 car for Fast Track Racing. It was so plain, in fact, that Smith’s name was not printed on the name rail but rather handwritten on a piece of tape that went on the name rail.

The entry list for Gateway was a solid 21 cars, helped in large part by it being an off-weekend in both the East and West regional series. Bill McAnally Racing brought three cars while Rev Racing brought two. Kris Wright had an appearance in a rare Chevrolet entry from Chad Bryant Racing, and Kyle Sieg returned for another race in his limited schedule this year. A number of short-track fixtures also returned, including Ty Gibbs, Sam Mayer, Max McLaughlin, Chandler Smith and Tim Richmond. Fast Track filled its other two cars with a familiar face and a new one: Mike Basham returned to drive the #11, and South Texas asphalt modified driver Max Calles filled the seat of the #12. Missing from the list was Thad Moffitt, who ran the first twelve races of the season for DGR-Crosley.

The lone practice session ended with eventual race winner Gibbs on top of the board. Owen Smith was at the bottom behind Brad Smith, Basham, Calles and Richmond. The starting lineup was set by Sioux Chief Showdown owner points, leaving 16th-quickest Kyle Sieg as the last starter.

Heading to the green, however, Owen and Brad Smith both dropped to the rear of the field, with Owen Smith in last place when the race started. The 10 car held that position the entire race until he parked his entry. Meanwhile, Kyle Sieg had made his way up to 16th position by lap nine.

Mike Basham was the only other car that retired from the race, citing a vibration after 11 laps. Rounding out the Bottom Five were Brad Smith, Wright and Calles. Wright’s debut for CBR was hampered by transmission issues, per the team.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

21) #10-Owen Smith / 7 laps / brakes

20) #11-Mike Basham / 11 laps / vibration

19) #48-Brad Smith / 109 laps / running

18) #22-Kris Wright / 109 laps / running

17) #12-Max Calles / 114 laps / running

2020 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (8)

2nd) Toyota (4)

3rd) Ford (1)

2020 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Fast Track Racing (6)

2nd) Wayne Peterson Racing (2)

3rd) Brother-In-Law Motorsports, DGR-Crosley, Kimmel Racing, Reeves Racing, Russ Lane Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

TRUCKS: Johnny Sauter’s streak of finishing no worse than 4th at Gateway ends in last place

SCREENSHOT: @NASCARONFOX

Johnny Sauter picked up the 4th last-place finish of his NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career in Sunday’s CarShield 200 Presented by CK Power at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway when his #13 Vivitar Ford fell out with a vibration after 22 of 160 laps.

The finish, which came in Sauter’s 280th series start, was his second of the year and first since Atlanta, ten races ago. In the Truck Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 7th for the #13, the 34th from a vibration, and the 109th for Ford. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 33rd for the #13, the 214th from a vibration, and the 967th for Ford.

Sauter is now in a tie for the 2020 LASTCAR Truck Series lead with Norm Benning, who he trails on a bottom-five tiebreaker, 6-4.

One of the series’ most consistent and determined veterans, Johnny Sauter has faced a disappointing and frustrating season in 2020. The disqualification that placed him last in Atlanta dropped him from 2nd to 8th in the point standings, and was soon followed by an engine failure in Texas, then a crash in Kansas. Even 18 laps in the lead in Michigan yielded only a 16th-place finish. While he finished 6th just last week in Dover, he now found himself on the wrong side of the cut line for the Playoffs with three races to go. He hoped for better fortunes at Gateway, where he had yet to win, but had finished no worse than 4th in all seven of his previous starts there.

Sauter drew the 9th starting spot in a field that was originally set to hold 35 entries. That changed twice in the week as All Out Motorsports first withdrew their #7 Toyota without a driver listed. Spencer Davis then withdrew with the #11 Spencer Davis Motorsports team later in the week, their second withdrawal in the last four races.

Rolling off 33rd and last was Roger Reuse, who returned to the Truck Series for the first time since clutch issues kept him from starting the Daytona road course race two weeks ago. He again drove for Ray Ciccarelli in the #49 WCIParts.com Chevrolet. He rolled off to the outside of Norm Benning, who held the inside line in his #6 H&H Transport Chevrolet. Both happened to be the series’ two most recent last-place finishers.

Norm Benning during the early laps.
PHOTO: Ethan Stuckwisch, @Tah_Goat35

When the race started, Benning pulled ahead of Reuse by 0.610 seconds at the end of Lap 1, but the pair both lost ground to 31st-place Natalie Decker in the #44 N29 Capital Partners Chevrolet, 1.416 seconds ahead Benning. The intervals steadily grew through the first six laps, when Benning dropped 3.012 seconds back of Decker, 17.023 back of the leader. By then, Reuse was over two seconds back of Benning, 19.584 back of the lead. On Lap 11, Reuse was running by himself, 3.414 seconds back of Benning and 31.49 behind the leader when he was soon lapped by Zane Smith. Benning lost a lap the next time by. By Lap 19, both Reuse and Benning were on the verge of losing a second lap.

Sauter didn’t enter the battle until Lap 23, when he made an unscheduled green-flag pit stop. The crew jacked up the driver’s side and looked under the hood, the driver reporting a bad vibration. With Reuse and Benning within just two laps of the leader, this dropped Sauter to last on Lap 26. On Lap 29, the FS1 broadcast revealed an issue with the drivetrain was to blame, much as it had for J.J. Yeley in Saturday’s Cup race. A later report by Sauter himself on Lap 39 indicated the solenoid had come loose, and the truck had a possible broken bell housing.

Finishing 32nd was Christian Eckes, whose #18 Safelite Auto Glass Toyota pulled behind the wall with driveshaft issues stemming from a vibration. Jennifer Jo Cobb took 31st after her #10 Fastener Supply Company Chevrolet smacked the wall off Turn 2. Austin Wayne Self hit the same barrier even harder after contact from Carson Hocevar’s #40 Scott’s Chevrolet sent Self’s #22 Go Texan / AM Technical Solutions Chevrolet into the Turn 1 barrier. Self returned to the track in the final 10 laps and threw a block on Hocevar down the backstretch, but advanced no further than 30th before he was eliminated under the DVP. Benning rounded out the Bottom Five in 29th, 12 laps down.

Before his incident with Self, Hocevar was one of the day’s strong underdog performances. He worked his way up to 9th in the final stages when he suddenly slowed on the backstretch with 29 to go, ultimately leaving him 15th. Finishing one spot behind him was Danny Bohn, making his first start of the season, and the return of On Point Motorsports’ #30 after they team skipped Dover. After starting 29th on the grid, Bohn climbed to 20th by Lap 37, then to 14th inside the final 20 laps.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first last-place finish for the #13 in a Truck Series race at Gateway.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

33) #13-Johnny Sauter / 22 laps / vibration

32) #18-Christian Eckes / 121 laps / driveshaft

31) #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb / 124 laps / crash

30) #22-Austin Wayne Self / 145 laps / dvp

29) #6-Norm Benning / 148 laps / running

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Reaume Brothers Racing (3)

2nd) Norm Benning Racing, ThorSport Racing (2)

3rd) CMI Motorsports, DGR-Crosley, FDNY Racing, Halmar Friesen Racing, Niece Motorsports, Spencer Davis Motorsports (1)

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (7)

2nd) Ford (4)

3rd) Toyota (3)

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

CUP: J.J. Yeley misses the action at Daytona after early drivetrain issue

PHOTO: @RickWareRacing

J.J. Yeley picked up 18th last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway when his #27 America Strong Chevrolet fell out with engine trouble after 3 of 164 laps.

The finish, which came in Yeley’s 316th series start, was his second of the season and first since Homestead, 14 races ago. In the Cup Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 28th for the #27, the 696th from engine trouble, and the 793rd for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 54th for the #27, the 1,092nd for engine trouble, and the 1,738th for Chevrolet.

Between these two particular last-place finishes, Yeley has shown marked improvement with the Rick Ware Racing team, pulling the organization from outside the Top 30 to inside of it. The next four consecutive races after Homestead showed him climb from 36th at Talladega to 31st and 28th at Pocono, then a season-best 21st at Indianapolis. After a 30th-place run in Kentucky, he then finished 29th or better in the next five races, including a 24th in Texas and a 22nd in Kansas.

The Texas and Kansas finishes came with little to no backing on Ware’s white #27 Ford, and soon attracted sponsorship to his team. Two weeks ago in the inaugural Daytona infield road course, Motorsport Games and the NASCAR Heat 5 video game backed his effort. Yeley was running near the rear when heat exhaustion forced him behind the wall, handing the wheel to Bayley Currey. Thriv5, a supplement company, joined the Yeley effort for the Dover double-header, where he ran 31st and 28th.

