By T.J. Buffenbarger
ROSSBURG, Ohio (September 24, 2022) – Tyler Courtney has found tremendous success in winged and non-winged sprint car racing, but one glaring omission was a Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 feature victory during the 4-Crown Nationals. Courtney checked that box Saturday night at Eldora trading the lead back and forth with Justin Peck before pulling away for the victory.
After the race Courtney was complimentary of Peck for not making contact with him during the feature while racing for the lead after an incident between the two that Courtney took the blame for.
Obviously, we had a run into last weekend, but hats off to (Peck) for racing me how I always intend to race him,” said Courtney of the wild exchange of slide jobs between both of them racing for the lead. Obviously didn’t intend to do that to him last weekend, so thank you to (Peck) for racing me clean like a competitor I know he is.”
Courtney and Bacon started on the front row for the 30-lap main event. Courtney took the lead with Bacon challenging for the lead using the bottom of the racetrack but could not make the pass while Peck lurked in third. On lap eight Aaron Reutzel began to move forward entering the top five after driving by Sye Lynch.
Just as Courtney was starting to overtake slower cars the caution appeared when Hunter Schuerenberg slowed after shredding a right rear tire. Schuerenberg’s team made repairs in the work area under caution and was able to restart at the tail of the field.
Courtney pulled away after the restart with Peck pressuring Bacon for second, diving down low into turn one on lap twelve to take the position.
On lap 13 Peck was closing in on Courtney while Reutzel was pressuring Bacon for the third position. Peck took the lead with a slide job in turn one, only to have Courtney counter by crossing lanes to retake the lead off turn two. Courtney and Peck continued to exchange slide jobs until Courtney took the lead back and pulled away on lap 16. This allowed Reutzel to close in on the lead duo after taking the third spot from Bacon.
The final caution flag of the event came out with 21 laps complete when Cole Macedo slowed on the backstretch. Reutzel and Peck started racing for second while Courtney tried to pull away along with Rico Abreu and Travis Philo making their presence felt entering the top five.
Peck held on to second and closed in on Courtney with four laps to go. After closing in Peck slipped just enough off turn two with four laps to go, giving Courtney just enough breathing room to hold the lead until the finish. Peck, Reutzel, Abreu, and Philo rounded out the top five.
Greg Wilson picked up hard charger honors driving up from 23rd to sixth spot in the main event.
Afterward Courtney appeared to feel fortunate to come out on top after a hard fought race with Peck for the lead.
“I knew it’s going to be a race man. I thought when (Peck) drove by me there he had the better racecar. That just made me get up in the seat and find what else I had inside. Justin is a tough competitor and it’s been hard and fun racing all summer with him. I’ve known him since we were kids and to dream about battling for a championship is something that only a few kids get to accomplish.”
