N’WIDE: Jo Cobb’s Sour Indy Weekend Ends With A Last-Place Finish In LOR Finale
Overall, the Indianapolis weekend proved forgettable for the aspiring female racer. On Friday, she spun during Truck Series qualifying, narrowly avoiding contact with the inside wall, then finished 32nd in the race, 17 laps down.
Saturday proved even worse as Cobb wrecked her Nationwide car in practice. Though she acquired a backup car from owner Rick Ware, who withdrew his #71 start-and-park entry before the race, she was overly-cautious in qualifying, turning in a lap good enough for 41st in the 42-car field at a speed of 94.066 mph. Cobb’s lap was more than three seconds slower than polesitter Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.’s lap of 108.278 mph.
Ironically, after stepping out of a ride she was asked to “start-and-park” at Bristol, Cobb pulled Ware’s backup car behind the wall after two laps.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is Cobb’s first last-place finish in the Nationwide Series since 2010, when she and teammate Johnny Chapman were involved in a two-car crash on Lap 6 of the 2010 Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona - scene of the debut of the new Nationwide Series car.
*The #13 has not finished last in a Nationwide Series race since 2001, when Drew White’s bgnracing.com Chevrolet fell out with overheating problems six laps into the 2001 Nazareth 200 at Nazareth.
*Cobb’s finish ended a nine-race last-place streak by Chevrolet in 2011, which started after Blake Koch gave Dodge its only 2011 last-place finish at Dover in May.
*With Nationwide Series racing at Lucas Oil Raceway possibly at an end, it is perhaps significant to note that every Nationwide Series race ever held at the track has had a different last-place finisher. Among the track’s most famous last-placers were Bobby Allison (1984), Darrell Waltrip (1987), and Jack Ingram (1990).
THE BOTTOM FIVE
42) #13-Jennifer Jo Cobb / 2 laps / handling
41) #46-Chase Miller / 7 laps / brakes
40) #47-Charles Lewandoski / 8 laps / vibration
39) #42-Scott Wimmer / 9 laps / brakes
38) #74-Mike Harmon / 11 laps / brakes
LASTCAR N’WIDE SERIES DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Jeff Green (4)
2nd) Brett Rowe (3)
3rd) Kelly Bires, Dennis Setzer (2)
4th) Matt Carter, Johnny Chapman, Kevin Conway, Marc Davis, Mike Harmon, James Hylton, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Blake Koch, Justin Marks, Scott Wimmer (1)
LASTCAR N’WIDE SERIES OWNER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
It was another rough night for Key Motorsports at LOR. After the team’s three “start-and-park” cars left the race within the opening nine laps, Tim Andrews, taking his turn driving Key’s primary (but still unsponsored) #40, was involved in a grinding crash with Rusty Wallace Incorporated teammates Michael Annett and Steven Wallace with just 23 laps to go.
1st) #44-TriStar Motorsports (4)
2nd) #55-Faith Motorsports (3)
3rd) #25-Ed Rensi, #49-Jay Robinson Racing (2)
4th) #0-JD Motorsports, #13-Jennifer Jo Cobb, #27-Baker Curb Racing, #47-Key Motorsports, #68-Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports, #74-Mike Harmon, #75-Rick Ware Racing, #82-MacDonald Motorsports, #87-NEMCO Motorsports, #03-R3 Motorsports (1)
LASTCAR N’WIDE SERIES MANUFACTURER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (15)
2nd) Ford (5)
3rd) Dodge (1)
