2014 PCC Cup LASTCAR

Based on Brock Beard's legendary LASTCAR blog, I will be doing the same, just with the PCC Cup Series.

Kris Wascher Wrecks Early in Debut



Kris Wascher collected the first last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career in the first race of the 2014 Round of Georgia when his #906 Red Bull Chevrolet Impala sustained crash damage after completing only 4 of the race's 40 laps.

Wascher failed to set a lap in qualifying, as did the likes of Tom Wilson, Kyle McWulla, Ike Durbin, Silvia Renaldi for Manticore Engineering, Ingrid Haddeland, Creeper Stevenson, and Eun Yong Kim.  These cars were ordered up based on practice speeds, which itself was cut short due to a torrential rainstorm that hit just 15 minutes into practice.

In the race, Eun Yong Kim held last place for the first half-lap, until he went to pass Wascher on the inside of the Short Chute before the long back straightaway.  Wascher threw a block, Kim shot across the track, and ricocheted into Wascher, sending him spinning into the grass.  Wascher would recover, but continued to hold the last position.  Wascher went to exit the pits as cars were cycling by, but failed to notice the Team Canada Racing entry of Alex Pausington, who he pulled in front of and cut off.  Pausington suffered major hood damage and would retire later that lap.  Wascher was pushed off track and struggled to maintain control of the car, ultimately burying it in the hay bales off of Turn 2.

Pausington himself would retire the next lap, on lap 5.  Preston Bell ended up finishing 37th after he suffered engine problems on lap 7, and was followed into the garage by Silvia Renaldi, whose anticipated Manticore Engineering debut was cut short after she tangled with John Bracchi near the bridge on lap 8.  Rounding out the Bottom Five is Cris de Santa, who collided with Greg Maddox after the latter spun in the Esses after contact with Tom Wilson.

Bottom Five:
39) Kris Wascher / 4 laps / Accident
38) Alex Pausington / 5 laps / Retired
37) Preston Bell / 7 laps / Piston
36) Silvia Renaldi / 8 laps/ Accident
35) Cris de Santa / 10 laps / Retired

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher

Whitney Fuller Suffers Hard Crash, Earns First Last-Place Finish



Whitney Fuller collected the first last-place finish of her PCC Cup Series career after tangling with Barbara Burt after completing only 5 of the race's 40 laps.

Fuller competed in the 2012 PCC Cup Series season with Clason Enterprises in the #7 with sponsorship from Cash America. After a difficult season in which she only qualified for 3 of her 6 attempts, Cash America left the team. However, after a strong showing in the PCC Lights series, Clason Enterprises would expand to a two-car operation and TruTV would come on board to sponsor Fuller's teammate Duncan Cobb. Fuller would be rewarded with sponsorship from one of TruTV's programs, Hardcore Pawn.

Fuller qualified in 23rd place, ahead of drivers such as Dan Leckliter and Joe Craig. Early on in the race, John Kirkpatrick anchored the field in his familiar JK Racing entry now carrying the #3. On lap 2, Gabriel Macena suffered a brake failure from 6th place and appeared to be in a lock for his first-ever last-place finish. However, the team would repair the car and send him back out on track. Macena would continue to run last until Whitney Fuller dropped out of the race.

By lap 5, Fuller had worked her way up to 21st place. In the Esses, she was aggressively trying to defend against Barbara Burt, making her first start in the Double B Motorsports Ford Mustang. Burt did not take too kindly to this aggressive driving style and blocking, and promptly dumped Fuller into the tire wall following the Esses, ending Fuller's day with a big smash.

Finishing in 38th would be Greg Woodard, who was involved in an incident that collected Jordan Demis in the #74 Pentilex as well as Denny Adams in the new #25 for DJ Motorsports. Woodard collided with the door of Adams, which caused terminal damage to the front end of his Lycoia. Pete Maverick would retire one lap later after mechanical gremlins struck his Lycoia on the backstretch, and rounding out the Bottom Five would be Chris Benson and Dan Foray who were involved in a four-car accident under the bridge on lap 8 that also collected Kelly Blackwater and Daniel Sharp.

Bottom Five:
39) Whitney Fuller / 5 laps / Accident
38) Greg Woodard / 6 laps / Piston
37) Pete Maverick / 7 laps / Retired
36) Chris Benson / 8 laps/ Retired
35) Dan Foray / 8 laps / Retired

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher, Whitney Fuller

Engine Woes Give Bracchi First Last-Place Finish of 2014



John Bracchi collected the first last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career after his engine failed on lap 31 of the race's 110 laps.

John Bracchi has been a mainstay in the lineup at Australian Motorsports since 2011, taking over that ride after Michael Gray and Big Red each had stints in the car early in the season.  Bracchi was able to consistently put the car in the show and had several good finishes, allowing himself to retain the seat.  Bracchi has always performed well on the road courses, and has recorded two top-5s on the road courses throughout his PCC Cup career (Road America & Decatur, 2012).

Bracchi qualified in 35th place, struggling to find speed in his #19 Rockstar Energy Chevrolet Monte Carlo.  Gabriel Macena held the final position for the first stint of the race, with his #999 Braskem Jaguar off the pace, also struggling to find speed.  On lap 9, the caution flew for an accident involving Nick Azure and Cody Deak, who would hold last place for a lap under caution.  Frank Azzaretto then briefly took control of anchoring the field when his #64 Red Bull Tuttle Monaco nearly missed the restart after a long pit-stop under caution.  Azzaretto was faster than Macena and would have caught him for last had it not been for a caution on lap 20 involving Jordan Demis in the #74 Pentilex Genesis, who was run into by Nick Azure.  Demis' car would stall on track and he would lose two laps in the pits, and another in the pits under green flag conditions.  It appeared early on that Demis would be a lock for his first PCC Cup Series last-place finish.

On lap 31, John Bracchi, who had improved his position to 31st, reported a miss in the engine and pulled the car into the pits.  Unfortunately, the damage to the engine would be terminal and he would retire from the race.  On lap 36, Demis passed him for the final position, securing Bracchi's first last-place finish.