The momentum continued into this past week, where Yeley’s team announced two different paint schemes. The first was the team’s “throwback” for next week’s action in Darlington. The scheme honored the late Kenny Irwin, Jr. with a paint scheme that never got to take the green flag – the #27 Nerf / Winner’s Circle Ford fielded by Blair Motorsports at Rockingham, which Irwin failed to qualify in 1997. The other scheme was for Saturday at Daytona. Representing the America Strong charity initiative, Yeley’s car would carry a patriotic paint scheme featuring a “Mount Rushmore” of military, law enforcement, and first responders. Although depicted as a 2015 Toyota Camry in one of its first renders, the actual car would be a current Chevrolet Camaro. Yeley drew the 33rd starting spot.

Taking the 40th and final starting spot was the #62 South Point Hotel & Casino / Beard Oil Chevrolet of Brendan Gaughan, who finished last on the Daytona infield road course event two weeks ago. The night race marked Gaughan’s penultimate NASCAR start before he’d call it a career following the Playoffs race in Talladega. The only drivers joining him in the rear were 12th-place Austin Dillon, whose #3 Dow Vorasurf Chevrolet for multiple inspection failures, and 14th-place Clint Bowyer in the #14 Haas Automation Ford for unapproved adjustments. For Yeley, the Rick Ware teams swapped radio channels, so the #27’s communications were on the channel for the #53 Sparks Ford of his teammate, Joey Gase.

When the green flag dropped, the last spot fell to Yeley, who Gaughan cleared as the two crossed the stripe. Yeley remained in 40th at the end of the first lap, but was reportedly being watched by NASCAR as early as Lap 3. The reason became obvious as Yeley lost power, and by Lap 5 had fallen off the lead lap, creeping along the apron of Turns 3 and 4. Unable to find a way to turn into the garage area, Yeley was directed by NASCAR through his spotter to the nearest entrance, where he was pushed behind the wall near Gate 12. On Lap 17, someone on the crew said “Yeah, we’re done – something internal,” and NASCAR reported him out with engine failure on the 18th circuit. Yeley later tweeted that something failed in the drivetrain, putting him out.

Yeley’s teammate James Davison took 39th after he and Brendan Gaughan collided in Turn 1, damaging the left-rear of Davison’s #51 Signing Day Ford. Josh Bilicki took 38th in the #7 Ariens Chevrolet of Tommy Baldwin Racing, having lost 13 laps due to persistent fuel pressure issues. The final spots in the Bottom Five were filled by the first of two multi-car accidents in the final laps. Taking 37th was Ryan Preece, who clobbered the wall off Turn 4 in the #37 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet. Ryan Newman took 36th, suffering damage in the same incident driving the #6 Guaranteed Rate Ford.

After starting last and suffering damage in the Davison incident, Gaughan recovered to finish a strong 8th, backing up his 7th in this year’s Daytona 500. Brennan Poole finished 15th in Rick Ware’s #15 Remember Everyone Deployed Chevrolet, improving on his career-best 16th in the same 500. Ross Chastain took 16th in the #77 Moose Fraternity Chevrolet, the same Spire Motorsports team that won this race last year with Justin Haley. This was Chastain’s third-best Cup finish, trailing his 10th and 12th last year at Daytona and Talladega.

Race winner William Byron secured his spot in the Playoffs by taking his first career Cup Series victory. In so doing, Byron became the first driver since 1976 to finish last in the Daytona 500, then win the summer 400-mile race later that same year. That year, Cale Yarborough lost the engine on his #11 Holly Farms Chevrolet after just one lap of the 500, then won the July race. Byron wrecked out of this year’s 500 after it was resumed on Monday afternoon.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first last-place finish for the #27 in the 400-mile race at Daytona since July 6, 2013, when Paul Menard’s #27 Rheem / Menards Chevrolet fell out with engine trouble after 23 laps of the Coke Zero 400.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

40) #27-J.J. Yeley / 3 laps / engine

39) #51-James Davison / 139 laps / crash

38) #7-Josh Bilicki / 151 laps / running

37) #37-Ryan Preece / 151 laps / crash

36) #6-Ryan Newman / 151 laps / crash

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES  OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) JTG-Daugherty Racing (6)

2nd) Rick Ware Racing (4)

2nd) Motorsports Business Management (3)

3rd) Chip Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing (2)

4th) Beard Motorsports, B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Front Row Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Leavine Family Racing, StarCom Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (17)

2nd) Toyota (5)

3rd) Ford (4)

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

XFINITY: “LAST AF” - Joe Graf, Jr. sweeps both last-place finishes at Daytona

SCREENSHOT: @NASCARONFOX

Joe Graf, Jr. picked up the 2nd last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career in Friday’s Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at the Daytona International Speedway when his #08 Bucked Up Chevrolet was eliminated in a multi-car accident after 7 of 100 laps.

The finish, which came in Graf’s 25th series start, was his second of the season and first since this February’s season opener at the same Daytona track, 21 races ago. In the XFINITY Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 6th for the #08, the 335th from a crash, and the 554th for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 21st for the #08, the 1,222nd from a crash, and the 1,737th for Chevrolet.

Between the two races on the Daytona oval, Graf had failed to finish just three races, but has continued to climb the steep learning curve of his first full-time XFINITY Series career. His season-best finish stood at 13th, which he scored at Bristol, the second round of the Homestead double-header, and the first race of Kentucky’s double. 

For Daytona, in conjunction with sponsor Bucked Up, Graf would run a distinctive purple paint scheme featuring the company’s curiously branded “BAMF” and “WOKE AF” supplements. The latter logo occupied the hood in the same bright yellow as the door and roof numbers, representing a Bucked Up promotional code. Graf drew the 22nd starting spot.

Taking 37th and last was John Jackson, who returned to the XFINITY Series for the first time since Talladega, where he dropped out early with overheating issues. He would run the same car from the Talladega race, the teal-and-black Toyota Supra that last year was driven by Max Tullman as MBM’s #42. Inspection would shuffle the order, however, as the 10th-place #18 Monster Energy Toyota failed inspection multiple times, dropping Riley Herbst to the back for the start. By failing three times, Herbst would also have to serve a pass-through penalty after the green flag.

When the race started, however, Herbst was already around the 34th spot ahead of both Jackson and the Mike Harmon Racing teammates of Tim Viens in the #47 Mutt & Jeff Porkskins Chevrolet and Harmon himself in the #74 Back The Blue Chevrolet. Viens was slow to catch the field at the start, and was last across the stripe, 5.91 seconds back. By the end of the first lap, Viens had started to lose touch with the rest of the field, and was still behind Herbst as he slowed to come onto pit road at the end of Lap 1. Herbst took last on Lap 2, and was running by himself. Without any drafting help, Herbst would surely be lapped if the race stayed green. His only hope was Viens himself, who was 2.065 seconds back of 35th-place Jackson on Lap 3. Fortunately, the caution fell on Lap 6.

Unfortunately, this was where Graf entered the last-place battle. Heading into the tri-oval, Graf made contact with the #0 Drydene Chevrolet of Jeffrey Earnhardt, who was on Graf’s left-rear quarter-panel. The contact caused Graf to spin up the track into the passing Caesar Bacarella, putting Bacarella’s #90 Alpha Prime Chevrolet into the outside wall. Bacarella appeared to escape with minimal damage, but Graf’s front valence was destroyed and the right-rear panel peeled away. Limping down the backstretch, the #08 dropped chunks of blue energy-absorbing foam on the track. “Pretty tore up here, took the sides off it,” said a disappointed Graf. As the crew saw the damage for the first time, someone said “We’re done,” and efforts turned to changing the tires and piecing the car together so it could be loaded in the hauler. This was done by Lap 11, when the car was pushed behind the wall.

The rest of the Bottom Five filled up soon after. Bacarella’s damaged car spun and wrecked on the restart, leaving his machine destroyed on the apron of Turn 3. At nearly the same instant in the tri-oval, Jackson had spun the #66 to the apron of Turn 1. According to a member of the team, Jackson ran through debris that came off Graf’s car on the backstretch during the caution and cut a tire. The spin flattened the other three, leaving him crawling along the apron. Unfortunately, much like Jennifer Jo Cobb’s similar incident in last year’s Talladega Truck Series race, the team didn’t have any other tires in the pit stall. Jackson suggested the team park the car rather than get more tires. He hoped he could be loaded on a flatbed, but the team said there were only tow trucks, which would damage the car further. So, with an equipment truck following him close behind, Jackson pulled behind the wall, done for the night.

Earnhardt, who made contact with Graf, only lasted to the next restart, when he spun in Turn 2 and struck the wall. Among those involved in the ensuing pileup was Kody Vanderwal, whose #52 The Swag Spot Chevrolet made contact and rolled to the apron with the hood flapped up over the windshield. Earnhardt was briefly shown one spot below Vanderwal in the rankings, but the order soon refreshed showing the two positions swapped.

