N’WIDE: Jeff Green Ties Derrike Cope For Most Last-Place Finishes In NASCAR History

SOURCE: NASCAR Media

Jeff Green picked up the 30th last-place finish of his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in Friday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at the Texas Motor Speedway when his unsponsored #10 TriStar Motorsports Toyota fell out with a vibration after completing 3 of the race’s 200 laps.

The finish was Green’s fourth of the 2012 Nationwide Series season, his second in a row, and his 35th across all three of NASCAR’s top divisions, thus tying him with Derrike Cope for the most last-place finishes in NASCAR history.

Green qualified 22nd at a speed of 175.177 mph, ranking him third behind Cup regulars Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. among the fifteen “go-or-go-homers” who attempted to qualify.

Early in the race, Chase Miller was the first car to go a lap down when his #46 The Motorsports Group Chevrolet made an unscheduled stop. Green followed soon after, apparently headed for a 42nd-place finish. However, when Miller returned to turn a few more laps, Green fell to 43rd in the final running order. Miller finished 39th.

Later in the evening, Green drove in relief of ailing TriStar Motorsports teammate Eric McClure and brought his #14 Hefty / Reynolds Wrap Chevrolet home in the 24th spot.

Morgan Shepherd and Joe Nemechek, who came into Texas tied with Green with 34 NASCAR last-place finishes apiece, both failed to qualify for a race last weekend. Nemechek missed his second Cup race of the year and finished 17th in the Nationwide race while Shepherd suffered his third DNQ of the 2012 Nationwide Series season.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was Green’s second-straight last-place finish in the spring Nationwide Series race at Texas. Last spring, his #44 Chevrolet exited after two laps with a vibration.
*The #10 had never before finished last in a Nationwide Series race at Texas.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #10-Jeff Green / 3 laps / vibration
42) #74-Kevin Lepage / 4 laps / ignition
41) #47-Scott Speed / 7 laps / fuel pump
40) #42-Josh Wise / 7 laps / electrical
39) #46-Chase Miller / 8 laps / vibration

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Jeff Green (4)
2nd) Mike Harmon, Josh Wise (1)

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #10-TriStar Motorsports (4)
2nd) #42-The Motorsports Group, #74-Mike Harmon (1)

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Toyota (4)
2nd) Chevrolet (2)