40th 4-Crown Nationals
Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1
Eldora Speedway
Rossburg, Ohio
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Dixie Vodka Qualifying
1. 9-Kasey Kahne, 12.209[31]
2. 13-Justin Peck, 12.928[33]
3. 11-Logan Seavey, 12.946[30]
4. 11K-Michael Kofoid, 12.962[29]
5. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.021[32]
6. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 13.056[25]
7. 4-Sye Lynch, 13.100[9]
8. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 13.109[7]
9. 8-Aaron Reutzel, 13.163[20]
10. 91-Kyle Reinhardt, 13.166[15]
11. 5T-Travis Philo, 13.183[3]
12. 55T-McKenna Haase, 13.186[8]
13. 26-Zeb Wise, 13.236[22]
14. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg, 13.257[1]
15. 17-Tyler Reeser, 13.260[28]
16. 3-Ayrton Gennetten, 13.273[5]
17. 21H-Brady Bacon, 13.275[12]
18. 5TX-Ryan Timms, 13.294[23]
19. 55X-Cole Macedo, 13.312[18]
20. 56R-Ryan Myers, 13.331[16]
21. 19-Chris Windom, 13.420[17]
22. 47X-Dylan Westbrook, 13.461[10]
23. 19P-Trey Jacobs, 13.532[24]
24. 47-Eric Riggins Jr, 13.583[2]
25. 16C-Tylar Rankin, 13.607[26]
26. 97-Greg Wilson, 13.617[27]
27. 2X-Stuart Brubaker, 13.618[6]
28. 101-JJ Hickle, 13.623[14]
29. 11N-Ayrton Olsen, 13.649[11]
30. 85-Dustin Daggett, 13.712[34]
31. 22M-Dan McCarron, 13.918[13]
32. 1-Nate Dussel, 13.927[4]
33. 24D-Danny Sams III, 13.969[19]
34. 17B-Bill Balog, 59.999[21]
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]
2. 5T-Travis Philo[2]
3. 4-Sye Lynch[4]
4. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[5]
5. 55T-McKenna Haase[3]
6. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[6]
7. 47-Eric Riggins Jr[7]
8. 2X-Stuart Brubaker[8]
9. 1-Nate Dussel[9]
CSI Shocks Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 21H-Brady Bacon[1]
2. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[4]
3. 55X-Cole Macedo[2]
4. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[6]
5. 19-Chris Windom[5]
6. 101-JJ Hickle[7]
7. 56R-Ryan Myers[3]
8. 11N-Ayrton Olsen[8]
9. 22M-Dan McCarron[9]
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 8-Aaron Reutzel[1]
2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]
3. 26-Zeb Wise[2]
4. 5TX-Ryan Timms[3]
5. 19P-Trey Jacobs[5]
6. 17B-Bill Balog[8]
7. 16C-Tylar Rankin[6]
8. 24D-Danny Sams III[7]
Mobil 1 Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 11-Logan Seavey[1]
2. 24-Rico Abreu[3]
3. 11K-Michael Kofoid[2]
4. 13-Justin Peck[4]
5. 9-Kasey Kahne[5]
6. 17-Tyler Reeser[6]
7. 97-Greg Wilson[7]
8. 85-Dustin Daggett[8]
Elliotts Custom Trailers and Carts Dash (6 Laps)
1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]
2. 21H-Brady Bacon[3]
3. 8-Aaron Reutzel[4]
4. 13-Justin Peck[5]
5. 11-Logan Seavey[2]
6. 4-Sye Lynch[7]
7. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[6]
8. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[8]
Classic Ink USA B-Main (12 Laps)
1. 17B-Bill Balog[4]
2. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[2]
3. 17-Tyler Reeser[1]
4. 97-Greg Wilson[8]
5. 56R-Ryan Myers[5]
6. 1-Nate Dussel[14]
7. 47-Eric Riggins Jr[6]
8. 2X-Stuart Brubaker[9]
9. 22M-Dan McCarron[13]
10. 11N-Ayrton Olsen[10]
11. 16C-Tylar Rankin[7]
12. 85-Dustin Daggett[11]
13. 101-JJ Hickle[3]
DNS: 24D-Danny Sams III
Tezos A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]
2. 13-Justin Peck[4]
3. 8-Aaron Reutzel[3]
4. 24-Rico Abreu[9]
5. 5T-Travis Philo[10]
6. 97-Greg Wilson[23]
7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[8]
8. 19-Chris Windom[18]
9. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[13]
10. 21H-Brady Bacon[2]
11. 11-Logan Seavey[5]
12. 26-Zeb Wise[11]
13. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[21]
14. 4-Sye Lynch[6]
15. 5TX-Ryan Timms[14]
16. 19P-Trey Jacobs[19]
17. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[7]
18. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[15]
19. 17-Tyler Reeser[22]
20. 55T-McKenna Haase[16]
21. 9-Kasey Kahne[17]
22. 17B-Bill Balog[20]
23. 55X-Cole Macedo[12]
24. 56R-Ryan Myers[24]