Each and every week, Brock Beard breaks down the last place finishes of drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Every now and again, Beard gets a chance to write about a top-tier driver who found misfortune in the race, but usually Beard gets to dig deep on the journeymen who make up the back of the field. Dover was one of those journeymen kinda weeks for LASTCAR.
Gander RV 400 – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Last Place Finisher: BJ McLeod
Team: Rick Ware Racing
Sponsor: Belmont Classic Cars
Laps Completed: 96 of 400
Reason for Falling Out of Race: Blown Head Gasket
Despite being underfunded, the Rick Ware Racing cars sport some of the best paint schemes each and every week and their No. 51 and No. 52 cars always look ready to race. Unfortunately, just before the quarter mark in Monday’s race McLeod’s motor went south with a blown head gasket. According to Beard, this is just the third-ever last place finish due to a blown head gasket in Cup Series history.
The early ending marks just McLeod’s second DNF through 29 Cup Series starts.
To read Brock Beard’s excellent full last-place report for McLeod (Highly Recommended), click here.
Allied Steel Buildings 200 – NASCAR Xfinity Series
Last Place Finisher: Josh Bilicki
Team: RSS Racing
Sponsor: W.G. Speaks / Carrier
Laps Completed: 10 of 200
Reason for Falling Out of Race: Transmission
RSS Racing fields three cars full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (Ryan Sieg’s No. 39, the No. 38 and the No. 93), however sponsorship sometimes prevents all three cars from running the full event. For Josh Bilicki in the team’s No. 93 entry at Dover, it appeared that they weren’t fully funded to make it the entire race. Officially, Bilicki succumbed to transmission issues after completing 10 laps.
According to Beard, this is Bilicki’s first last-place effort of the season and it’s his first last-place finish in the last 24 NXS races.
For Beard’s full report on Bilicki’s day and the race for last place, click here.
Jegs 200 – NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Last Place Finisher: Norm Benning
Team: Norm Benning Racing
Sponsor: H&H Transport
Laps Completed: 28 of 200
Reason for Falling Out of Race: Too Slow
Is there a more endearing character in NASCAR than Norm Benning? A few years ago he was a feel-good story who used up his truck to make it into the first-ever Truck Series Dirt Race at Eldora Speedway. Since then, Benning has run a part-time schedule in the NGOTS and he’s typically had decent success. However, 2019 hasn’t been kind to him as he has failed to qualify three times (Daytona, Martinsville and Texas) and now this week he finished last in Friday’s race at Dover International Speedway.
Benning was getting through the early stages of the event, when he was called to the garage for not making the minimum pace, which is set by NASCAR. According to Beard, this is just second time a Truck Series last-place finisher has gotten there by being flagged for being too slow. This is also Benning’s 13th last-place finish in 203 career Truck Series starts.
To read Beard’s full report on Norm Benning’s race, click here.
