TRUCKS: Caleb Roark Scores Cobb’s Second-Straight Mosport Last-Place Finish
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| SOURCE: Ray Courtemanche |
The finish was Roark’s second of the 2014 season and his first since Michigan, two races ago. With eight races to go, Roark is now tied with Ryan Ellis and Justin Jennings for the most last-place finishes this season. Jennings leads Roark in the 2014 LASTCAR Championship by a single bottom-ten finish (as both have five Bottom Fives).
Just 29 trucks were slated to attempt the second-annual race at the sprawling Canadian road course. However, the number was trimmed to 28 in the aftermath of some discord within the Turner-Scott Motorsports team, who withdrew one of their three trucks - the #30 Rheem Chevrolet of former series champion Ron Hornaday.
For the first time since Eldora, both of Jennifer Jo Cobb’s entries for the weekend were RAM trucks. Cobb ran the team’s familiar green #10 while Roark drove a flat black #0. Roark did not participate in the opening practice session, then helped Cobb practice the #10 in Happy Hour, turning in the slowest time overall. Roark still managed to qualify his #0, which ended up at the back of the field with a speed of 71.713 mph - 43 seconds slower than pole winner Alex Tagliani’s lap of 109.889 mph.
Whatever struggles Roark faced during the weekend may have contributed to his early exit from Sunday’s race. His truck pulled off the track without completing a single lap.
Finishing 27th, eight laps ahead of Roark, was B.J. McLeod, who mid-week was named the driver of Bobby Dotter’s unsponsored #08 Chevrolet. In 26th was Justin Jennings, whose ride in the black #36 Mittler Bros. / LG Seeds / Ski Soda Chevrolet was highlighted by a Lap 17 spin in Turn 5 that nearly collected Cole Custer and Erik Jones. Jennings’ teammate Scott Stenzel in the #63 remained in the Bottom Five for mechanical issues, but returned to the track to finish 24th.
Between Jennings and Stenzel was 25th-place John Hunter Nemechek, who fought electrical issues as early as Lap 19 before bringing out the first caution on Lap 47 for stalling entering the first corner. He retired from the race with transmission issues as the official cause.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*Jennifer Jo Cobb’s #0 team has now finished last in both Truck Series races at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Last year, Chris Lafferty broke the clutch after 3 laps, scoring the third of six last-place finishes that season on his way to the LASTCAR Truck Series Championship.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
28) #0-Caleb Roark / 0 laps / clutch
27) #08-B.J. McLeod / 8 laps / ignition
26) #36-Justin Jennings / 15 laps / transmission
25) #8-John Hunter Nemechek / 26 laps / transmission
24) #63-Scott Stenzel / 45 laps / running
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Ryan Ellis, Justin Jennings, Caleb Roark (2)
2nd) Mike Affarano, Bryan Dauzat, Alex Guenette, Blake Koch, Charles Lewandoski, Tommy Regan, Scott Stenzel, Jason White (1)
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #0-Jennifer Jo Cobb (4)
2nd) #36-Mike Mittler, #63-Mike Mittler / Randy Young (2)
3rd) #28-FDNY Racing, #42-Randy Young, #45-Regan Motorsports, #74-Mario Gosselin, #93-RSS Racing, #03-Mike Affarano Motorsports (1)
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (12)
2nd) RAM (2)