Finishing in 39th would be Cody Deak, whose car ultimately broke down after being turned into the wall on lap 9.  Magenta Nelson-Andrew finished 38th after her car puffed out a could of smoke on lap 59, Sahm Lusahr's suspension failed on him just 17 laps from the finish to earn him 37th, and rounding out the Bottom Five is the #999 of Gabriel Macena, who struggled to find speed all day and wound up 36th, 3 laps down.

Bottom Five:
40) John Bracchi / 31 laps / Engine
39) Cody Deak / 54 laps / Retired
38) Magenta Nelson-Andrew / 59 laps / Engine
37) Sahm Lusahr / 93 laps/ Suspension
36) Gabriel Macena / 107 laps / Running

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Silvia Renaldi

Suspension Problems Relegate Denny Adams to Last at Phoenix



Denny Adams earned the first last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career after his car's suspension failed after completing 58 of the race's 110 laps.

Denny Adams was making his 3rd career start in the PCC Cup Series, in which he has not finished better than 33rd. Hired late last season to drive the 2nd car for DJ Motorsports, Adams qualified the #97 Sharpie Omecha MA02 into the Cleveland Grand Prix, only to have the car wrecked on lap 3 by a careless Nicol Bolas, ending his day. However, DJ Motorsports was impressed that he qualified the car in the first place, and hired him full-time to drive their 2nd car, now renumbered to #25 and carrying Fujitsu as a primary sponsor.

Adams qualified in 24th place, and ran mid-pack during the early portions of the race, occasionally poking into the top-20. The battle for last was unusually heated early on, with Creeper Stevenson, Kris Wascher, and Eun Yong Kim all having stints at the back of the field. On lap 22, Ramsey Coqinner would break down on the apron and would be towed back to the pits. The crew spent several laps fixing an apparent brake problem, and sent him back out on track 6 laps down. However, Coqinner's car was still up to pace, and was lapping 3-4 seconds faster than Stevenson, Wascher, and Kim. Ultimately, Coqinner would catch up to Kris Wascher on lap 59, passing him for the last position.

On lap 61, Denny Adams reported that the left-rear suspension mount had broken, and pulled the car into the pits. The crew would not be able to repair the damage, and the car would be retired. It took until lap 67 before Stevenson, Kim, and Wascher passed Adams for the position, securing his spot anchoring the field.

Finishing 39th would be Junior Hardearn, who fell out 9 laps after Denny Adams with an engine failure. In 38th would be Barry Juveno, whose camshaft failed under caution while entering the pits on lap 77. Rounding out the Bottom Five would be Eun Yong Kim and Creeper Stevenson, who could not find anything resembling pace all day and finished 13 and 12 laps down, respectively.

Bottom Five:
40) Denny Adams / 58 laps / Suspension
39) Junior Hardearn / 67 laps / Valve
38) Barry Juveno / 77 laps / Camshaft
37) Eun Yong Kim / 97 laps/ Running
36) Creeper Stevenson / 98 laps / Running

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Silvia Renaldi, Denny Adams

Suspension Problems Give Lenny Jacobs First Last-Place Finish of 2014



Lenny Jacobs collected the 3rd last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career, and first of 2014, after the suspension in his car failed after competing 11 of the race's 88 laps.

Lenny Jacobs made his PCC Cup Series debut at New York Autoring in 2011 driving for the now-defunct TRM outfit, finishing 22nd after starting 35th.  Jacobs would substitute for Brian Gallagher at Paloma Autosport after he was injured at Dwyer Speedpark, and would produce several good runs in the process.  These good results impressed Paloma Autosport enough to put Jacobs in their 3rd car, the 52, for 2012.  Jacobs' season did not go quite as he had hoped; he finished last at both Carbondale and Decatur and failed to qualify for the season-ending Cleveland Grand Prix.  Jacobs finished 18th in the championship despite this, and the team retained him with new sponsorship from Hooters.  Jacobs' 2014 season had gotten off to a much-better start than 2012, with a 6th and 11th in the books at Road Atlanta and Phoenix.

Lenny Jacobs qualified 8th, and was still running in the top-10 when his suspension failed.  Early on in the going Casey Lester held onto last place, and his car struggled to find speed all day.  He lost the pack early on, and was still trailing the field when Jacobs swerved onto the apron on the backstretch on lap 11 with his suspension problems.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Richard Hertz, Jacobs' teammate Ian Elias, Clair Auxier, and Daniel Sharp.  Hertz, Elias, and Auxier were all collected in a lap 40 accident which resulted from Klara Kindahl's impatient bump-drafting of Hertz coming through the apex of Turn 2 which collected the majority of the lead group.  Sharp was involved in a lap 46 accident which was sparked by Pete Maverick pushing up the track into Barbara Burt, sparking a multi-car accident that sent several drivers flipping.  All would climb out of their cars in one piece.

Bottom Five:
40) Lenny Jacobs / 11 laps / Suspension
39) Richard Hertz / 40 laps / Accident
38) Ian Elias / 40 laps / Retired
37) Clair Auxier / 40 laps/ Retired
36) Daniel Sharp / 46 laps / Tire

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Silvia Renaldi, Kris Wascher, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs

Smith Crashes Early, Finishes Last in First Start of 2014



Sam Smith collected the 5th last place finish of his PCC Cup Series career and first since 2007 when he was involved in a heavy accident with Robert Nelson, who finished 39th, after competing 13 of the race's 88 laps.

Sam Smith had competed in the PCC Cup Series full-time from 2006 to 2011 driving for Aftershock Racing, which folded after winning the 2011 PCC Cup Series Championship.  With Aftershock Racing, Smith won two races, both in 2007, but never finished above 19th in the championship, which he did in both 2006 and 2007.  Smith's most recent last-place finish came at South Boston in 2007, where he was involved in a two-car accident with Nick Bishop after completing 21 laps.  After losing his ride at the end of the 2011 season, Smith entered sports car racing, which produced lukewarm results.  Near the end of the 2012 season, upstart team CircleTrack Racing picked him up for the final two races at Charlotte and Cleveland, but he was not quick enough to qualify.  His re-appearance caught the eye of another start-up team, Triple XXX Motorsports, which signed him for a full season behind the wheel of their #58 Duncan Racing Solutions car.  This car was entered for both Road Atlanta and Phoenix, but withdrew just days before both races.  When the team did turn up at New York Autoring, the car was numbered #40, and had a second car driven by fellow veteran John Jefferson.

