By T.J. Buffenbarger
ROSSBURG, Ohio (September 28, 2019) — Tyler Courtney made history on Saturday night at Eldora Speedway by winning his fourth consecutive USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series event at Eldora Speedway during the 38th 4-Crown Nationals. Courtney was able to take advantage of Kevin Thomas Jr. hitting the wall while leading to take over the top position to back up his victory in the USAC National Midget Car Series earlier in the event.
“This is cool. I think K.T. was definitely the car to beat there. He just got sucked up in the wall off of four and he was fast the whole race, so it was going to be tough to get around him because it was tough to pass guys. Hats off my entire Clauson/Marshall/Newman team. We kind of struggled the first half of the season. We’ve kind of turned it on here the past few weeks to put a little pressure on C.J. (Leary). I hate to see what happened to him tonight.
Thomas and C.J. Leary started on the front row for the 30 lap main event. Thomas asserted himself to the lead early on as Tyler Courtney passed three cars on the backstretch to move into second briefly before giving that spot back to Leary in turn four on the third lap. Courtney was able to gain second from Leary on lap six as Thomas pulled away from the rest of the field.
Thomas started to overtake slower traffic on lap 11 as Courtney closed in on his back bumper, pulling away from Leary in third position. Thomas was able to negotiate the slower traffic better than Courtney and increased his lead.
The completion n of the race changed on lap 18 when Thomas bounced off the fence coming off turn four and allowing Courtney to close to Thomas back bumper. Thomas’ car suffered some front-end damage in the incident and was not able to maintain the pace he set earlier in the feature. Courtney took advantage and took the lead from Thomas on lap 19.
Further back in the field Chris Windom was working his way up to the front of the field passing Leary for third position and closing on the leaders. Windom passing Thomas for second position on lap 20. One lap later Leary’s race came to an end after contacting Windom’s left rear tire, causing him to spin and back into the wall in turn two.
The caution allowed Windom to close in on Courtney’s back bumper for the restart, but Courtney was too strong and was able to hold off a challenge by Windom after the restart. Over the final five laps Courtney pulled away for the victory over Windom, Justin Grant, Thomas, and Brady Bacon.
Afterwards Courtney appreciated making history at such a hallowed race track like Eldora.
“Its pretty incredible. You’ve got guys like Jack Hewitt, Rich Vogler, and all those guys that have run here. For somebody to never win four consecutive USAC National Sprint Car Races here is incredible,” said Courtney. “Just to be compared be able to go for four in a row is pretty incredible and now we get to put our name in the history books and hopefully come back in the spring for five in a row.”
38th 4-Crown Nationals
USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship
Eldora Speedway
Rossburg, OH
Saturday September 28, 2019
Qualifying:
1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 16.671
2. 5G-Chris Windom, 16.780
3. 4-Justin Grant, 16.832
4. 69-Brady Bacon, 16.917
5. 19AZ-C.J. Leary, 16.947
6. 19-Kevin Thomas Jr., 17.081
7. 32-Chase Stockon, 17.146
8. 18-Dallas Hewitt, 17.153
9. 5M-Max Adams, 17.302
10. 60-Kory Crabtree, 17.354
11. 6-Mario Clouser, 17.378
12. 71P-Jason McDougal, 17.384
13. 52-Issac Chapple, 17.393
14. 75-Dustin Clark, 17.498
15. 6R-Bill Rose, 17.518
16. 21P-Carmen Perigo, 17.520
17. 33M-Matt Westfall, 17.571
18. 39G-Scotty Weir, 17.579
19. 17-Nick Bilbee, 17.740
20. 74X-Josh Hodges, 17.811
21. 36-Dave Darland, 17.823
22. 66C-Corey Smith, 17.995
23. 20N-Kody Swanson, 18.111
24. 49-Brian Ruhlman, 18.254
25. 23S-Landon Simon, 18.342
26. 39-Matt Goodnight, 18.401
27. 99J-Jack James, 18.416
28. 6-Chris Phillips, 18.656
29. 99-Gage Etgen, 18.802
30. 18-Travis Welpott, 18.809
31. 2C-Tim Creech, 18.810
32. 26-Cody White, 18.902
33. 20-Steve Thomas, 18.912
34. 1H-Korbyn Hayslett, 99.000
35. 51-Scott Hampton, 99.000
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps):
1. 7BC – Tyler Courtney
2. 33M – Matt Westfall
3. 19AZ – C.J. Leary
4. 36D – Dave Darland
5. 5M – Max Adams
6. 52 – Issac Chapple
7. 23S – Landon Simon
8. 99 – Gage Etgen
9. 20 – Steve Thomas
(First four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps):
1. 19 – Kevin Thomas Jr.
2. 5G – Chris Windom
3. 39G – Scotty Weir
4. 66C – Corey Smith
5. 60 – Kory Crabtree
6. 75 – Dustin Clark
7. 39 – Matt Goodnight
8. 18 – Travis Welpott
9. 1H – Korbyn Hayslett
(First four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps):
1. 4 – Justin Grant
2. 32 – Chase Stockon
3. 6 – Mario Clouser
4. 17 – Nick Bilbee,
5. 20 – Kody Swanson
6. 51 – Scott Hampton
7. 99J – Jack James
8. 2C – Tim Creech
9. 6R – Bill Rose
(First four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
Heat Race #4 (8 Laps):
1. 71P – Jason McDougal
2. 99 – Brady Bacon
3. 18X – Dallas Hewitt
4. 21P – Carmen Perigo
5. 74X – Josh Hodges
6. 6 – Chris Phillips
7. 49 – Brian Ruhlman
8. 26W – Cody White
(First four finishers transferred to the A-Main)
B-Main (12 Laps):
1. 5M – Max Adams
2. 60 – Kory Crabtree
3. 75 – Dustin Clark
4. 52 – Issac Chapple
5. 74X – Josh Hodges
6. 6P – Chris Phillips
7. 39 – Matt Goodnight
8. 51 – Scott Hampton
9. 49 – Brian Ruhlman
10. 20N – Kody Swanson
11. 23S – Kyle Simon
12. 99 – Gage Etgen
13. 99J – Jack James
14. 18 – Travis Welpott
15. 26W – Cody White
16. 2C – Tim Creech
17. 20 – Steve Thomas
DNS: 6R – Bill Rose
DNS: 1H – Korbyn Hayslett
A-Main (30 Laps):
1. 7BC – Tyler Courtney
2. 5G – Chris Windom
3. 4 – Justin Grant
4. 19 – Kevin Thomas Jr.
5. 69 – Brady Bacon
6. 18X – Dallas Hewitt
7. 33M – Matt Westfall
8. 32 – Chase Stockon
9. 52 – Issac Chapple
10. 17 – Nick Bilbee
11. 21P – Carmen Perigo
12. 17P – Jason McDougal
13. 39G – Scotty Weir
14. 6 – Mario Clouser
15. 6P – Chris Phillips
16. 36D – Dave Darland
17. 75 – Justin Clark
18. 66S – Corey Smith
19. 5M – Max Adams
20. 60 – Kory Crabtree
21. 74X – Josh Hodges
22. 19AZ – C.J. Leary