By T.J. Buffenbarger
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 10, 2019) – Tyler Courtney made his return to the Knoxville Nationals a successful one winning the C-Main event during Saturday’s finale of the 59th annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores. Courtney and Cale Thomas swapped the lead back and forth during the 15-lap event before Courtney took control late in the event.
The first attempt to start the C-Main was short lived when the field was stacked up on the inside causing Justin Peck slide backwards into the front stretch wall. Peck was unable to make the restart.
Tyler Courtney led the field during the restart with Cale Thomas immediately challenging for the lead. Thomas was able to get a run on the bottom turn two on the second lap to take the lead from Courtney. Courtney did not give up though and took the lead from Thomas using the outside of turns one and two. On lap four the red flag appeared for Marcus Dumesny flipping wildly into turn one. Dumesny was able to exit the car under his own power.
Courtney found himself under fire right away from Thomas after the restart for the lead as they traded it back and forth. Further back Thomas Kennedy, Carson McCarl, and Brian Brown were racing for third on back. With eight laps to go Brown made his move to sweep past McCarl and Kennedy to race into third position with Kennedy getting by McCarl for fourth.
With five laps to go Thomas slipped a bit in turn two and allowed Courtney to drive away for the win. Thomas held on for second with Brown in third. McCarl got a run on Kennedy to take the final transfer spot on the last lap.
59th Annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville, IA
Saturday August 10, 2019
C-Main (12 Laps):
1. 7BC – Tyler Courtney
2. 91 – Cale Thomas
3. 21 – Brian Brown
4. 27 – Carson McCarl
5. 83J – Lynton Jeffrey
6. 21K – Thomas Kennedy
7. 15H – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
8. 35P – Skylar Prochaska
9. 99 – Brady Bacon
10. 49J – Josh Schneiderman
11. 1 – Travis Rilat
12. 7X – Justin Henderson
13. 18S – Jason Solwold
14. 17W – Shane Golobic,
15. 39M – Anthony Macri
16. 56N – Davey Heskin
17. 45 – Rusty Hickman
18. 10 – R.J. Johnson
19. 7SW – Jeff Swindell
20. 92 – Sye Lynch
21. 7 – Craig Dollansky
22. 14M – Marcus Dumesny
23. 1X – Don Droud Jr.
24. 70X – Justin Peck.
(First four finishers transfer to the B-Main)