Sam Smith qualified 12th, a surprising effort supported even more so by Jefferson's qualifying effort of 9th.  John Kirkpatrick anchored the field for the first few laps, and even went a lap down before the first caution flew on lap 13.  Coming out of Turn 2, Sam Smith was inside 3-wide with Robert Nelson and Alex Pausington on his outside.  Smith appeared to move up the track coming off of the turn into Nelson's left-rear quarterpanel, hooking both cars into the wall head-on at approximately 230 mph.  There is no word on either driver's medical conditions at this time.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Barry Juveno in 38th , whose car expired on him once again early under the first caution, Alex Alenko and Candice Bowman, who were involved in a 3-car accident on lap 42 with Magenta Nelson-Andrew.  Nelson-Andrew barely escaped the Bottom Five, finishing 35th after retiring two laps after Bowman and Alenko.

Bottom Five:
40) Sam Smith / 13 laps / Accident
39) Robert Nelson / 13 laps / Accident
38) Barry Juveno / 16 laps / Retired
37) Alex Alenko / 42 laps/ Accident
36) Candice Bowman / 42 laps / Retired

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Silvia Renaldi, Kris Wascher, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith

Valve Failure gives Jacob Eichholtz First Last-Place Finish of 2014



Jacob Eichholtz collected the 2nd last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career and first since 2012 when a valve failed within the engine after completing 10 of the race's 125 laps.

Jacob Eichholtz made his PCC Cup debut replacing the injured Grigoriy Novakovsky at Griffith Motorsports at Carbondale in 2012.  Eichholtz qualified 4th in his debut and ran near the front until suspension problems relegated him to a 39th-place finish.  As the season went on, Eichholtz constantly and consistently improved, eventually reaching a point where he won his first race at the Grand Detour of Western Illinois.  Eichholtz's first last-place finish had occurred four races prior at the Uralring of Central Russia, in which he was involved in a vicious accident on Lap 3 which put future teammate Ramsey Coqinner on his roof.  Eichholtz finished the 2012 season 11th in points, despite missing the first three races.  At the end of the season, Eichholtz was released from Griffith Motorsports, but found a home at the expanding ForwardFast Racing driving the #88 Hanmore Saar Carolina.

Jacob Eichholtz qualified 23rd, and was running around that same position when his engine failed.  Early in the race, Matt Brinson held onto last place.  Brinson brought his superspeedway car to Carbondale, as the team was still repairing damage done to their short-track car.  Brinson would fall a lap down to the leaders on lap 9, one lap before Jacob Eichholtz would drop out of the race.  On lap 12, Brinson passed Eichholtz for last place.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Matt Brinson himself, who would retire on lap 34 when the camshaft went on the #38 Ford Taurus, John Kirkpatrick and Nick Azure, who were caught up in a multi-car melee on lap 55, and Joe Craig, whose car suffered a valve failure of it's own while leading on lap 58.

Eichholtz's last-place finish moves Saar up to 2nd in the LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship. Saar last finished in last-place with Lenny Jacobs in Race 1 at New York Autoring.

Bottom Five:
40) Jacob Eichholtz / 10 laps / Valve
39) Matt Brinson / 33 laps / Camshaft
38) John Kirkpatrick / 51 laps / Accident
37) Nick Azure / 55 laps / Accident
36) Joe Craig / 58 laps / Valve / led 51 laps

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Silvia Renaldi, Kris Wascher, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Manticore Engineering, Wascher Racing, Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (3)
2nd) Saar (2)
3rd) Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, Omecha (1)

Kris Wascher Takes LASTCAR Lead After Suspension Problems Early



Kris Wascher collected the 2nd last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career when he pulled the car off the track after completing 7 of the race's 125 laps, citing suspension issues.

The finish was Wascher's second of the season and his first since Road Atlanta, three races ago. Wascher now leads the LASTCAR Driver's Championship by a single finish over the 7-way tie for 2nd.

Kris Wascher qualified 39th, ahead of fellow backmarker Creeper Stevenson. Wascher held the bottom in Turn 1 and 2, but Stevenson got a run on the high side and passed him for 39th. Wascher, who was making his first start since Phoenix after failing to qualify for New York Autoring, would never relinquish the bottom spot. After Wascher was put a lap down on lap 7, he reported suspension problems in his #906 Red Bull Chevrolet and pulled the car into the pits. After spending a minute on pit road assessing the problem, the team pushed the car behind the wall and into the hauler, ending their day early.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Klara Kindahl, Candice Bowman, Pete Maverick, and Clair Auxier. Klara Kindahl was running inside the Top-5 when her car abruptly slowed on lap 14 on the frontstretch. The car would crawl it's way to the backstretch before stopping on the track surface, drawing the first caution. Under the first caution, Candice Bowman's left front tire was cut down. As Bowman tried to limp the car back to the pits, the tire exploded and destroyed the left-front fender, ending her day on lap 16. The next lap, Pete Maverick, who had already been in the pits once under caution, reported that a left-rear suspension mount had failed when the crew dropped the jack on the pit stop. He pulled into the pits a second time, on lap 17, but the crew ruled that the damage done was terminal and pulled the car out of the race. Clair Auxier was involved in an accident on lap 22, in which she hooked Josh Marshall attempting to avoid a slow Creeper Stevenson. Marshall kept his foot in the gas, and collided with Auxier, putting her car into the wall and damaging the c-frame, ending her day.

With this last-place finish, Wascher Motorsports moves into the lead, and Chevrolet expands it's lead to two races over Saar.

Bottom Five:
40) Kris Wascher / 5 laps / Suspension
39) Klara Kindahl / 13 laps / Retired
38) Candice Bowman / 16 laps / Tire
37) Pete Maverick / 17 laps / Suspension
36) Clair Auxier / 21 laps / Accident

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports (2)
2nd) Manticore Engineering, Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar (2)
3rd) Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, Omecha (1)

Header Puts David Hetzel Out Early in 2014 Debut



David Hetzel collected the 2nd last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career, and first since 2012, when an engine header failed in his car after completing 13 of the race's 50 laps.