After a series of early crashes, a few underdog competitors survived to earn strong runs. Vinnie Miller tied his career-best 11th-place finish from this same race last year, driving B.J. McLeod’s plain white #78 Koolbox Toyota. One spot in front of him, JD Motorsports’ Jesse Little tied his own career-best from Pocono earlier this summer in the #4 Skuttle Tight Chevrolet while teammate Colby Howard took a career-best 12th in the #15 Project Hope Foundation Chevrolet. The final driver to pass wrecked race leader A.J. Allmendinger earned the third-best finish of his career, taking 14th in the #44 AAN Adjusters Chevrolet, just one spot short of his 13th two weeks ago on the road course. Josh Williams outlasted his two DGM Racing teammates and was running as high as 5th with 19 to go before he dropped to 9th. This tied Williams’ second-best finish of his career at Bristol, just one spot of his own career-best of 8th last year at Talladega.

Topping the list, however, was Gray Gaulding, who for the third time in just over a year nearly scored his first career XFINITY Series victory. Rejoining SS-Green Light Racing in the #07 Walk-Ons.com Chevrolet, Gaulding teamed up with the Kaulig Racing trio at the end of Stage 2, moving him to the lead before Allmendinger shuffled him back to 4th. The two parties crossed paths again on the last lap, where Gaulding was running 9th when he followed Justin Haley through the wreck triggered by Ross Chastain. By hugging the inside line, Gaulding slipped through to finish a close 2nd to Haley, tying his career-best runner-up finish at Talladega just last year.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*Graf becomes the third driver to sweep both last-place finishes in XFINITY races on the Daytona oval since the summer event was added to the schedule in 2002. The previous occurrences were in 2012 by Jeff Green and in 2015 by Dexter Bean.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

37) #08-Joe Graf, Jr. / 7 laps / crash

36) #90-Caesar Bacarella / 12 laps / crash

35) #66-John Jackson / 14 laps / handling

34) #52-Kody Vanderwal / 24 laps / crash

33) #0-Jeffrey Earnhardt / 24 laps / crash

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Motorsports Business Management (5)

2nd) Joe Gibbs Racing (3)

3rd) JD Motorsports, Jimmy Means Racing, Mike Harmon Racing, Shepherd Racing Ventures, SS-Green Light Racing (2)

4th) B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Jeremy Clements Racing, JR Motorsports, Kaulig Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (14)

2nd) Toyota (8)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

PREVIEW: This week’s entry lists feature a new Truck Series team and several threats for a superspeedway upset

Cram Enterprises is the newest addition to the Truck Series field.
RENDER: Ryan Pistana Designs, posted by @dawsoncram

Friday, August 28, 2020

XFINITY Race 22 of 33

Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola

2019 Last-Place Finisher (July): A.J. Allmendinger

ENTRY LIST

There are 37 drivers entered for 40 spots, one driver more than last week’s double-header in Dover.

RETURNING: #16-Kaulig Racing

A.J. Allmendinger returns to the site of his disqualification last July and his DNQ this past February having finished no worse than 10th in all seven of his starts this year. He looks for redemption after finishing 4th in his most recent start on Daytona’s infield road course.

DRIVER SWAP: #36-DGM Racing

DRIVER CHANGE: #90-DGM Racing

Caesar Bacarella makes his fifth start of 2020 and first since Talladega, where he ran a season-best 17th. He will again drive Mario Gosselin’s #90 Chevrolet, bumping Alex Labbe back to the #36 in place of Korbin Forrister, who isn’t entered after his return to the series last weekend.

DRIVER CHANGE: #47-Mike Harmon Racing

DRIVER CHANGE: #74-Mike Harmon Racing

While both Kyle Weatherman and Bayley Currey have enjoyed solid seasons this year with the Harmon team, neither will run this weekend in Daytona. Tim Viens will take Weatherman’s place in the #47 Thin Blue Line USA Chevrolet, a car he was erroneously reported to be driving in February when Joe Nemechek was behind the wheel. Team owner Mike Harmon will return to his #74 in place of Currey for just his third start of the year, all of them on superspeedways. Harmon ran a season-best 16th here in February.

DRIVER SWAP: #61-Motorsports Business Maangement

DRIVER CHANGE: #66-Motorsports Business Management

Drawing the final starting spot for Friday’s race is John Jackson, who returns to the #66 Jani-King Toyota in place of Timmy Hill, who moves back to the #61 in place of Stephen Leicht, who isn’t entered this weekend. This will be just the second start of the year for Jackson, who finished last with overheating issues in this year’s Talladega race. Timmy Hill will certainly be one to watch after he finished a career-best 3rd in February’s Daytona opener and ran well in this race last year before crash damage left him 20th.

DRIVER CHANGE: #99-B.J. McLeod Motorsports

Joey Gase makes just his second XFINITY start of 2020 and first since Las Vegas, where he ran 19th for RSS Racing. This time, he takes the controls of B.J. McLeod’s #99 in place of Stefan Parsons, who ran 26th and 28th in the twin rounds at Dover. EFX Corporation and Eternal Fan will back Gase’s Toyota.

DRIVER CHANGE: #07-SS-Green Light Racing

Two months ago at Talladega, Gray Gaulding finished 8th with SS-Green Light Racing’s #07 team, harkening back to his strong runs in 2019 capped by his runner-up performance at the same track. This weekend, he returns once more, taking the place of David Starr, who ran 27th and 20th at Dover.

CUP INVADERS: None

Saturday, August 29, 2020

CUP Race 26 of 36

Regular Season Finale

Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

2019 Last-Place Finisher (July): Daniel Suarez

ENTRY LIST

There are 40 drivers entered for the Cup Series’ regular-season cutoff event, marking the third-straight full field in 2020 and the 15th in 26 races this year.

DRIVER CHANGE: #7-Tommy Baldwin Racing

DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Rick Ware Racing

DRIVER CHANGE: #53-Rick Ware Racing

It’s a dizzying series of driver swaps at Rick Ware Racing, where two of their teams, plus leasing affiliate Tommy Baldwin Racing, will trade lineups. James Davison returns from his unfortunate weekend in the Indianapolis 500 to tackle the Daytona high banks, taking the place of Joey Gase in the #51 Signing Day Ford. Gase will drive the #53 in place of Josh Bilicki, putting Gase in both Daytona races this weekend. Bilicki goes to the Baldwin #7 Ariens Chevrolet, taking the place of Garrett Smithley, who isn’t entered on the Cup side this weekend.

RETURNING: #62-Beard Motorsports

Brendan Gaughan returns after finishing last on the Daytona infield road course, and will roll off from the 40th spot on Saturday. This will mark Gaughan’s penultimate NASCAR start before he calls it a career this fall in Talladega.

DRIVER CHANGE: #77-Spire Motorsports

Ross Chastain will return to the #77 this week while defending race winner Justin Haley, who ran this car last year, isn't in the field. Reed Sorenson ran this car in both Dover races last week, and had been entered until the driver change was revealed late this week. Also revealed was Moose Fraternity as sponsor.

MISSING: #78-B.J. McLeod Motorsports

B.J. McLeod will focus exclusively on his XFINITY Series run with JD Motorsports, and has not brought his #78 Chevrolet to this weekend’s Cup Series field. McLeod finished 38th last Saturday in Dover, then improved to a solid 31st in the Sunday round – the third-best finish for his fledgling Cup effort in 2020.

Sunday, August 30, 2020

TRUCKS Race 14 of 23

CarShield 200 Presented by CK Power at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway

2019 Last-Place Finisher (June): Greg Rayl

ENTRY LIST

There are 34 drivers entered for 40 spots, down one entry from last week’s Dover event.

WITHDREW: #7-All Out Motorsports

The #7 team wasn’t entered last week in Dover, where their driver Korbin Forrister made a surprising return the XFINITY Series with DGM Racing for the weekend. The team had been entered without Forrister or any other driver listed behind the wheel, but the team then withdrew by Tuesday. Forrister is likewise not entered in the XFINITY race in Daytona.

MISSING: #28-FDNY Racing

Bryan Dauzat is also not entered in Gateway after the Jim Rosenblum effort withdrew prior to last week’s round in Dover.

RETURNING: #30-On Point Motorsports

Danny Bohn turned heads last fall with an 8th-place finish in his series debut at Martinsville, but had yet to make a single Truck Series start in 2020. That changes this weekend as North American Motor Car sponsors his return to the #30 team. This also marks a return of the On Point team after they didn’t enter the Dover race following Scott Lagasse, Jr.’s surprising season-best 9th-place finish on the Daytona infield road course.

NEW TEAM: #41-Cram Enterprises

MISSING: #55-Long Motorsports

Dawson Cram’s big news broke on Tuesday when he revealed he would co-own his new Truck Series entry, the #41 Chevrolet, fielded under his family’s Cram Enterprises. Magnum Contracting, Inc. will sponsor the hood of Cram’s white-and-blue machine. Boyd Long, who had Cram drive for him part-time through their final start together at Dover, has not entered the #55 this week following their 25th-place performance on the “Monster Mile.”

DRIVER CHANGE: #44-Niece Motorsports

Natalie Decker is back in place of Bayley Currey, who will be running neither the XFINITY race in Daytona nor the Truck Series race in Gateway. Currey ran 18th in Dover.

