TRUCKS: Clay Greenfield Gets First Truck Series Last-Place Finish

SOURCE: Rubbin's Racin'

Clay Greenfield picked up the 1st last-place finish of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career in Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway when his #68 @ClayGreenfield RAM fell out with power steering problems after 6 of the race’s 134 laps. The finish came in Greenfield’s 16th series start.

Greenfield was competing in the third race of his third season on the circuit, a year that began with a career-best 10th-place finish at Daytona in February. He qualified 33rd for Friday’s race at an average speed of 174.967 mph.  This ranked him ninth among the sixteen "go-or-go-homers," and ahead of five drivers who failed to qualify.

In the race itself, Brennan Newberry and his #14 The Jeremy Staat Foundation Chevrolet brought out the first caution on Lap 3. Greenfield still ended up the first truck out of the race after his #68 was seen smoking on the apron following an early restart.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first last-place finish for the #68 in a Truck Series race since 2007, when Jack Smith’s Cooper-Bussmann Ford lost its engine on the opening lap of the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at Gateway.
*This was the first last-place finish for a Dodge Ram since 2010, when J.C. Stout’s #95 Team Gill Racing Dodge fell out two laps into the TheRaceDayRaffleSeries.com 175 at New Hampshire due to electrical problems.
*The last time a Dodge Ram finished last in a Truck race at Charlotte was in 2009, when Chris Fontaine’s #22 Red Rocks Café Dodge suffered an electrical problem four laps into that race driving a truck for owner Dwayne Gaulding. Fontaine edged then-teammate Donnie Neuenberger, whose #21 fell out two laps later.
*This was the first time a Truck Series driver has finished last due to a power steering failure.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
36) #68-Clay Greenfield / 6 laps / power steering
35) #08-Ross Chastain / 12 laps / engine
34) #38-Dennis Setzer / 19 laps / overheating
33) #7-John King / 24 laps / crash
32) #84-Chris Fontaine / 40 laps / engine

LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Jeb Burton, Rick Crawford, Grant Enfinger, Clay Greenfield, Jason Leffler (1)

LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #18-Kyle Busch Motorsports, #27-Hillman Racing, #60-Turn One Racing, #68-Clay Greenfield Motorsports, #74-Mike Harmon (1)

LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (3)
2nd) RAM, Toyota (1)

CUP: For The First Time Since 1965, The #26 Finishes Last at Darlington

SOURCE: motorsport.com

Josh Wise picked up the 2nd last-place finish of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career in Saturday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington when his #26 Morristown Drivers Service Ford fell out with a vibration after 19 of the race’s 368 laps.

The finish was Wise’s second of the 2012 season and his first since Bristol, seven races ago.

Wise qualified 30th at an average speed of 176.746 mph, ranking him a close second among the twelve "go-or-go-homers" who attempted to qualify. Wise was also fast in practice, clocking in the eighth-fastest time in Happy Hour.

On race day, Cole Whitt, making his second start in Turn One Racing’s #74, beat Wise to the garage area. However, Whitt returned to run at least ten more laps, moving him to 38th and Wise back to 43rd.

Finishing 41st and 42nd on Saturday were two teams making their first Cup starts of the season. The 42nd spot went to Archie St. Hilaire’s Go Green Racing, a Nationwide Series program who fielded a #79 Ford for Scott Speed. The team was unsuccessful in its first Cup attempt last month at Kansas, when Tim Andrews was driving. At Darlington, the #79, with logos to ailing seven-year-old Kyle St. Clair, sped to a 29th-place starting spot.