David Hetzel made his PCC Cup Series debut at Daytona in 2011 driving the #66 Pilot/Flying J Dodge Charger for Camiscioni Racing. After a decent run, he was caught up in an accident early on. Hetzel failed to qualify for the next four events, and left the team following his DNQ at Bristol. Hetzel reappeared in his own #166 BMW at the end of the season and qualified for Phoenix and Cleveland, performing respectably. In 2012, changing his number to #17, Hetzel hoped to have more success. After a series of bad finishes (including a last-place finish at Las Vegas), Hetzel found himself on the outside of the top-30 looking in for the majority of the season. His season was ultimately cut short in a vicious accident on lap 4 of the Round of Decatur, in which he piled into Sergei Yakovski. Hetzel broke four ribs in the accident, then sold his team to what would become Team Canada Racing. Hetzel recovered in the off-season, but no job offers came his way until Joha Vovicic, a Croatian businessman, hired him as an advisor and driver coach.

Hetzel qualified 4th, a very good effort for a man who had been out of a PCC Cup Series car for 7 months. For the first 14 laps, Davy S. Flymflam anchored the field. Flymflam, a man of many countries, has consistently been a backmarker since he made his first appearance at the 2012 Cleveland Grand Prix. After Hetzel's engine failed on lap 12, it took 2 laps for Flymflam to pass him, securing Hetzel's fate in the bottom spot.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Joha Vovicic, Franz Bergmann, Nikolai Mahlyenki, and Davy S. Flymflam. Vovicic had engine problems all day, and ultimately dropped out on lap 30 after completing 24 laps. Franz Bergmann was running in 4th place on lap 25 on an alternative pit strategy when Jan Schmidt made a divebomb move on the outside entering the final chicane. Bergmann had slid into the lane when Schmidt made the move, and got himself turned into the tire wall. The damage dealt to the car was too great, and he was forced to retire from the race. Nikolai Mahlyenki, running for his own team after finishing 2nd at Brno to James Hewitt, dropped out on lap 37 with an engine failure after running in the top-15 for the whole race. Davy S. Flymflam finished 30th under power, 11 laps adrift of Louis Bellard.

Bottom Five:
34) David Hetzel / 13 laps / Header
33) Joha Vovicic / 24 laps / Retired
32) Franz Bergman / 25 laps / Accident
31) Nikolai Mahlyenki / 37 laps / Piston
30) Davy S. Flymflam / 39 laps / Running

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz, David Hetzel (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports (2)
2nd) Manticore Engineering, Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing, Vovicic Racing Inc. (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar (2)
3rd) Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, Omecha, EFR (1)

Tire Wall Ends Lazareva's Day Early



Alina Lazareva collected the 1st last-place finish of her PCC Cup Series career when her #59 Gazprom Katzev was involved in a multi-car accident exiting Station 5 after completing 0 of the race's 43 laps.  The finish came in Lazareva's 7th series start.

Alina Lazareva made her PCC Cup Series debut at the Uralring in 2012 driving the #94 Omecha for Avtomobil Kuznetsova. Lazareva finished 2nd in her qualifying race, and started the 2012 Round of Central Russia in 21st position.  Lazareva slowly dropped through the field before suspension issues relegated her to a 35th-place finish.  Lazareva made one more start in 2012 at Brno, where she qualified 19th and finished 12th despite breaking down in the middle of the race.  At the end of the season it was announced that Lazareva would drive for an expanding Griffith Motorsports in a 3rd car, the #59.  Bringing a hefty sponsor bill, Lazareva has performed surprisingly well so far this season, with the only blemish being an engine failure at Road Atlanta, a race she won the pole at.  Before this race, Lazareva sat 4th in points, 13 points behind leader Ben Atkins.

Qualifying took place in the wet, and Lazareva qualified 19th.  For the first two turns, Cameron Taylor anchored the field after he threw the car off in qualifying.  After Turn 2, last place was conceded to Blake Chandler, making his PCC Cup Series debut for ZakkTek.  Chandler would hold last place until he passed Lazareva entering Turn 7.  Coming out of Turn 6 on lap 1, Chris Benson, running directly behind Lazareva, made contact with Dan Foray.  Foray was hooked to the right, directly into Alina Lazareva's left-rear quarter panel.  Lazareva was unable to regain control of the car, and her car slammed into the end of the tire barrier entering Turn 7, ending her day.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Robert Nelson, Andy Lambert, Barbara Burt, and Ryan Jefferies.  Robert Nelson was running in 8th place when his car began to slow in Turn 4 on lap 2.  His car would crawl until it reached a dead stop immediately after Station 5, ending his day.  Nelson had qualified in 10th, and was looking to have a strong run.  Andy Lambert had worked his way into the top-20 by lap 4 when his car suddenly sputtered entering Turn 8.  He would park his car on the exit of Turn 8, ending a promising day.  Barbara Burt struggled mightily with the handling of her #366 Preparation H Ford Mustang, and ultimately retired due to crash damage after repeated offs in the Carousel on lap 7.  The Michelin runners in general were having a very rough day finding grip in the more technical turns, with only Dan Foray and Preston Bell being able to keep their cars on the road in the Carousel throughout the entire race.  Ryan Jefferies felt a tire going down on lap 9 entering Canada Corner when he slowed down, intending on nursing the car back to the pits.  Unfortunately for him, James Hewitt made a move on the inside entering the turn and collided with Jefferies, sending him off into the sand trap and ending his day.

Bottom Five:
39) Alina Lazareva / 1 lap / Accident
38) Robert Nelson / 2 laps / Retired
37) Andy Lambert / 4 laps / Retired
36) Barbara Burt / 7 laps / Accident
35) Ryan Jefferies / 10 laps / Retired

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz, David Hetzel, Alina Lazareva (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports (2)
2nd) Manticore Engineering, Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing, Vovicic Racing Inc., Griffith Motorsports (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar (2)
3rd) Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, Omecha, EFR, Katzev (1)

Opening-Lap Pileup Gives Matt Brinson First Last-Place Finish



Matt Brinson collected the 1st last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career when his #38 Brinson Engineering Ford was involved in a multi-car accident in the Kink after completing 0 of the race's 43 laps. The finish came in Brinson's 6th series start.

