TRUCKS: Caleb Roark Scores First Last-Place Finish

SOURCE: @ryanellisracing

Caleb Roark picked up the 1st last-place finish of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career in Saturday’s Careers For Veterans 200 at the Michigan International Speedway when his #0 Grimes Irrigation & Construction Chevrolet broke the rear gear after he completed 2 of the race’s 100 laps.  The finish came in Roark’s ninth series start.

The 21-year-old short tracker from Abingdon, Virginia made his Truck Series debut driving for Ken Smith at Martinsville on April 2, 2011.  Roark finished 19th that day, which is still his career best.  After running part-time for Smith for the next two seasons, Roark moved to Jennifer Jo Cobb’s team to share the #0 Chevrolet with Ryan Ellis and Willie Allen.  He’s also made his Nationwide debut, finishing 32nd at Iowa in May driving Bobby Dotter’s #55.

Michigan saw just 28 trucks on the preliminary entry list.  The short field grew by one more after the post-entry by Adam Edwards, driving Norm Benning’s old #57 Chevrolet while Benning remained in his #6.  Roark bested Edwards in the opening pracitce with the 27th-fastest time and did not participate in the final practice session.  He secured the 27th starting spot with an average speed of 161.146 mph.

In the race itself, Roark pulled behind the wall under green, followed a lap later by Edwards.  One lap behind them was Todd Peck, making his third start of the season and his first in Bobby Dotter’s #07 ThunderExhaust.com Chevrolet.  Travis Kvapil qualified 6th as the relief driver for John Wes Townley, but lost the engine on his #05 Zaxby’s Toyota after just even laps, bringing out the only caution of the race.  Rounding out the Bottom Fie was T.J. Bell, whose #50 Drivin’ For Linemen / KnowledgeVine Chevrolet broke an oil line.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This is the first last-place finish for the #0 in a Truck Series race at Michigan since 2012, when T.J. Bell’s transmission gave out on his Driven2Honor.org Ford after one lap of the VFW 200.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
29) #0-Caleb Roark / 2 laps / rear gear
28) #57-Adam Edwards / 3 laps / electrical
27) #07-Todd Peck / 4 laps / handling
26) #05-Travis Kvapil / 7 laps / engine
25) #50-T.J. Bell / 20 laps / oil line

LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Ryan Ellis, Justin Jennings (2)
2nd) Mike Affarano, Alex Guenette, Blake Koch, Charles Lewandoski, Tommy Regan, Caleb Roark, Scott Stenzel, Jason White (1)

LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #0-Jennifer Jo Cobb (3)
2nd) #36-Mike Mittler, #63-Mike Mittler / Randy Young (2)
3rd) #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 (11)
2nd) RAM (1)