Scott Speed’s former ride from Martinsville, the #52 Crusader Staffing Toyota of Hamilton Means Racing, also made its debut with Mike Skinner behind the wheel. Skinner timed in 35th, securing part-owner Jimmy "Smut" Means his first Cup start in a points race since Gary Bradberry’s 12th-place start in the 1994 Hooters 500 at Atlanta.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*The last time the #26 finished last in a Cup race at Darlington was on September 6, 1965 when Junior Johnson’s 1965 Ford fell out ignition failure after one lap of the Southern 500. Johnson started on the pole and scored the 16th and final last-place finish of his driving career. This was also the race where Ned Jarrett won by a NASCAR record 14 laps over Buck Baker.
*The last time a Ford finished last in a Cup race at Darlington was in 2008, when Greg Biffle won the pole and led a LASTCAR-record 95 laps, only to suffer an engine failure after 234 laps of the Dodge Avenger 500.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #26-Josh Wise / 19 laps / vibration
42) #79-Scott Speed / 20 laps / overheating
41) #52-Mike Skinner / 20 laps / electrical
40) #87-Joe Nemechek / 27 laps / power steering
39) #30-David Stremme / 32 laps / overheating

LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Michael McDowell, Scott Speed, Josh Wise (2)
2nd) Brendan Gaughan, David Ragan, Scott Riggs, Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley (1)

LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #26-Front Row Motorsports, #95-Leavine Family Racing, #98-Phil Parsons Racing (2)
2nd) #23-R3 Motorsports, #33-Richard Childress Racing, #34-Front Row Motorsports, #49-Robinson-Blakeney Racing, #74-Turn One Racing (1)

LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Ford (7)
2nd) Chevrolet (3)
3rd) Toyota (1)

N’WIDE: Ryan Blaney Crashes Out Early At Darlington

SOURCE: Rubbin's Racin'

Ryan Blaney picked up the 1st last-place finish of his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in Friday’s VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at the Darlington Raceway when his #36 SealWrap.com / Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet was involved in a five-car accident after 1 of the 151 laps. The finish came in Blaney’s second series start.

The 18-year-old son of NASCAR Sprint Cup veteran Dave Blaney made his Nationwide Series debut last month at Richmond, where he turned heads with an impressive 7th-place finish. A 17th-place qualifying run at Darlington at an average speedway 167.859 mph was another step in the right direction, as he was second-fastest among the "go-or-go-homers" behind race winner Joey Logano.

Unfortunately, on Lap 2, Blaney lost control off the second corner and slapped the outside wall with the right-rear, tearing sheetmetal from the rear of his #36. Four other cars collided when they checked-up behind them, sending the #51 of Jeremy Clements into the inside wall. Blaney remained in 43rd while Chase Miller, his #46 with fender damage from the wreck, followed teammate Scott Speed to the garage.

Blaney’s third Nationwide Series start will come at Kentucky in June.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*The #36 had not finished last in a Nationwide race since 2010, when current LASTCAR leader Jeff Green’s TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet fell out with a vibration two laps into the season finale, the Ford 300 at Homestead. The number never before finished last in a Nationwide race at Darlington.
*The last time a Nationwide driver finished last at Darlington after one lap was in 2005, when Brian Vickers’ Pizza Hut Chevrolet also fell out in a crash. Vickers started on the outside-pole.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #36-Ryan Blaney / 1 lap / crash
42) #47-Scott Speed / 2 laps / clutch
41) #46-Chase Miller / 2 laps / crash
40) #24-Casey Roderick / 3 laps / crash
39) #42-Josh Wise / 7 laps / electrical

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Jeff Green (5)
2nd) Ryan Blaney, Mike Harmon, Kevin Lepage, Josh Wise (1)

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #10-TriStar Motorsports (5)
2nd) #36-Tommy Baldwin Racing, #42-The Motorsports Group, #52-Means Racing, #74-Mike Harmon (1)

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Toyota (5)
2nd) Chevrolet (4)

CUP: McDowell The First Ford Driver To Finish Last At Talladega In Six Years

SOURCE: motorsport.com

Michael McDowell picked up the 16th last-place finish of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career in Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at the Talladega Superspeedway when his #98 Curb Records Ford fell out with a vibration after 2 of the race’s 194 laps.

The finish was McDowell’s second last-place finish of 2012 and his first since Phoenix, eight races ago.

McDowell qualified 35th at a speed of 188.630 mph, ranking him fourth among the nine "go-or-go-homers" who attempted to qualify. Only Las Vegas last-placer J.J. Yeley in the Robinson-Blakeney Racing #49 missed the show.