Matt Brinson made his PCC Cup Series debut at Mansfield in 2011 driving the #20 LifeAlert Chevrolet for The Motorsports Team, then known as The Old Timer's Group. He had made his first Cup attempt at the race beforehand at the Grand Detour of Western Illinois, but came up short in the #40 LifeAlert Toyota for Golden Gear Motorsports. At Mansfield, Brinson qualified 36th and ran around there before being involved in a caution early. The crew pulled the car behind the wall for an extended period of time but Brinson made it to the finish in 32nd position, 36 laps astray of the leader. Brinson attempted the rest of the 2011 Professional Car Club Cup Series schedule with the #20 team, but failed to make the field for any subsequent events and was fired after missing the Cleveland Grand Prix. Matt Brinson did not compete nor attempt any races through 2012, but announced that he would return with his own team for 2014, Brinson Engineering. Brinson has run every race this year, but results have been mediocre at best.

Similarly to Race 1, qualifying took place in the wet, and Brinson qualified in 36th position. On the start, Creeper Stevenson held last, and did not relinquish last place until he entered the Kink on lap 1. Entering the Kink, Tom Wilson got tapped by Jordan Demis and lost the rear end, hitting the outside concrete wall with the rear and left side of his car. While spinning, Wilson slid back onto the track and collected Gaspar de Sousa, who sent both cars up on two wheels and out of harms way. As this was going on, further back in the field Ramsey Coqinner and Damon Jones made contact entering the Kink. It appeared that Coqinner checked up, but Jones was trying to make a pass on the outside of the Kink. Jones got into the left-rear quarter panel of Ramsey Coqinner's car, sending both cars careening into the outside concrete wall, with Coqinner hitting it head-on. Matt Brinson was several seconds back from this and attempted to check up, but lost grip in the tires and slid into Ramsey Coqinner after his car came to a halt on the outside groove of the track. Brinson would drive away and pull the car into the pits, where the pit crew determined that the damage was too sever and retired the car, citing a valve failure. As Brinson was the lowest-placed car at the start of the race, he was relegated to last.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Ramsey Coqinner, Tom Wilson, Gaspar de Sousa, and Billy Ray James. Of those four, Billy Ray James was the only car not involved in the melee in the Kink. James exited the race on lap 2 in the Carousel, as his Michelin tires lost grip and he went off of the racing surface. James struggled to keep the car off of the wall, but he buried it in a tire barrier, ending his day.

Of note, current LASTCAR Driver's Championship leader Kris Wascher had a career day, finishing 17th despite crashing out after completing 18 of the race's 43 laps. This will advance him to Race 1 at Talladega.

Bottom Five:
39) Matt Brinson / 0 laps / Valve
38) Ramsey Coqinner / 0 laps / Accident
37) Tom Wilson / 1 lap / Accident
36) Gaspar de Sousa / 1 lap / Header
35) Billy Ray James / 1 lap / Retired

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz, David Hetzel, Alina Lazareva, Matt Brinson (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports (2)
2nd) Manticore Engineering, Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing, Vovicic Racing Inc., Griffith Motorsports, Brinson Engineering (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar (2)
3rd) Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, Omecha, EFR, Katzev, Ford (1)

Reliability Issues Relegate Balducci To First Last-Place Finish



Giuseppe Balducci collected the 1st last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career when his #42 AGV SpA Tutino retired from multiple mechanical issues after completing 4 of the race's 30 laps. The finish came in Balducci's 4th series start.

Giuseppe Balducci made his PCC Cup Series debut at Hungaroring in 2012, driving the same #42 AGV SpA Tutino for Scuderia Italia. Balducci, a gentleman driver, made his first PCC Cup Series attempt at the 2011 Cleveland Grand Prix, but failed to transfer through pre-qualifications. Balducci and Scuderia Italia frequented many of the European events in 2012, but the 42 only managed to qualify for Hungaroring and Brno. At Brno, Balducci kept the car out of trouble and brought the car home in 3rd place, his best-career finish to date.

Balducci qualified in 16th place, and ran around that position for the majority of his race. Early on, Davy S. Flymflam in the 990 car held onto last place. At the end of lap 1, Flymflam made an unscheduled pit stop, and by the start of lap 3 was already one lap down. At this rate, it appeared that he was on track for his first career last-place finish. However, on lap 3, Giuseppe Balducci reported a vibration in the right-front and began to slow from 15th place. Balducci would bring his car into the pits and the crew would change all four tires, sending him back out on track. Less than a lap later, Balducci reported that the vibration had gotten much worse and slowed the car, ultimately stopping it on the side of the track and ending his day. On lap 7, Davy S. Flymflam finally passed the 42 car, ensuring that Balducci would have his first last-place finish.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Kristoffer Laaksonen, Louis-Phillipe Gosselin, Clint Lend, and Zsigmond Kovacs. Laaksonen qualified on the outside pole, but pulled his car into the pits on lap 4 reporting some brake issues. The crew looked at the brakes and ruled that there was nothing wrong with them, and sent him on his way. The next lap, those brake issues returned as Laaksonen attempted to return to pit road, but overshot the entrance and hit the kerbs. This shot his car up onto two wheels and he was rear-ended by Sophie Aganastapoulos. This sent Laaksonen's car flipping wildly in the final turn, ultimately coming to a rest in the gravel trap. Laaksonen was uninjured, and Aganastapoulos would continue on after the crew removed her hood. Louis-Phillipe Gosselin was running in 14th early on when he reported he was losing power. He brought his car into the pits on lap 8 and the crew was unable to discern the issue, ending his day. Zsigmond Kovacs, a Formula Omega driver who occasionally fields his own car in PCC Cup, suffered a suspension failure on lap 12, immediately after he had been lapped. Clint Lend was on track to pass him, but on lap 15 Lend's engine grenaded and relegated him to 36th, less than one lap shy of passing Kovacs for 35th.