DRIVER CHANGE: #49-CMI Motorsports

DRIVER SWAP: #56-Hill Motorsports

Roger Reuse gives it another shot after finishing last without starting the Daytona road course, taking the place of Tyler Hill in Ray Ciccarelli’s #49. Tyler Hill will also take the controls of his family’s #56 while brother Timmy pulls double-duty in Daytona. Hair Club sponsors Tyler’s effort.

MISSING: #75-Henderson Motorsports

Parker Kligerman is not entered after a frustrating engine failure in Dover left him 34th last Friday.

MISSING: #83-CMI Motorsports

The second Ciccarelli truck is likewise not entered after Tim Viens finished 31st with it in Dover. Viens will instead run the XFINITY race for Mike Harmon (see above) while Ciccarelli will not race on Sunday.

DRIVER CHANGE: #00-Reaume Brothers Racing

While J.J. Yeley elected to run for Truck Series points prior to Dover, he will not run Sunday’s race in Gateway as he focuses on his Cup ride with Rick Ware Racing. Taking Yeley’s place is Kyle Donahue, whose brother Kevin ran for the Reaume team earlier this summer. Sunday marks Kevin’s first start since 2018, when he ran 22nd for the late Mike Mittler at Martinsville.

TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (August 27, 1983): Johnny McFadden, who would later take the 1992 LASTCAR Cup Series Championship driving a second car for Jimmy Means, scored his first Cup Series last-place finish at Bristol when his #45 McFadden Racing Buick fell out with brake issues after 44 laps of the Busch 500. 

CUP: A frustrating day for Rick Ware Racing ends against the inside wall at Dover

PHOTO: @JoeyGaseRacing

Joey Gase picked up the 7th last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in Sunday’s Drydene 311 Race 2 at the Dover International Speedway when his #51 Race For Relief / Gift of Life Donor Program Ford was involved in a multi-car accident after 4 of 311 laps.

The finish, which came in Gase’s 64th series start, was his second of the year and first since the first race of the Michigan double-header, four races ago. In the Cup Series’ last-place history, it was the 28th for the #51, the 602nd from a crash, and the 702nd for Ford. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 41st for the #51, the 966th for Ford, and the 1,221st from a crash.

This past weekend promised to be one of the busiest in the history of Rick Ware Racing. On top of fielding four cars in the weekend’s two Cup Series races following their merger with Premium Motorsports, Ware would also be breaking into the IndyCar Series for the first time. On August 6 came news that Ware had partnered with Dale Coyne Racing to field an entry for James Davison in the Indianapolis 500. The primary sponsor would be Jacob Construction, a longtime backer of the Ware effort, and would field the team’s familiar #51. With 33 cars entered for as many spots, Davison didn’t have to worry about being bumped from the field, and secured the 27th starting spot with a four-lap average of 228.747mph, slowest among the Honda contingent.

Unfortunately, Sunday’s running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” did not go according to plan. On Lap 6, while running some distance behind the field in 32nd, something catastrophic happened behind the right-front wheel. The center of the wheel appeared to fail halfway down the backstretch, and the brake rotor glowed bright red. By the time Davison stopped at the entrance to pit road, the tire had come apart, and the entire assembly had caught fire. While Davison managed to climb out of the car without serious injury, the car was totaled. And after Ed Carpenter returned to action following 14 laps of repairs for early wall contact, Davison inherited last place.

Back in Dover, the second Cup race was set to go green around the halfway point of the 500. Among the Ware contingent in the field was Joey Gase, who debuted a new scheme for the weekend. Although the original render of Gase’s ride was of a white car with matching white numbers, but by the time the car arrived, the numbers were dark blue to match the Gift of Life logo. Gase finished 35th on Saturday with the car intact, and the metric placed him 38th for Sunday’s second round of the double-header.

While Kurt Busch finished last in the Saturday race, the metric placed him 28th for Sunday, giving the last spot to B.J. McLeod in his #78 Royal Teak Chevrolet. Busch would, however, incur a tail-end penalty along with Alex Bowman after both were involved in an early crash on Saturday, sending each to backup cars. Both drivers would still start ahead of McLeod at the green as McLeod started in the last row alongside Garrett Smithley in the #7 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet. Smithley was sent to the rear for an engine change.

Gase towed behind the wall.
PHOTO: Matthew Pencek, @mattpencektv

At the green flag, McLeod drew ahead of Smithley and began to race Timmy Hill in the #66 Manscaped Toyota. McLeod was last across the stripe, 6.142 seconds back of the lead, but by Lap 3 had put Smithley in last. The field remained close in the early laps with Smithley’s new engine keeping him within 9.89 seconds of the lead on Lap 4. By then, Gase slipped back to the 39th spot, into the clutches of both Smithley and Hill. But coming off the fourth corner, Smithley made contact with Gase while Hill checked-up. Gase backed into the outside wall, then nosed into the inside barrier with the right-front. Smithley stopped on the apron of the frontstretch, but managed to avoid serious contact.

The incident between Smithley and Gase occurred just a moment after the leaders also found trouble. Joey Logano spun Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.’s #47 Kroger Chevrolet off Turn 4 and slammed the inside wall with the right-rear. Because of a strong 10th-place run in Saturday’s race, Stenhouse had taken the green in 11th, and several drivers checked-up and made contact. The 16th-place Chase Elliott rear-ended Kyle Busch’s #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota. While Busch had slight damage to the rear bumper, Elliott’s #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet was pushed in significantly.

While Elliott made it to pit road with the rest of those involved, Gase’s car was towed behind the wall, out of the race. The #51 crew then set to work figuring out what to do with the four sets of sticker tires they had on hand. Elliott then pulled behind the wall soon after, done for the day with his own crash damage. All the other damaged cars continued on, including Stenhouse, who cleared the “Crash Clock,” then pulled behind the wall for further repairs on Lap 20. That same time by, Elliott was declared out by NASCAR Officials. It wasn’t until Lap 49 that NASCAR did the same for Gase.

With that, Rick Ware Racing set two unfortunate last-place records. It was the first time a single team finished last in a Cup Series race run on the same day as the Indianapolis 500. It also marked the first time the car number that finished last in the Indianapolis 500 also finished last in a Cup Series race held the same day (the Coca-Cola 600 or otherwise).

Taking the 38th spot was J.J. Yeley in the #27 Thriv5 Ford, which fell off the pace on Lap 88, then spent an extended stay behind the wall with a broken shock. Yeley returned to action with the shock replaced, but ultimately fell out after completing just 110 laps. Stenhouse’s damaged car returned to the track around Lap 101 after some significant work under the car by the JTG-Daugherty crew. Running 88 laps down at the time, Stenhouse ultimately turned 215 laps, but advanced no further than 37th. Timmy Hill rounded out the Bottom Five, completing his five-race sweep of running every race during the busy Dover weekend.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first last-place finish for the #51 in a Cup Series race at Dover.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

40) #51-Joey Gase / 4 laps / crash

39) #9-Chase Elliott / 6 laps / crash

38) #27-J.J. Yeley / 110 laps / handling

37) #47-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. / 215 laps / running

36) #66-Timmy Hill / 252 laps / engine

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) JTG-Daugherty Racing (6)

2nd) Motorsports Business Management, Rick Ware Racing (3)

3rd) Chip Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing (2)

4th) Beard Motorsports, B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Front Row Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Leavine Family Racing, StarCom Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (16)

2nd) Toyota (5)

3rd) Ford (4)

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

XFINITY: Vinnie Miller’s early charge halted after tangle with Earnhardt at Dover

SCREENCAP: @NASCARONFOX

Vinnie Miller picked up the 2nd last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career in the Drydene 200 Race 2 at the Dover International Speedway when his #78 GlassSkinz Chevrolet was involved in a two-car accident after 11 of 200 laps.

The finish, which came in Miller’s 87th series start, was his first of the season and first since November 17, 2018 at Homestead, 54 races ago. In the XFINITY Series’ last-place history, it was the 7th for the #78, the 334th from a crash, and the 553rd for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 36th for the #78, the 1,220th from a crash, and the 1,736th for Chevrolet.

Following point finishes of 27th and 23rd in his first two full-time XFINITY seasons the last two years, Miller has run all but one race in the series this year, excepting only the Daytona infield road course just last week, where road course competitors Scott Heckert and Josh Bilicki joined teammate Matt Mills at the B.J. McLeod Motorsports effort. Miller enjoyed a solid start to the year, finishing 14th in the Daytona opener, 15th two rounds later in Fontana, and a season-best 12th in the seventh round in Bristol. But coming into Dover, he’d scored just one top-twenty finish since.

At Dover, Miller welcomed his first new primary sponsor since the start of the season as GlassSkinz.com backed his #78 for both races in Dover. The GlassSkinz company sells stylish rear window skins for current-model sports cars, including the production version of the Camaro like the one his #78 was modeled after. After finishing 28th, four laps down, in Saturday’s first round of the double-header, Miller would start 29th in the Sunday race.