In the early laps, Tony Raines and the Joe Falk-owned #33 was the first behind the wall, followed soon by McDowell. However, around the time Regan Smith lost the engine on his #78, both Raines and the #97 NEMCO Motorsports Toyota of Bill Elliott returned to the track. This shuffled McDowell back to 43rd, where he remained at the finish.

With Elliott coming home 37th, this ended a streak of NEMCO’s three consecutive last-place finishes in Cup races at Talladega, all with the #97.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*The last time the #98 finished last in a Cup race at Talladega was in 1985, when Trevor Boys’ McCaig Racing Chevrolet lost the engine after six laps. The finish was the first of two in Boys’ career, the second coming at North Wilkesboro the following spring.
*A Ford had not finished last in a Cup race at Talladega since 2006, when Hermie Sadler’s #00 Aaron’s Ford was taken out in a multi-car crash eight laps into that year’s Aaron’s 499.
*This was McDowell’s first Cup Series last-place finish at Talladega.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #98-Michael McDowell / 2 laps / vibration
42) #26-Josh Wise / 5 laps / rear gear
41) #87-Joe Nemechek / 7 laps / vibration
40) #78-Regan Smith / 15 laps / engine
39) #30-David Stremme / 30 laps / transmission

LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Michael McDowell, Scott Speed (2)
2nd) Brendan Gaughan, David Ragan, Scott Riggs, Reed Sorenson, Josh Wise, J.J. Yeley (1)

LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #95-Leavine Family Racing, #98-Phil Parsons Racing (2)
2nd) #23-R3 Motorsports, #26-Front Row Motorsports, #33-Richard Childress Racing, #34-Front Row Motorsports, #49-Robinson-Blakeney Racing, #74-Turn One Racing (1)

LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Ford (6)
2nd) Chevrolet (3)
3rd) Toyota (1)

N’WIDE: Kevin Lepage Ends Green’s Streak, Scores 425th Nationwide Finish For Chevrolet

SOURCE: Rubbin's Racin'

Kevin Lepage picked up the 11th last-place finish of his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in Saturday’s Aaron’s 312 at the Talladega Superspeedway when his #52 TTTR Racing Engines Chevrolet fell out with clutch problems after completing 1 of the race’s 122 laps.

Qualifying for the race was rained-out, and Lepage secured the 37th starting spot. Although at least one of the four The Motorsports Group Chevrolets made an early pit stop, it was Lepage who was the first behind the wall. TMG’s Scott Speed followed one lap later, joined by teammates Chase Miller and Josh Wise.

Jeff Green came home 39th, ending a three-race streak of last-place finishes that propelled him to the all-time LASTCAR lead last Saturday.

Lepage’s Talladega car was owned by longtime owner-driver and 1988 LASTCAR Champion. Means, who campaigned the #52 during his own driving career, is making his return to the Cup Series as a team owner this season. Next week at Darlington, Hamilton Means Racing will make its second Cup Series attempt with Mike Skinner aboard. The team narrowly missed the show at Martinsville last month with Scott Speed aboard.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first Nationwide last-place finish for Means Racing and the #52 since 2008, when Donnie Neunberger’s Plan B Technology Dodge fell out with handling woes after the opening lap of the Camping World RV Sales 200 at Dover.
*This was Lepage’s first last-place finish in the series since 2010, when his #56 Hyatt Place Richmond Airport Toyota fell out with fuel pump problems after 6 laps of the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond.
*The last time a Nationwide Series driver finished last due to clutch problems was in 2004, when David Keith’s #95 Sadler Brothers Racing Ford fell out two laps into the Pepsi 300 at Nashville.
*Lepage’s finish marked the 425th for Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #52-Kevin Lepage / 1 lap / clutch
42) #47-Scott Speed / 2 laps / ignition
41) #46-Chase Miller / 8 laps / vibration
40) #42-Josh Wise / 9 laps / electrical
39) #10-Jeff Green / 9 laps / vibration

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Jeff Green (5)
2nd) Mike Harmon, Kevin Lepage, Josh Wise (1)

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #10-TriStar Motorsports (5)
2nd) #42-The Motorsports Group, #52-Means Racing, #74-Mike Harmon (1)

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Toyota (5)
2nd) Chevrolet (3)