CUP: Papis Joins Blaney As Third-Straight Last-Place Finisher With Brake Problem At New Hampshire
Papis scored the 4th last-place finish of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career in Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when his #13 GEICO Toyota fell out with brake problems after completing 11 of the race’s 301 laps.
Papis qualified 32nd for Sunday’s race, his first at New Hampshire, at a speed of 130.024 mph, besting seven other drivers who were not locked-into the field on speed. Defending LASTCAR Cup champion Dave Blaney, with whom Papis is now tied for 2nd in the current 2010 rankings, fell out nine laps later with power steering issues. Blaney has yet to finish last since the Coca-Cola 600, four races ago. Current LASTCAR leader Joe Nemechek qualified a stunning 7th on Friday, but when a sponsor still didn’t show up, he too was forced to go behind the wall after 68 laps.
STATS AND FACTS
*This was Papis’ third consecutive last-place finish, making him just the third driver in Cup Series history ever to do so. Dave Blaney scored three straight last fall at Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond, and G.C. Spencer scored three in a row in August 1960 at Columbia, South Boston, and Bowman Gray Stadium.
*A Cup driver had not finished last at New Hampshire with brake problems since Carl Long’s #00 Buyer’s Choice Auto Warranties Chevrolet fell out 8 laps into the 2005 New England 300.
*The #13 had never before finished last in a Cup race at New Hampshire.
*This was the third consecutive year that a Toyota has finished last in this event.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #13-Max Papis / 11 laps / brakes
42) #66-Dave Blaney / 20 laps / power steering
41) #55-Michael McDowell / 24 laps / electrical
40) #64-Todd Bodine / 31 laps / transmission
39) #87-Joe Nemechek / 68 laps / brakes
CUP DRIVER RANKINGS
1st) Joe Nemechek (4)
2nd) Dave Blaney, Max Papis (3)
3rd) Aric Almirola, Michael McDowell (2)
4th) Robby Gordon, Johnny Sauter, Reed Sorenson (1)
CUP TEAM RANKINGS
1st) #87-NEMCO Motorsports (4)
2nd) #13-Germain Racing, #66-PRISM Motorsports (3)
3rd) #55-PRISM Motorsports, #09-Phoenix Racing (2)
4th) #7-Robby Gordon Motorsports,#32-Braun Racing, #36-Tommy Baldwin Racing (1)
Papis qualified 32nd for Sunday’s race, his first at New Hampshire, at a speed of 130.024 mph, besting seven other drivers who were not locked-into the field on speed. Defending LASTCAR Cup champion Dave Blaney, with whom Papis is now tied for 2nd in the current 2010 rankings, fell out nine laps later with power steering issues. Blaney has yet to finish last since the Coca-Cola 600, four races ago. Current LASTCAR leader Joe Nemechek qualified a stunning 7th on Friday, but when a sponsor still didn’t show up, he too was forced to go behind the wall after 68 laps.
STATS AND FACTS
*This was Papis’ third consecutive last-place finish, making him just the third driver in Cup Series history ever to do so. Dave Blaney scored three straight last fall at Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond, and G.C. Spencer scored three in a row in August 1960 at Columbia, South Boston, and Bowman Gray Stadium.
*A Cup driver had not finished last at New Hampshire with brake problems since Carl Long’s #00 Buyer’s Choice Auto Warranties Chevrolet fell out 8 laps into the 2005 New England 300.
*The #13 had never before finished last in a Cup race at New Hampshire.
*This was the third consecutive year that a Toyota has finished last in this event.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #13-Max Papis / 11 laps / brakes
42) #66-Dave Blaney / 20 laps / power steering
41) #55-Michael McDowell / 24 laps / electrical
40) #64-Todd Bodine / 31 laps / transmission
39) #87-Joe Nemechek / 68 laps / brakes
CUP DRIVER RANKINGS
1st) Joe Nemechek (4)
2nd) Dave Blaney, Max Papis (3)
3rd) Aric Almirola, Michael McDowell (2)
4th) Robby Gordon, Johnny Sauter, Reed Sorenson (1)
CUP TEAM RANKINGS
1st) #87-NEMCO Motorsports (4)
2nd) #13-Germain Racing, #66-PRISM Motorsports (3)
3rd) #55-PRISM Motorsports, #09-Phoenix Racing (2)
4th) #7-Robby Gordon Motorsports,#32-Braun Racing, #36-Tommy Baldwin Racing (1)