Miller would also incur a tail-end penalty for unapproved adjustments, which would also drop to the rear 18th-place Alex Labbe in the #90 Prolon / VRVictoriaVille.com Chevrolet and Jeffrey Earnhardt in the #0 Drydene Chevrolet. Daniel Hemric, set to start 9th, would drop to the back after taking the place of Saturday’s driver Jeb Burton along with his sponsor in the #8 Poppy Bank Chevrolet while 6th-place Chase Briscoe in the #98 Highpoint.com Ford was docked for running the only backup car.

These penalized drivers shuffled the lineup for the tail end of the field, where Saturday’s last-place finisher Timmy Hill was set to start 36th in the #66 Jani-King Toyota. Not dropping to the rear was 5th-place Anthony Alfredo, who discovered a power steering issue during the pace laps on the #21 ADS / Footing First Chevrolet. 

On Lap 4, Miller climbed to 32nd, dropping Korbin Forrister to last in the #36 Nursing Home Heroes Chevrolet. On Lap 7, Miller climbed to 30th and was reeling in 29th-place Jeffrey Earnhardt. Two laps later, he completed the pass, but Earnhardt continued to contest the position. On Lap 11, the two were side-by-side off the second corner when Miller crossed Earnhardt’s nose, slamming the #78 hard into the outside wall. Miller rolled down the backstretch with heavy right-front damage before the right-front tire failed, putting him into the Turn 3 wall. The caution fell for the accident as Miller reached the stripe, debris from his fender still in Turn 3. He pulled behind the wall, done for the day. Miller promptly took last from teammate Matt Mills, whose J.F. Electric Chevrolet was still on the lead lap in last place on Lap 10.

The 35th spot fell to Kyle Weatherman, who cited suspension issues on the #47 Thin Blue Line USA Chevrolet. As of this writing, the Mike Harmon Racing team is still trying to recover the truck, hauler, and Weatherman’s road course car that were stolen from a parking lot following last week’s race in Daytona. With the help of several partners, the initial $5,000 reward has increased to $20,100. Bayley Currey, Weatherman’s teammate in the #74 Chevrolet, finished 33rd with engine trouble.

Timmy Hill took 34th, though he nearly returned to the track after Jeffrey Earnhardt’s damaged car hit the wall when they were in the garage. As Earnhardt kept rolling, the Motorsports Business Management crew elected to pull out of the race. Completing the Bottom Five was Korbin Forrister, who dropped out with brake issues after briefly holding last place in the early laps.

Coming home an impressive 10th was Brett Moffitt in Our Motorsports’ #02 Robert B. Our, Inc. Chevrolet. Moffitt, who ran a “throwback” scheme honoring Jimmie Johnson and his “red vest” Lowe’s paint job, inherited the pole after the field inversion from Saturday. He led the opening 24 laps, then once more, appropriately, on Lap 48. These were the first laps led by the #02 this season, and was Moffitt’s fifth top-ten run in 2020.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first XFINITY last-place finish for the #78 since September 28, 2019, when J.J. Yeley’s run in the BringYourBible.org Toyota ended after 5 laps with a crash during the Drive for the Cure 250 on the Charlotte “Roval.”

*The number hadn’t finished last in an XFINITY race at Dover since May 30, 1998, when Loy Allen, Jr. scored his first series last-place finish due to rear end trouble on his Mark III Financial Chevrolet after 18 laps of the MBNA Platinum 200. This also happened to be the first last-place run for the #78 in series history.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

36) #78-Vinnie Miller / 11 laps / crash

35) #47-Kyle Weatherman / 23 laps / suspension

34) #66-Timmy Hill / 59 laps / overheating

33) #74-Bayley Currey / 106 laps / engine

32) #36-Korbin Forrister / 167 laps / brakes

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Motorsports Business Management (5)

2nd) Joe Gibbs Racing (3)

3rd) JD Motorsports, Jimmy Means Racing, Mike Harmon Racing, Shepherd Racing Ventures (2)

4th) B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Jeremy Clements Racing, JR Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, SS-Green Light Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (13)

2nd) Toyota (8)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

CUP: Early contact hands Kurt Busch first last-place finish of the season

SCREENSHOT: NBC Sports

Kurt Busch picked up the 7th last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in the Drydene 311 Race 1 at the Dover International Speedway when his #1 Gearwrench Chevrolet was involved in a multi-car accident after 6 of 311 laps.

The finish, which came in Busch’s 708th series start, was his first of the season and first since September 15, 2019 at Las Vegas, 33 races ago. In the Cup Series’ last-place history, it was the 36th for the #1, the 602nd from a crash, and the 792nd for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 66th for the #1, the 1,219th from a crash, and the 1,735th for Chevrolet.

Coming into Dover, the site of his Cup Series debut in the fall of 2000, Kurt Busch had been a model of consistency. Through still without a win since last summer at Kentucky, he’d finished no worse than 18th since the season’s second race of the year in Las Vegas, locking him in a tight points battle with his brother Kyle. In all, he’d scored four top-five finishes and 14 Top Tens, earning an average finish of 11.4. His season-best runs were a pair of 3rd-place finishes back in the spring, both at Fontana and the Sunday round in Darlington. But while the Ganassi team had won the most recent Cup race at Dover last fall with Kyle Larson, Busch hadn’t taken the checkered flag in a Cup race there since 2011, when he drove for Team Penske.

Busch drew the 9th starting spot, and carried sponsorship from Gearwrench for the first time since Homestead.

Drawing the 40th and final starting spot was B.J. McLeod, who brought to the Cup Series his leased Chevrolet from Rick Ware Racing for the first time since Kansas. This time, he drove an all-black car with sponsorship from Royal Teak, a frequent backer of Jay Robinson’s team before the Premium Motorsports merger with Rick Ware Racing. “Keep him safe,” said the crew, “bring this thing back in one piece, and tomorrow we'll get a little more grip.” Dropping to the rear was another Ware / Premium entry, the #15 Remember Everyone Deployed Chevrolet of Brennan Poole. Poole was slated to start 30th, but dropped back alongside McLeod.

When the race started, both McLeod and Poole made quick work of 39th-place starter Garrett Smithley in the #7 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet. Smithley incurred a pass-through penalty for an impound rule violation, requiring him to serve the penalty after taking the green. Smithley lost a lap during the stop and was back up to speed on Lap 3. Meanwhile, McLeod had climbed to 36th, passing both Joey Gase in the #51 Race For Relief / Gift of Life Donor Program Ford and Quin Houff in a Harry Gant “throwback” paint scheme on his #00 Eagle Rock Wealth Chevrolet.

Busch, meanwhile, had fallen into the clutches of 13th-place starter Erik Jones in the #20 DeWalt Atomic Toyota. As the two came off the second corner, Jones looked to the inside, then made light contact with Busch’s left-rear, immediately hooking the #1 into the inside wall. Busch made hard contact with the left-front corner. Jones also suffered damage in the incident after he was immediately rear-ended by the #88 Acronis Chevrolet of Alex Bowman. All three made it to pit road.

“It’s gonna have to be cut off,” said Busch, who also reported he lost oil pressure. “It hit way too hard not to be.” By Lap 8, Busch had lost two laps, and took last from Smithley. “10-4, it’s done,” said someone on Busch’s crew. The team debated about whether to push the car or get a wrecker. It wasn’t until around Lap 12 that Busch was able to be pushed to the infield, at one point wondering if they would have to wait until a later caution. As they did, the team said they gave Jones “just enough room, but he just barely clipped us.”

Finishing 39th was Reed Sorenson, who endured a difficult afternoon in the #77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. With six laps to go in Stage 1, his car started trailing smoke from the right-front, and he pulled to the high lane. The crew believed he was dropping oil, so he pulled to the apron. Joey Logano was among the drivers to break loose in the fluid, though the field avoided any accidents. With four to go, Sorenson pulled down pit road with an even larger plume of smoke. Sorenson remained on pit road until Lap 74, when a wrecker pushed him to the garage. The crew discovered a wiggins clamp had come loose, causing an oil leak. He returned to action on Lap 149, 86 laps down, and ran just 83 laps in total before he pulled out a second time.

Finishing 38th was B.J. McLeod, who turned 166 laps before he pulled behind the wall. Smithley took 37th with Poole rounding out the Bottom Five.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first last-place finish for the #1 in a Cup race at Dover since October 2, 2016, when Jamie McMurray had engine trouble after 192 laps.

*This was also Kurt Busch’s first last-place finish in a Cup race at Dover.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

40) #1-Kurt Busch / 6 laps / crash

39) #77-Reed Sorenson / 83 laps / handling

38) #78-B.J. McLeod / 166 laps / handling

37) #7-Garrett Smithley / 241 laps / battery

36) #15-Brennan Poole / 286 laps / rear end

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) JTG-Daugherty Racing (6)

2nd) Motorsports Business Management (3)

3rd) Chip Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing, Rick Ware Racing (2)

4th) Beard Motorsports, B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Front Row Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Leavine Family Racing, StarCom Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (16)

2nd) Toyota (5)

3rd) Ford (3)

2020 LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

XFINITY: Timmy Hill scores first XFINITY last-place finish in nearly four years

PHOTO: Hunter Martin, Getty Images (Thank you to @ARRacing7CR)

Timmy Hill picked up the 3rd last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career in Saturday’s Drydene 200 Race 1 at the Dover International Speedway when his #66 Jani-King Toyota fell out with a vibration after 55 of 200 laps.

