CUP: Leffler Scores Car #19's First Michigan Last-Place Finish Since 1981

SOURCE: Rubbin's Racin'

Jason Leffler picked up the 6th last-place finish of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at the Michigan International Speedway when his unsponsored #19 Humphrey Smith Racing Ford fell out with a fuel pressure problem after completing 14 of the race’s 201 laps.

The finish was Leffler’s first of 2012 and his first in Sprint Cup since his #66 PRISM Motorsports Toyota had electrical problems 23 laps into the 2010 Pepsi 500 at the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California, 66 races ago. Prior to this season, that race was Leffler’s most recent Cup Series start.

Sunday was also Leffler’s second consecutive start of 2012, following an eventful 35th-place finish in the Robinson-Blakeney #49 after an off-course excursion and a blown engine at Watkins Glen. The Michigan race was also the thirteenth of the year for the #19, now a Ford for the first time this year. Leffler qualified 33rd at an average speed of 192.205 mph. His teammate in the #91 Toyota, Reed Sorenson, timed in 27th to put both Humphrey Smith cars into the race.

In the race itself, Leffler and Sorenson fell out one lap apart, securing the final two spots in the field.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first last-place finish for the #19 at Michigan since August 16, 1981, when Dick May’s #19 Belden Asphalt Buick fell out with a broken cam after 4 laps of the Champion Spark Plug 400.
*This was Leffler’s first last-place finish in a Cup race at Michigan.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #19-Jason Leffler / 14 laps / fuel pressure
42) #91-Reed Sorenson / 15 laps / overheating
41) #23-Scott Riggs / 20 laps / suspension
40) #26-Josh Wise / 21 laps / suspension
39) #98-Mike Skinner / 25 laps / electrical

LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Michael McDowell, Scott Riggs, Scott Speed, Josh Wise (3)
2nd) J.J. Yeley (2)
3rd) Trevor Bayne, Mike Bliss, Landon Cassill, Brendan Gaughan, Jason Leffler, Joe Nemechek, David Ragan, Reed Sorenson, Brian Vickers (1)

LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #23-R3 Motorsports, #26-Front Row Motorsports, #98-Phil Parsons Racing (3)
2nd) #19-Humphrey-Smith Racing, #49-Robinson-Blakeney Racing, #95-Leavine Family Racing (2)
3rd) #21-Wood Brothers Racing, #33-Richard Childress Racing, #34-Front Row Motorsports, #55-Michael Waltrip Racing, #74-Turn One Racing, #79-Go Green Racing, #83-BK Racing, #87-NEMCO Motorsports (1)

LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Ford (12)
2nd) Toyota (6)
3rd) Chevrolet (5)