Bottom Five:
39) Giuseppe Balducci / 4 laps / Retired
38) Kristoffer Laaksonen / 5 laps / Accident
37) Louis-Phillipe Gosselin / 8 laps / Electrical
36) Clint Lend / 11 laps / Engine
35) Zsigmond Kovacs / 11 laps / Suspension

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz, David Hetzel, Alina Lazareva, Matt Brinson, Giuseppe Balducci (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports (2)
2nd) Manticore Engineering, Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing, Vovicic Racing Inc., Griffith Motorsports, Brinson Engineering, Scuderia Italia (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar (2)
3rd) Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, Omecha, EFR, Katzev, Ford, Tutino (1)

Kindahl Becomes First Driver Since 2012 To Finish Last, Lead Laps



Klara Kindahl collected the 1st last-place finish of her PCC Cup Series career when the exhaust header in her #1 Ehlonna Mercedes-Benz failed after completing 16 of the race's 76 laps.  The finish came in Kindahl's 25th series start.

Klara Kindahl made her PCC Cup Series debut at Road Atlanta in 2012 driving the #14 Visit Zanarkand Lexus ISF for Manticore Engineering, the team she drives for currently.  She showed promise, qualifying 4th and running well before eventually fading back to 12th.  Throughout the first half of the season, Kindahl was very fast, but also very reckless, which earned her the nickname "Klara Crashall".  Kindahl finally broke through at the Uralring in Central Russia, where she led 21 laps and took her first career victory in convincing fashion.  After this, her season seemed to turn completely around.  Kindahl won 2 more races at Brand's Hatch and Decatur and entered the Cleveland Grand Prix in contention for the championship despite leading the series at 10 DNF's.  Unfortunately, her season would end with a 30th place finish and another DNF, but she won Rookie of the Year in a tight battle over Ike Durbin and finished a very strong 5th in points.  Kindahl would carry this momentum into this year, winning at the Australian Exhibition at Hidden Valley, nearly winning at Road Atlanta despite her car overheating on the last lap, and finishing a strong 2nd at Phoenix.  However, the bottom has appeared to drop out on her season since then as she has suffered reliability issues and crashes in each of the past 3 races.

Kindahl qualified in 2nd place, and upon exiting Turn 2 on lap 1 she passed Gabriel Macena for the lead.  On the start, John Kirkpatrick dropped to last place and remained there until the end of lap 2.  At the start of lap 2, Damon Jones reported a loss of power in his #48 KFC Omecha and pulled his car into the pits.  The crew raised the hood and determined that he had lost a cylinder, told him to deal with it, and sent him back out on track.  Jones would never get up to competitive speed for the rest of his race, and fell 3 laps adrift of the leader.  

For the first 15 laps, Kindahl seemed untouchable near the front of the field.  Unfortunately for Kindahl, a piece of debris had lodged itself over part of the grille opening on the front of her car, which caused her temperatures to begin to spike.  Rather than drop back and fall into the clutches of the pack, Kindahl opted to wait until her teammate, Silvia Renaldi, who qualified last, worked her way up through the field and passed her for the lead.  When Renaldi finally did arrive at the front of the field coming to lap 17 and Kindahl went to the outside to let her pass, Kindahl's engine failed and her gamble came up just short of working.  On lap 21, Damon Jones finally passed Kindahl for 39th, relegating her to last place.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Kyle McWulla, Dan Foray, Damon Jones, and Jordan Demis.  Kyle McWulla opted to run an abnormally high amount of grille tape in hopes of keeping up with the Manticore Engineering cars, and for the first third of the race McWulla was the only car to hang with Kindahl and Renaldi.  However, McWulla's car began to overheat and his engine inevitably expired on lap 27 while he was running in 2nd place.  Dan Foray was running 12th by himself on lap 33 when he lost 4th gear and slowed rapidly on the backstretch.  Foray pulled the car onto pit road, and the crew pushed the car behind the wall, ending his day.  Jordan Demis was running in 24th on lap 38 in a group of 5 or 6 cars when his car suddenly began billowing smoke in the middle of Turn 3.  Radio communications suggest Demis was attempting to clutch the car to save fuel, but the clutch broke and the car over-revved, killing the engine and ending his day.  One lap later, Damon Jones made a scheduled stop and merged on the backstretch in front of Gabriel Macena.  Instead of staying low and out of the way, Jones made a move and cut in front of Macena, intending on trying to stay in the draft. Macena did not check up in time and turned Jones, sending both cars into the outside wall with heavy damage.  Macena would drive away, but Jones would slide down the track into the path of Chris Winter, who hit Jones head-on.  Winter and Jones both climbed out of their cars uninjured.  As Damon Jones only completed 36 laps, he was unable to pass Jordan Demis for 36th, keeping him in 37th.  Macena and Winter barely escaped the Bottom five, finishing 34th and 35th respectively after the crash damage they sustained in the Jones wreck was too bad to maintain pace.

With this finish, Klara Kindahl became the first driver to lead laps and finish last since Daniel Leckliter qualified on the pole and led 20 laps at Mansfield in 2012.  Kindahl led 15 laps.  Manticore Enginering moves into a tie for 1st in the LASTCAR Owner's Championship, tied with Wascher Motorsports.  Mercedes-Benz moves into a tie for 2nd in the LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship, tied with Saar at 2 last-place finishes apiece.

Current LASTCAR Driver's Championship leader Kris Wascher pulled a stunning upset, winning after he was the only car to survive the hectic Green-White-Checkered without damage.

Bottom Five:
40) Klara Kindahl / 16 laps / Header / Led 15 laps
39) Kyle McWulla / 26 laps / Camshaft
38) Dan Foray / 32 laps / Gearbox
37) Damon Jones / 36 laps / Accident
36) Jordan Demis / 37 laps / Clutch

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz, David Hetzel, Alina Lazareva, Matt Brinson, Giuseppe Balducci, Klara Kindahl (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports, Manticore Engineering (2)
2nd) Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing, Vovicic Racing Inc., Griffith Motorsports, Brinson Engineering, Scuderia Italia (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar, Mercedes-Benz (2)
3rd) Dodge, Omecha, EFR, Katzev, Ford, Tutino (1)

Stevenson Fails To Take Green Flag At Talladega



Creeper Stevenson collected the 1st last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career after the engine in his #420 Extenze Volpi let go after completing 0 of the race's 76 laps.  The finish came in Stevenson's 9th series start.