The finish, which came in Hill’s 202nd series start, was his first of the season and first in the series since October 15, 2016, 122 races ago. In the XFINITY Series last-place rankings, it was the 11th for the #66, the 140th for Toyota, and the 140th from a vibration. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 75th for the #66, the 214th for vibration, and the 342nd for Toyota.

Dover proved to be one of the most challenging weekends for Hill as he’d enter all five combined Cup, XFINITY, and Truck Series races held on three consecutive days. He’d also start the weekend as both owner and driver while competing against his brother Tyler Hill. Timmy drove his family’s #56 Chevrolet while Tyler took the place of Ray Ciccarelli in his #49 Back the Blue Chevrolet. Timmy prevailed in the race, taking 21st over Tyler in 30th.

Timmy would continue to race for Carl Long’s team Motorsports Business Management in both Cup and XFINITY. On the XFINITY side, where he hadn’t finished last since back-to-back races in 2016, he had driven all three of Long’s cars this season with a season-best 3rd in the season opener at Daytona, driving the #66, an 8th at Pocono and 14th at Bristol in the #61, and a 19th in his one-off in the #13 at the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit. Dover would mark his first time in the #66 XFINITY car since Charlotte in May, and he’d share sponsorship from Jani-King with teammate Stephen Leicht in the #61.

Hill drew the 36th and final starting spot, but had radio issues on pit road as the crew couldn’t hear the driver’s voice. Sitting 25th on pit road, Matt Mills also had radio trouble on the #5 J.F. Electric Chevrolet, and was about to be pushed to his pit stall before the crew raised the window net. Mills and Hill joined the field along with Korbin Forrister, whose #36 Nursing Home Heroes Chevrolet needed a push off pit road. Forrister ultimately dropped to the rear along with 33rd-place Colby Howard, whose team made unapproved adjustments to the #15 Project Hope Foundation Chevrolet. 

When the race started, Howard and Forrister were about five seconds back of the lead, but weren’t racing for last place. That spot fell to Mills, who missed the start due to additional issues on the #5. “When I turn the wheel, it keeps undoing the belts,” said Mills on Lap 3. He finally pulled onto the track on Lap 11, but was furious on the radio. According to the driver, something was dangling from the roof of the car, blocking his view of the track and touching the steering wheel, and at least one pair of vice grips was left on the floor of the cockpit. “I don't know if we're meeting minimum speed because I can't see the goddamned race track,” shouted Mills.

On Lap 23, Mills returned to pit road, but missed the garage entrance. He was behind the wall by Lap 26, when NASCAR confirmed he’d pulled alongside the infield care center. At the time, he’d completed just nine laps. He didn’t return to action until Lap 42, when he was now 34 laps down. This time, he was told not to blend into traffic, and instead run the apron as he waited for the end of Stage 1. By then, Mills also reported his tachometer had stopped working. While a pit road speeding penalty was expected, he instead incurred a tail-end penalty for the crew coming over the wall too soon on Lap 49.

Hill didn’t enter the last-place battle until Lap 60, when NASCAR reported the #66 was behind the wall with a mechanical issue. At the time, he was listed five laps down, and Mills had nearly 30 laps to close the gap. On Lap 69, NASCAR reported Hill was out with a vibration, and Mills now had just 22 laps to catch and pass him. On Lap 92, under the caution to end the second stage, Mills finally caught and passed Hill, putting the #66 in last place. Mills only gained two more spots before taking the checkers in 33rd, 39 laps down.

Taking the 35th spot was Bayley Currey, whose #74 Mutt & Jeff Porkskins Chevrolet lost fuel pressure. B.J. McLeod took 34th after his #6 Drydene Chevrolet suddenly slowed in the high lane of Turn 4 on Lap 150, then pulled into the garage area entering Turn 3. Suspension issues were the listed cause of McLeod’s issue. Rounding out the Bottom Five in front of Mills was Korbin Forrister, who finished nine laps down.

Brandon Brown finished just 14th in his #68 Jabs Construction Chevrolet, but turned heads with some pit strategy that gave him the lead on Lap 93. Brown led four laps under caution, and while Justin Allgaier took the lead on the restart, he hung on to a Top 10 spot well past Lap 127. Most critically, the run kept him 27 points ahead of 13th-place points man Jeremy Clements, who finished one spot ahead of Brown in 13th.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marks the first last-place finish for the #66 in an XFINITY Series race at Dover.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

36) #66-Timmy Hill / 55 laps / vibration

35) #74-Bayley Currey / 92 laps / fuel pressure

34) #6-B.J. McLeod / 146 laps / suspension

33) #5-Matt Mills / 154 laps / running

32) #36-Korbin Forrister / 185 laps / running

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Motorsports Business Management (5)

2nd) Joe Gibbs Racing (3)

3rd) JD Motorsports, Jimmy Means Racing, Mike Harmon Racing, Shepherd Racing Ventures (2)

4th) Jeremy Clements Racing, JR Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, SS-Green Light Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (12)

2nd) Toyota (8)

2020 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

TRUCKS: Tire-blistering pace the last straw for Norm Benning at Dover

PHOTO: Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images

Norm Benning picked up the 16th last-place finish of his NASCAR Gander Outdoor & RV Truck Series career in Friday’s KDI Office Technology 200 at the Dover International Speedway when his #6 H&H Transport Chevrolet fell out with brake issues after 56 of 200 laps.

The finish, which came in Benning’s 223rd series start, was his second of the season and first since Kentucky, six races ago. In the Truck Series’ last-place history, it was the 15th for the #6, the 26th from brake issues, and the 391st for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 63rd for the #6, the 162nd for brake issues, and the 1,734th for Chevrolet.

The finish gave Benning the overall lead in the 2020 LASTCAR Truck Series Championship standings and extends his all-time record for most last-place finishes in the Truck Series. He now leads runner-up Johnny Chapman by two finishes.

Coming into the Dover race, the popular underdog bounced back from four DNFs in his first five starts to finish under power in three consecutive races. The turning point came in the second round of the Kansas double-header, where he engaged in a spirited battle with fellow owner-driver Ray Ciccarelli. What began as a race for last place in Stage 2 later became a race for 24th, with Ciccarelli taking the spot by one lap.

Benning’s season-best 25th in Kansas was followed by a 31st-place run on the Michigan oval, then a recovery from a spin on the Daytona infield road course to take 27th. Benning endured through the Florida heat that day, an effort made more difficult after he lost the straw for the drink the crew handed him late in the race.

The improved performance helped Benning’s metric for qualifying as he drew the 27th spot in a field of 35, a list reduced from 36 after the withdrawal of Dauzat’s ride with FDNY Racing.

Drawing the final spot on the grid was Dawson Cram, who after reporting he had parted ways with Boyd Long elected to make one final start in the #55 Chevrolet for the Dover race. The only driver sent to the rear to join him was Tate Fogleman, who pitted his #02 Solid Rock Carriers Chevrolet from the 18th spot before the start of the race. Benning also appeared to drop back from his 27th spot at the start, and had taken last from Fogleman by the time FS1 first showed the final position on Lap 5. At that moment, Benning was 16.99 seconds back of the lead, and nearly two full seconds behind Tim Viens in the #83 Trump 2020 Patriotic Chevrolet. Viens’ truck needed a paint scheme adjustment as NASCAR took issue with the roof numbers.

On Lap 7, Fogleman spun out of the 28th spot in Turn 4, drawing the first caution. Fogleman avoided contact with the wall, but took last from Benning, who had dropped more than 20 seconds back of the lead at the time. Fogleman lost a lap in the process, and remained last on the restart. With 16 laps to go in Stage 1, Fogleman had lost a second lap, and Benning his first, the #6 now running 34th. With three to go, GMS Racing teammates Tyler Ankrum and Zane Smith were seen speeding past Benning in the high lane, and Benning soon pulled low on the frontstretch to let more of the faster traffic by.

On Lap 60, just after he was lapped once again by Chandler Smith, Benning reported his tires were “terrible,” and the crew informed him that NASCAR said his #6 was running too slow. While radio communications seemed to indicate he’d try to come back out, the team’s day was done.

Finishing 34th was Parker Kligerman, who lost the engine on the #75 Food Country USA Chevrolet after 94 laps. Bryant Barnhill took 33rd in his return to the Reaume Brothers team, eliminated by ignition failure on the #33 Crowe Equipment Toyota. Clay Greenfield struggled to keep pace along with Benning in the early stages, and ultimately cited suspension as the reason for his exit after 133 laps in the #68 Rackley Roofing Toyota. Tim Viens rounded out the group as the last driver under power, a full 20 laps down to the race leaders.

