Tyler Courtney is the surprise leader of the Indiana Sprint Week standings after three of seven rounds. The Indianapolis, Ind. driver recorded his first USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car victory last Friday night at Gas City I-69 Speedway, and then added a seventh at Kokomo Saturday and a second at Lawrenceburg Sunday. He leads Brady Bacon by 20 points entering the final four races this week.
The “Don Smith Classic” unfolds Wednesday night at the Terre Haute Action Track, followed by Thursday night’s race at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville. Friday night’s 28th annual “Sheldon Kinser Memorial” at Bloomington Speedway makes its debut under USAC sanction while Indiana Sprint Week concludes with Saturday night’s finale at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. where this year’s ISW winning car owner will collect the Bridgeport Rocker awarded by longtime supporters John and Terri Youngs of Vincennes, Ind.
Chris Windom is third in “Sprint Week” points, just two behind Bacon. Bryan Clauson, winner of Sunday’s feature at Lawrenceburg, trails Courtney by 25 points in fourth while defending Indiana Sprint Week Champion Robert Ballou is just 38 behind in fifth in the ISW standings.
Courtney scored a truly memorable victory in Friday’s race at Gas City, his first career series win. Wheeling the TOPP Motorsports Maxim/Chevy he overcame a first-lap spin and came from last position to run down the entire field, taking the lead from Clauson on lap 23 and leading the rest of the way. Clauson was second ahead of Windom, Shane Cottle and Bacon.
Kyle Cummins of Princeton, Ind., became the newest first-time series winner Saturday in his ProGlide Bearings/Tim Mason ReMax Mach 1/Cummins. He caught Windom on lap 22 of the “Tony Elliott Classic” and led the final nine laps to beat Ballou, Kevin Thomas Jr., Jerry Coons Jr. and Bacon.
Clauson led the final 25 laps of Sunday’s race at Lawrenceburg Speedway in his B & H Contractors/Cancer Treatment Centers of America Spike/Stanton Mopar. Courtney was second ahead of Windom, C.J. Leary and Josh Hodges.
The win was his 111th in all forms of USAC competition, eclipsing Dave Darland’s total of 110 to place Clauson fifth on the all-time USAC list behind Rich Vogler, A.J. Foyt, Sleepy Tripp and Mel Kenyon.
It was also Clauson’s 41st career USAC National Sprint Car win, which surpasses Gary Bettenhausen for seventh all-time.
ProSource fast qualifiers last week were Bacon, Courtney and Clauson, while KSE/B & W Auto Mart Hard Chargers were Courtney, Jerry Coons Jr. and Cummins.
- administrator on Jul 12, 2016
- Article Date: 7/12/2016