Creeper Stevenson made his debut in 2011 at Mansfield driving the #420 Extenze Volpi for Last Row Autosport as a team car to the #900 of Steve Creeperson.  There was immediate controversy surrounding Stevenson's debut, as his teammate had pulled onto pit road at 1/4 of the qualifier's distance as if to give Stevenson a better shot at qualifying.  Regardless of this maneuver, Stevenson would have qualified for the race.  Creeper Stevenson qualified 24th in his debut at Mansfield but had arguably the run of his career to this date, leading 27 laps and finishing 12th.  Stevenson made 3 more starts in 2011, but failed to qualify for the last three races including the Cleveland Grand Prix.  In 2012, Last Row Autosport downsized to only the #420 car with Stevenson despite Extenze stepping up their sponsorship and attempted only 5 races.  Stevenson did not come close to qualifying for any of them as the team drastically slipped down the speed chart.  This year, the dual race system has helped Last Row Autosport qualify for races, but the team still failed to qualify for New York Autoring after their speeds were determined to be dangerously slow.  In Stevenson's four previous starts this season, he has failed to finish higher than 24th or less than 12 laps behind the leader.

Stevenson was to start 27th, as he was the slowest driver to set a lap time in qualifying.  Thirteen cars did not set times in qualifying as a protest due to the increased speeds.  When rolling off the grid, Stevenson's car appeared a little sluggish, but managed to get up to speed.  Entering the tri-oval, the #420 began to spew smoke out the back, and he pulled the car onto pit road and immediately into the garage, ending his day before the green flag.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Kelly Blackwater, Barbara Burt, Alex Phillips, and Kenny Stephans.  Kelly Blackwater was running in 25th with a couple other cars when her car began to lose power and slow as she crossed the start-finish line to start lap 27.  Blackwater limped her car to the backstretch and stopped on the apron, clear of traffic.  Barbara Burt was running 25th with JC Carpenter on lap 47 as the last two cars on the lead lap when something in the car broke and she began to slow in Turn 1.  She worked her car towards the apron on the backstretch and stopped the car on the apron in Turn 3, ending her day.  Alex Phillips was running in 17th on lap 52 in a 6 car pack behind the leaders when his suspension broke and he began to shave off speed in the middle of the backstretch.  Phillips made it to pit road, the pit crew assessed the damage done, and pushed the car behind the wall, ending his day.  Kenny Stephans was running in the same group of cars as Phillips was when on lap 58 his suspension broke entering the backstretch and he slowed down from 18th place.  Like Phillips, he was able to make it back to the pits, and the crew pushed the car behind the wall, ending his day.

Bottom Five:
40) Creeper Stevenson / 0 laps / Engine
39) Kelly Blackwater / 26 laps / Retired
38) Barbara Burt / 46 laps / Retired
37) Alex Phillips / 51 laps / Suspension
36) Kenny Stephans / 57 laps / Suspension

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz, David Hetzel, Alina Lazareva, Matt Brinson, Giuseppe Balducci, Klara Kindahl, Creeper Stevenson (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports, Manticore Engineering (2)
2nd) Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing, Vovicic Racing Inc., Griffith Motorsports, Brinson Engineering, Scuderia Italia, Last Row Autosport (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar, Mercedes-Benz (2)
3rd) Dodge, Omecha, EFR, Katzev, Ford, Tutino, Volpi (1)

Ed Boddicker Trails The Field At Brno



Ed Boddicker collected the 1st last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career when his #209 Omni Consumer Products Lycoia slowed and came to a stop after completing 4 of the race's 20 laps.  The finish came in Boddicker's 3rd series start. This is Delta City Racing's first-ever last-place finish.

Ed Boddicker made his PCC Cup Series debut at Illebianchi earlier this year for Delta City Racing, a team with very close ties to Retro80 Racing.  Delta City Racing receives technical support from Retro80 and acts as a satellite team, suggesting a burgeoning alliance between the 2-car Delta City Racing and 7-car Retro80 Racing.  Boddicker made his first attempt at the Cleveland Grand Prix in 2012, but was unlucky enough to time his way into the Tier 1 Qualifier.  He did not have the speed to compete with the front-runners, and eventually was collected in an accident on lap 4, ending his chances at qualification.  In his debut at the Illebianchi Circuit, Boddicker started 29th but slowly worked his way up to 20th position by the end of the race, earning 1 point.  At Hungaroring, Boddicker qualified in the same position as in Italy but managed to to himself better and got up to 13th by the end of the race, netting himself 12 points and 20th position on the points chart.

Boddicker qualified in 34th place, and his car had been lacking pace all weekend.  For the first part of the race, Clint Lend held down last place securely, falling a lap down on lap 5.  On lap 4, Boddicker was running in 30th place doing battle with Branimir Nikolaev and Sophie Aganastapoulos when his car began to slow entering one of the downhill sections.  He pulled his car to the outside of the track at the end of Turn 11 and parked there, ending his day.  Clint Lend would continue to hold last place until he passed Boddicker on lap 7, securing Boddicker's fate as the last-place finisher.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Salvatore Torregrossa, Jorge Verona, Leonid Chernov, and Davy S. Flymflam.  Salvatore Torregrossa qualified 4th but had slipped down to 6th due to the scramble at the start.  Torregrossa was still running 6th on lap 5 when the exhaust header broke as he entered Turn 9.  He limped his way back to the pits, but the damage done to the engine was ruled to be terminal and the crew pushed the #43 behind the wall, ending his day.  Jorge Verona, similarly to the last race at Hungaroring, struggled to find anything remotely resembling speed all weekend and was approximately 40 seconds a lap slower than the leaders.  Despite this, Verona remained remotely competent when cars were coming to lap him and ran as high as 34th.  On lap 8, Verona moved in front of Dalia Aliwi, costing her several positions and seconds to the cars she was battling with.  On lap 13, Leonid Chernov was running 2nd to Izaak Kowalczyk when a vibration he had reported earlier got much worse.  As his teammate Sergei Yakovski moved around him for 3rd, the engine stalled and cut out in the #66 LUKoil RUS-Mk.I and he coasted down into Turn 11 trying to get the car refired.  The car carried speed all the way to Turn 12, but he was unable to refire the car and parked the car on the outside of the turn, ending his day.  

