Nemechek’s Brakes Burn Out At Indy, Moves To Sixth On All-Time Rankings

Joe Nemechek picked up the 15th last-place finish of his career in Sunday’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when his unsponsored #87 NEMCO Motorsports Toyota fell out with brake problems after completing 21 of 160 laps.

Nemechek qualified 30th on Saturday with a speed of 177.284 mph, locking him into the Allstate 400 field as the third-fastest car outside the top 35 in owner’s points. In the early stages of Sunday’s race, it appeared as though Elliott Sadler would score his sixth last-place finish as a mysterious leak on the first lap forced him behind the wall. On lap 21, Nemechek then fell out with brake problems in the ensuing green-flag run, followed two laps later by 2009 last-place leader Dave Blaney. Sadler returned to the track late in the event, but Nemechek did not, giving him the 43rd and final finishing position.

The finish was Nemechek’s second of 2009 and his first since February’s Auto Club 500 at the Auto Club Speedway. It is the third time in 2009 that the last-place finisher fell out with brake problems and was also the first time that Nemechek, NEMCO Motorsports, and car number 87 have ever finished last in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Nemechek now sits sixth on the all-time last-place finisher rankings and is just one finish away from tying Derrike Cope and Todd Bodine for the most last-place finishes since 1998.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #87-Joe Nemechek / 21 laps / brakes
42) #66-Dave Blaney / 23 laps / brakes
41) #36-Mike Skinner / 35 laps / transmission
40) #19-Elliott Sadler / 45 laps / running
39) #78-Regan Smith / 108 laps / running

2009 RANKINGS
1st) Dave Blaney (5)
2nd) Mike Bliss, Patrick Carpentier, David Gilliland, Joe Nemechek, Tony Raines (2)
3rd) Todd Bodine, P.J. Jones, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Mark Martin (1)