Making just his fourth series start and his first ever at Dover, Carson Hocevar turned heads with a solid 12th-place finish for Al Niece in the #40 Scott’s / GM Parts Now Chevrolet. The run came just one week after his season-worst finish on the Daytona road course, where a late-race wreck left him 28th.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked Benning’s second-straight last-place finish in a Truck Series race at Dover. Last year, on May 3, 2019, he was flagged off the track for not maintaining minimum speed.

*Benning is just the second driver to finish last in the Truck Series race at Dover due to brake issues. The first was Camden Murphy on June 2, 2017.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

35) #6-Norm Benning / 56 laps / brakes

34) #75-Parker Kligerman / 94 laps / engine

33) #33-Bryant Barnhill / 109 laps / ignition

32) #68-Clay Greenfield / 133 laps / suspension

31) #83-Tim Viens / 180 laps / running

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Reaume Brothers Racing (3)

2nd) Norm Benning Racing (2)

3rd) CMI Motorsports, DGR-Crosley, FDNY Racing, Halmar Friesen Racing, Niece Motorsports, Spencer Davis Motorsports, ThorSport Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (7)

2nd) Ford, Toyota (3)

2020 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

PREVIEW: Five races at Dover make Indianapolis 500 weekend even busier

IMAGES: @OurMotorsports

Friday, August 21, 2020

TRUCKS Race 13 of 23

KDI Office Technology 200 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (May): Norm Benning

ENTRY LIST

There are 35 entries for 40 spots in Friday’s Truck Series race, down three entries from the Daytona road course event.

MISSING: #8-NEMCO Motorsports

The NEMCO team isn’t entered this week after Mike Skeen finished a quiet 23rd in his return to the series.

MISSING: #9-CR7 Motorsports

MISSING: #30-On Point Motorsports

MISSING: #04-Roper Racing

Perhaps most significantly, this weekend’s action in Dover will mark the first time in 2020 that each of these three teams are not entered. Of the group, On Point’s #30 finished best on the Daytona road course with Scott Lagasse, Jr. taking 9th place ahead of Cory Roper’s #04 in 26th and Codie Rohrbaugh’s #9 in 29th.

DRIVER CHANGE: #24-GMS Racing

Sam Mayer returns to the Truck Series for the first time since his three-race debut with GMS Racing last fall, where he ran 21st at Bristol, 28th at Martinsville, where he led 33 laps, and 19th at Phoenix. At Dover, he takes the place of Kris Wright, who finished 25th in his series debut last week in Daytona. All Weather Armour is Mayer’s listed sponsor.

WITHDREW: #28-FDNY Racing

It’s been a difficult few days for Bryan Dauzat, who last week in the ARCA race never completed a lap after his only car was destroyed in a practice crash. He was entered in Friday’s race, and slated to start 35th in the field of 36, but that changed by Wednesday as the team withdrew.

DRIVER CHANGE: #33-Reaume Brothers Racing

Bryant Barnhill returns for his third series start of the season and first since Kentucky, where he ran 33rd. He again drives for Josh Reaume, this time in place of 57-year-old Bryan Collyer, who ran a solid 18th in his first-ever NASCAR start last Sunday.

MISSING: #42-Niece Motorsports

Al Niece has not entered the #42 this week, a truck that spun and stalled with Mark Smith behind the wheel before brake issues ultimately left Smith 36th of the 38 starters.

DRIVER CHANGE: #44-Niece Motorsports

Just days after driving in relief of J.J. Yeley in Sunday’s Cup Series race, Bayley Currey will return to the Truck Series in place of Natalie Decker, driving the #44 Chevrolet. Currey will run double-duty along with his full-season XFINITY ride with Mike Harmon Racing.

DRIVER CHANGE: #49-CMI Motorsports

DRIVER SWAP: #56-Hill Motorsports

For the first time, brothers Timmy and Tyler Hill will race against each other in a Truck Series race. Tyler Hill takes the place of Roger Reuse, who was unable to start the Truck Series race in Daytona after clutch issues during the pace laps. Timmy will take Tyler’s place in the #56 the brothers both own, running a black paint scheme this week. Timmy will also run all three series this weekend, participating in all five events (see below).

DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Kyle Busch Motorsports

Chandler Smith makes only his third Truck Series start this year and first since his pole position in Michigan, taking the place of Alex Tagliani, who ran 22nd in Daytona.

RETURNING: #55-Boyd Long Motorsports

Despite Dawson Cram’s earlier tweet that he had parted ways with Boyd Long’s team, driver and team are again entered in this Friday’s race, where Cram will start from the last position.

DRIVER CHANGE: #68-Clay Greenfield Racing

Following the team’s withdrawal from Daytona that led to Roger Reuse running the XFINITY Series instead, Clay Greenfield returns to the driver’s seat this week.

DRIVER CHANGE: #00-Reaume Brothers Racing

J.J. Yeley makes his first Truck Series start since last summer at Bristol, and will again race for the Reaume Brothers. This time, he takes the controls of the #00, replacing Bobby Kennedy, who had to be relieved by Josh Reaume during last Sunday’s race.

CUP INVADERS: None

Saturday, August 22, 2020 (12:30 P.M. Eastern)

XFINITY Race 20 of 33

Drydene 200 Race 1 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (May): Josh Bilicki

ENTRY LIST

There are 36 drivers entered for 40 spots, down two entries from the Daytona road course. This will begin a challenging pair of double-headers for both the XFINITY Series and the Cup Series on Saturday and Sunday.

DRIVER SWAP: #0-JD Motorsports

DRIVER CHANGE: #15-JD Motorsports

Colby Howard returns to the XFINITY Series for the first time since Texas, where he ran 23rd. He drives the #15, taking the place of Jeffrey Earnhardt, who returns to Johnny Davis’ #0 in place of Mike Wallace, who isn’t entered after a 25th-place run in Daytona.

DRIVER CHANGE: #8-JR Motorsports

Jeb Burton and the State Water Heaters sponsorship are back on the #8 this week, the pair last entered in the Texas race where Burton finished 6th. He takes the place of Daniel Hemric, who wrecked out early at Daytona, but will hand the wheel back to Hemric for the second round of the Dover double-header (see below).

DRIVER CHANGE: #13-Motorsports Business Management

Chad Fichum returns to the #13 in which he was originally entered for last week’s Daytona race before Bobby Reuse took his place. Garrison Homes is the listed sponsor for Finchum’s #13 Toyota.

DRIVER CHANGE: #21-Richard Childress Racing

Earl Bamber ran strong at Daytona before he twice found trouble on the road course, cutting short his NASCAR debut. This week, Anthony Alfredo returns to the driver’s seat for his 11th series start and first since Texas. ADS / Footing First are his listed sponsors for the #21 Chevrolet.

MISSING: #26-Sam Hunt Racing

Brandon Gdovic is not entered after a late-race crash left them a disappointing 28th in Daytona.

DRIVER CHANGE: #36-DGM Racing

Korbin Forrister is set to make his fifth XFINITY Series start and first since September 23, 2017 at Kentucky, where he ran 33rd. This week, he drives for Mario Gosselin, taking the place of Preston Pardus, whose top-ten streak ended at two after he was collected in a crash at Daytona. Nursing Home Heroes is Forrister’s listed sponsor.

TEAM UPDATE: #47-Mike Harmon Racing

As of this writing, Mike Harmon's team is still searching for the truck, trailer, and car that Kyle Weatherman raced last week in Daytona after they were reported stolen Sunday in Kingsland, Georgia. Just yesterday, sponsor Repairables.com doubled the $5,000 reward. Rick Ware, Josh Reaume, and Johnny Davis have also offered help to MHR as they prepare both cars for this weekend. Full details in this article.

DRIVER CHANGE: #66-Motorsports Business Management

Timmy Hill returns to MBM’s #66 in place of road racer Harold Crooms, who fell out with brake issues and finished 35th in Daytona. Both Hill and teammate Stephen Leicht in the #61 are listed with the same sponsorship from Jani-King.

DRIVER CHANGE: #78-B.J. McLeod Motorsports

Vinnie Miller returns to the XFINITY Series after taking the Daytona week off, and is back in the #78 for the first time since Kansas. He takes the place of Scott Heckert, who flirted with a strong finish before late issues left him 19th. Glasskinz is listed as Miller’s sponsor.

DRIVER CHANGE: #99-B.J. McLeod Motorsports

Rich Mar Florist, which sponsored Garrett Smithley earlier this year (including in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series) is the listed sponsor for Stefan Parsons, who returns to the #99 in place of Josh Bilicki, 12th in Daytona. Rich Mar will also sponsor Spencer Boyd in the Truck Series race on Friday. Parsons has four previous XFINITY starts this year, most recently a season-best 18th in Texas.

DRIVER CHANGE: #02-Our Motorsports

Andy Lally turned heads with back-to-back 5th-place finishes in a Mark Martin throwback on the road courses. This week, Brett Moffitt will do the same in a throwback scheme to Jimmie Johnson’s “red vest” paint scheme on his #02 Chevrolet.