On lap 15, Jorge Verona was passed by Alexander Smitt, easily the most competent of the backmarkers, and was attempting to gain the position back in Turn 5.  However, Verona's attempt to grab the position put him right in front of Dalia Aliwi, who turned him into the grass.  Verona barely tapped the outside wall with the right-rear of the car, but continued on without an issue.  As he worked up to speed, Murphy Weller rear-ended him in the brake zone entering Turn 6, damaging the rear end of the #09 Costa Mosta CM Nova.  He would not pit, and dropped to 36th. Three laps later, Louis Bellard, who was running in 3rd place, came up to lap Verona.  Verona apparently didn't notice him, because he moved over to Bellard's lane as he was approaching.  Bellard gave Verona a quick bump, then hooked his left-rear quarter panel half a second later, sending him spinning entering Turn 7.  Davy S. Flymflam, who was running right behind in 37th and had had quite an adventure already by that point, ran into the passenger's side door of the #09.  Verona's car lazily rolled over, and he would retire the car due to the damage done to the car's C-Pillar.  Verona was unable to complete 13 laps, and thus did not pass Leonid Chernov for 36th.  Davy S. Flymflam rounded out the Bottom Five, completing 15 laps under power with the hood removed on his #990 Sped-Box Omecha.

Bottom Five:
39) Ed Boddicker / 4 laps / Retired
38) Salvatore Torregrossa / 5 laps / Header
37) Jorge Verona / 13 laps / Accident
36) Leonid Chernov / 13 laps / Electrical
35) Davy S. Flymflam / 15 laps / Running

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz, David Hetzel, Alina Lazareva, Matt Brinson, Giuseppe Balducci, Klara Kindahl, Creeper Stevenson, Ed Boddicker (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports, Manticore Engineering (2)
2nd) Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing, Vovicic Racing Inc., Griffith Motorsports, Brinson Engineering, Scuderia Italia, Last Row Autosport, Delta City Racing (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar, Mercedes-Benz (2)
3rd) Dodge, Omecha, EFR, Katzev, Ford, Tutino, Volpi, Lycoia (1)

Neil Underwood Finishes Last on Debut at Over-Capacity Mansfield



Neil Underwood collected the 1st last-place finish of his PCC Cup Series career when his #3 Miller Lite Toyota retired due to crash damage after completing 10 of the race's 250 laps. The finish came in Underwood's first career start.

Neil Underwood was tabbed to drive the #3 Miller Lite Toyota by Team 7th Gear USA, a team owned by the US adaptation of popular tv show 7th Gear. Underwood, a sprint car legend in his native state of Oklahoma, timed in 47th fastest in overall time trials, placing him in the Tier 2 qualifier. In his qualifier, Underwood ran consistently and nabbed the 9th position by the end of the 100-lap qualifier, transferring himself into the main race.

In the final practice session before the race, Underwood (the only member of Team 7th Gear USA to qualify) timed in 32nd fastest, putting himself there on the grid for the race. Junior Hardearn held last place for the first half lap before a multi-car accident occurred on the backstretch, spurned by early three-wide racing between Ben Worthington, Denny Adams, and Neil Underwood. Denny Adams, the most severely damaged of the cars involved, would take last place from Hardearn and would lose 4 laps in the pits getting damage repaired. On lap 10, Neil Underwood worked his way up to 36th despite the damage to the front of his car when the leader, the #8 Mazda of JW Brancher, came up to lap him. Underwood and Brancher made contact coming out of Turn 2 and Brancher turned Underwood into the inside wall. The damage from the impact was severe enough to end Underwood's day after only completing 10 laps. On lap 17, Denny Adams (who had fallen another lap down by this point) passed the #3 car, securing his first-ever last place finish.

Rounding out the Bottom Five were Pete Maverick, Cody Deak, Isaac Michaels, and Junior Hardearn. Pete Maverick was having a strong top-15 run in his #86 Top Guns Lycoia when his suspension broke after completing only 41 laps. As Maverick was pulling onto pit road, JW Brancher dumped the #61 of Cody Deak into the inside backstretch wall, delivering severe damage to the 61 and ending his day. The 61 car shot up the track directly into the path of Isaac Michaels, who was running in 4th place at the time. Michaels had nowhere to go, and collided with the stricken 61 car which ended his day. Junior Hardearn struggled to find speed all day and engine issues ultimately ended the 888 car's day on lap 77 after completing 62 laps.

Bottom Five:
46) Neil Underwood / 10 laps / Accident
45) Pete Maverick / 41 laps / Suspension
44) Cody Deak / 42 laps / Accident
43) Isaac Michaels / 44 laps / Accident
42) Junior Hardearn / 62 laps / Valve

LASTCAR Driver's Championship:
1st) Kris Wascher (2)
2nd) Silvia Renaldi, Whitney Fuller, John Bracchi, Denny Adams, Lenny Jacobs, Sam Smith, Jacob Eichholtz, David Hetzel, Alina Lazareva, Matt Brinson, Giuseppe Balducci, Klara Kindahl, Creeper Stevenson, Ed Boddicker, Neil Underwood (1)

LASTCAR Owner's Championship:
1st) Wascher Motorsports, Manticore Engineering (2)
2nd) Clason Enterprises, Australian Motorsports, DJ Motorsports, Paloma Autosport, Triple XXX Motorsports, ForwardFast Racing, Vovicic Racing Inc., Griffith Motorsports, Brinson Engineering, Scuderia Italia, Last Row Autosport, Delta City Racing, Team 7th Gear USA (1)

LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship:
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Saar, Mercedes-Benz (2)
3rd) Dodge, Omecha, EFR, Katzev, Ford, Tutino, Volpi, Lycoia, Toyota (1)