SUNSHINE CLAIMS TOP HONORS NIGHT #1 OF FOUR CROWN NATIONALS

Posted: September 27, 2021

Rossburg, Ohio (September 24, 2021)………Prior to Tyler Courtney, no driver had ever won five consecutive USAC National Sprint Car races at Eldora Speedway.

Prior to Tyler Courtney, no driver had ever won three-straight USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget races at Eldora Speedway.
The former was achieved back in May and the latter on Friday night as the Indianapolis, Ind. native tracked down race leader Chris Windom near the halfway point of the non-stop, green-to-checker 25-lapper to win Friday night’s #BeFourTheCrowns presented by NKT.TV feature event, backing up his two previous wins at the Big E in 2018 and 2019.

Courtney’s unprecedented achievements allowed him to become just the fifth driver to reach double figures in terms of USAC National feature wins at the Rossburg, Ohio half-mile, joining Jack Hewitt (24 wins), Dave Darland (14), Rich Vogler (12) and Tracy Hines (11) in the exclusive club. Courtney now possesses five sprint wins, three midget and two Silver Crown victories under the USAC banner at the track.

The 2019 USAC National Midget champion’s 19^th career series victory equaled him for 35^th on the all-time list alongside Jerry Coons Jr., Stan Fox and Jason Leffler.

“This is only our second time running the midget this year and (car owner/crew chief) Tim (Clauson) was on it,” Courtney praised. “It’s cool to put this car back in victory lane, especially here at Eldora. This is a tough weekend, especially with everything I’m trying to do. To get it off on the right foot is definitely really special.”

Making just his second series appearance of the year in his Clauson Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink Turbo – ZMax Race Products/Spike/Stanton SR-11x, Courtney started his race from the third position and remained stagnant in the positionwhile Windom pulled out to the lead from the pole and outside front row starter Emerson Axsom waged a battle on the bottom of the surface.

Windom continued to work up high, right rear tire right up on the outside wall, while Axsom put his left rear to the wall on the bottom to close within a car length of Windom at the start/finish line at the conclusion of lap five.