DRIVER CHANGE: #07-SS-Green Light Racing

David Starr jumps aboard the #07 for the first time since Kansas, where he ran 24th, taking the place of road racer Jade Buford, who ran 16th last week in Daytona. ATS and Jacob Construction are the listed sponsors.

CUP INVADERS: None

Saturday, August 22, 2020 (4:00 P.M. Eastern)

CUP Race 24 of 36

Drydene 311 Race 1 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (May, 400 miles): B.J. McLeod

ENTRY LIST

There are 40 teams entered for as many spots, the first full field since Kansas, and the 13th in 24 races this season.

DRIVER CHANGE: #3-Richard Childress Racing

Austin Dillon is expected to return from his one-week hiatus following a positive COVID-19 test, an incident which led to Kaz Grala’s impressive 7th-place finish in his series debut. Dow / Behr Ultra Scuff Defense is the listed sponsor for Dillon’s return.

RETURNING: #7-Tommy Baldwin Racing

DRIVER SWAP: #53-Rick Ware Racing

Garrett Smithley hops from Rick Ware’s #53 to the returning #7 fielded by Tommy Baldwin, Jr. This leaves open the #53 for Josh Bilicki, who isn’t running XFINITY this week as he takes a turn in the Insurance King / The Wounded Blue Chevrolet.

DRIVER CHANGE: #51-Rick Ware Racing

Joey Gase drives the #51 for the first time since Loudon, and makes his first Cup start since his own turn in the TBR #7 in the first race of the Michigan double-header earlier this month. Gase is listed as driving a Ford this week. He takes the place of James Davison, who isn’t entered following a 30th-place run in Daytona.

MISSING: #62-Beard Motorsports

Brendan Gaughan will not run in Dover after his last-place finish due to transmission issues on the tight Daytona road course. Gaughan is expected to return next week on the Daytona oval, which will be the penultimate round of his retirement season.

DRIVER CHANGE: #77-Spire Motorsports

Reed Sorenson is back in the Cup Series for the first time since his filming duties in the “Fake Steak” #74 at Michigan, taking the place of Stanton Barrett in the #77 Chevrolet. Barrett struggled with brake issues and at least two off-course excursions en route to a 38th-place finish.

RETURNING: #78-B.J. McLeod Motorsports

In addition to his XFINITY Series duties as both driver and owner, B.J. McLeod fields his own Cup car for the first time since Kansas. After his last-place finish in the spring Cup race here last year, he rebounded with a 29th-place run in the fall, his best in four starts at the track.

Sunday, August 23, 2020 (1:00 P.M. Eastern)

XFINITY Race 21 of 33

Drydene 200 Race 2 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (October): Harrison Burton

ENTRY LIST

Unfortunately scheduled at the same time as the 104th Indianapolis 500, this second round of the XFINITY Series double-header will see the same 36 teams entered with just one driver change.

DRIVER CHANGE: #8-JR Motorsports

As indicated above, Daniel Hemric and his Poppy Bank sponsorship will return to the #8 team, looking to rebound from their disastrous outing in Daytona.

CUP INVADERS: None

Sunday, August 23, 2020 (4:00 P.M. Eastern)

CUP Race 25 of 36

Drydene 311 Race 2 at Dover

2019 Last-Place Finisher (October, 400 miles): Chase Elliott

ENTRY LIST

The same 40 teams are entered for the second round at Dover with no yet reported driver or team changes. The only changes are a crew chief swap for the #7 team (Tommy Baldwin, Jr. in place of Patrick Donahue) and a few primary sponsor changes: #9 Chase Elliott (Mountain Dew / Team Rubicon on Saturday; NAPA Auto Parts on Sunday), #17-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Fastenal; SunnyD), #19-Martin Truex, Jr. (SiriusXM; Bass Pro Shops), #20-Erik Jones (DeWalt Atomic; Reser’s Fine Foods), #21-Matt DiBenedetto (Menards / Monster Energy; Menards / Richmond), and #43-Bubba Wallace (Columbia; Doordash).

TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (August 20, 1955): Fred Johnson picked up the first last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in a 100-lap race on the one-mile paved Raleigh (North Carolina) Speedway. Johnson started 17th in the 29-car field driving a 1955 Cadillac fielded by Jim Lowe and Carl Beckham, a #56 sponsored by B & L Motors, a dealership near the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Johnson lasted just 27 laps before a burned piston ended his day. This was the second and final last-place finish for Cadillac in NASCAR history. The other occurrence was just six days earlier, when Gwyn Staley’s run with the same team resulted in a bearing issue after 3 laps of the Mid-South 250 at the Memphis-Arkansas (Arkansas) Speedway. Incidentally, this same team fielded a 1955 Oldsmobile for one Junior Johnson, who scored his first five career wins with the team.

ARCA: Carnage in practice leaves Dauzat unable to start historic Daytona race

SCREENCAP: @nascarcatholic

by William Soquet

LASTCAR.info Guest Contributor

Bryan Dauzat finished last for the second time in his ARCA Menards Series career in Friday’s General Tire 100 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course when his #57 Brother-In-Law Motorsports Chevrolet failed to start the race. 

The finish came in Dauzat’s 18th attempt at an ARCA Menards Series race, and was his first the 2016 season finale, 72 races ago.

The president of a construction company, Dauzat has dabbled in a number of forms of racing in the past decade. He was a regular in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour before that series became defunct and has also made sporadic starts in the main Whelen Modified Tour, CARS Super Late Model Tour, ARCA Menards Series, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

When the Talladega entry list was released without Dauzat’s trademark #57 car on the list, it marked the first time since 2015 that Dauzat did not enter either one of the restrictor plate races. However, the Louisiana driver did find his way on to the entry list for the Daytona road course event for his first career ARCA road course start. 

The overall entry list came close to the 25-car cap on the field, as 22 cars filled out the initial list. A number of road course ringers emerged for the series’ first road course start since 2017: Parker Chase, driving the Chad Bryant Racing #22; Ayrton Ori, driving the Visconti Motorsports 74 car; and Will Rodgers, driving the Steve McGowan Motorsports #17W car. Another road ringer not officially entered but still slated to compete was Colin Braun, scheduled to take over for Sam Mayer at the first caution of the race after Mayer suffered a hairline fracture in his wrist in a fiery Trans-Am crash at Road America on August 8.

Several other part-time drivers emerged for the race: semi-regulars Max McLaughlin, Russ Lane and Mike Basham; season debuts for Will Kimmel and Nick Igdalsky; and the series debut for Tim Monroe. Monroe, Ori, and Chase, the three series debuts, presented interesting contrasts: Monroe, a modified oval racer and Fast Track Racing crewman; Chase, an IMSA driver who had to give up a full-time 2020 slate to focus on education; and Ori, a sixteen-year-old aiming to be America’s next driver to appear on the Formula 1 circuit. A third entry for DGR-Crosley, the #54, was entered without a driver on the initial entry list and eventually withdrew.

Like most summer afternoons in Florida, Friday afternoon’s practice suffered a looming threat of rain. Also looming was the threat of the unknown, as many feared that ARCA competition throughout the weekend would be a more sloppy version of the inaugural Charlotte Roval race. Suffice to say, practice did in fact live up (or down?) to expectations. Practice started soon after 2:00 PM local time on Friday afternoon and within fifteen minutes, there was considerable action on track. Dauzat and Igdalsky had already found the tire barriers, and Russ Lane had an incident as well. Basham soon became the third car in the tire barriers. Midway through the session, Bret Holmes finally turned the first completed lap at a time of over nine minutes. Only thirteen cars took a time before practice was called for lightning, still leaving eight entries with little to no experience on track before the race.

As it was a no-qualifying weekend for the series, Dauzat was listed last on the starting grid due to the #57 having no previous attempts in 2020. Just ahead of him in Row 10 on the starting grid was Lane and Rodgers, both driving entries that have only made sporadic appearances this season. 

Unfortunately, Dauzat never took the starting grid, as the damage to the front clip was too much to overcome. Tim Monroe pulled off coming to the green, and Brad Smith retired after one lap complete. Con Nicolopoulos took three laps around the road course before becoming the last driver to exit the race, as no drivers failed to finish due to crash damage. Ayrton Ori rounded out the Bottom Five, two laps down after multiple issues on track, including a cut tire in the closing laps after a spin in the grass.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

21) #57-Bryan Dauzat / 0 laps / did not start

20) #11-Tim Monroe / 0 laps / electrical

19) #48-Brad Smith / 1 lap / transmission

18) #06-Con Nicolopoulos / 3 laps / overheating

17) #74-Ayrton Ori / 26 laps / running

2020 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (7)

2nd) Toyota (4)

3rd) Ford (1)

2020 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Fast Track Racing (5)

2nd) Wayne Peterson Racing (2)

3rd) Brother-In-Law Motorsports, DGR-Crosley, Kimmel Racing, Reeves Racing, Russ Lane Racing (1)

2020 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP