Clauson-Marshall Leaves Belleville in Rear View Mirror, Gearing for PA Midget Week & Run at USAC Championship!
Belleville, KS | August 8, 2017 – Returning to the Belleville Midget Nationals this weekend, the Clauson-Marshall Racing team faced their biggest challenge yet. Following a Friday night that featured three top ten finishes, the main goal remained to walk out of that hollowed half-mile on their own terms come Saturday night. After dealing with an assumed bad batch of tires that fell apart during the same lap of the 40-lap feature, the CMR team is happily putting Belleville into the rear-view mirror. With eight races left in the 2017 season and a trip to “The Keystone State” for Pennsylvania Midget Week, the focus turns to chasing down the USAC National Midget Championship!
“I knew this weekend would be hard,” commented Tim Clauson. “It really had little to do with racing, but had to do with facing the place that changed my whole world. For the first time in my life, results didn’t really matter. Facing the place and the very spot I lost my son mattered. Walking out of there on my own terms mattered. To those who made the trip to be with and stand next to us as we faced our biggest hurdle, all I can say is how blessed we are to have you in our lives.”
Up next for the Clauson-Marshall clan will be a trip to the east coast, as the USAC National Midget Series hosts their annual “Keystone Invasion” as part of the Pennsylvania Midget Week. Opening the week on Sunday, August 13th, the team will make their debut at York Haven’s Susquehanna Speedway. Monday and Tuesday will see events at the Path Valley Speedway Park and Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway. A one-day break will be given on Wednesday before the finale on Thursday night at Linda’s Speedway.
With eight races left in the 2017 campaign for the USAC Midgets, the focus remains clearer than ever as the trio of Tyler Courtney, Shane Golobic and Justin Grant continue to chase after their first career USAC National Championship.
Currently sitting third in points, Fremont, California’s Shane Golobic is trailing by 66 points in his CMR/Matt Wood Racing, Elk Grove Ford No. 17W. The Indiana Midget Week champion has blazed a trail of consistency all throughout 2017, piling up an astounding count of 18 top ten finishes in just 20 events.
Right behind Golobic in fourth is Ione, California’s Justin Grant, who has his Driven 2 Save Lives, Priority Aviation No. 39BC trailing by 95 markers. A Chili Bowl preliminary winner and Shamrock Classic champion, JG has seen his fair share of ups and downs throughout 2017. However, as the current USAC National Sprint Car points leader, Grant knows a thing or two about contending for championships.
Standing sixth and out of the lead by a realistic margin of 135 points is Indianapolis native, Tyler Courtney. A six-time winner with Clauson-Marshall since his debut in December of 2016, “Sunshine” has piloted his Driven 2 Save Lives No. 7BC entry to many memorable rides. Outside of his stellar triumphs, however, Courtney has been plagued by rough rides and tough luck, but with eight races remaining he’ll look to turn the tide and sneak back to the top of the points.
Before traveling out of Pennsylvania, several team members will be in Knoxville, Iowa tonight for the Driven 2 Save Lives charity event at the Dingus Lounge. Our very own Tim Clauson, along with Kyle Larson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. among others, will be serving as special guest bartenders.
For the latest results, news and stories concerning Clauson-Marshall, Justin, Shane, Tyler and Zeb, you can follow the team on Twitter at @ClausonMarshall, on Facebook at Clauson-Marshall Racing, or online at www.clausonmarshallracing.com. You can also watch all four of this week’s races LIVE on pay-per-view at www.speedshift.tv.
EVENT RESULTS:
Justin Grant – Heat Race: 4th (3), B-Dash: 3rd (5), Feature: 7th (9).
Shane Golobic – Heat Race: 3rd (2), B-Dash: 1st (2), Feature: 9th (7).
Tyler Courtney – Heat Race: 3rd (2), B-Dash: 2nd (1), Feature: 13th (8).
UPCOMING EVENTS:
8/13: USAC National Midget Series at Susquehanna Speedway in York Haven, PA.
8/14: USAC National Midget Series at Path Valley Speedway Park in Spring Run, PA.
8/15: USAC National Midget Series at Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway in Lanco, PA.
8/17: USAC National Midget Series at Linda’s Speedway in Jonestown, PA.
SEASON STATS:
Tyler Courtney – Races (21), Feature Wins (5), Top 5’s (12), Top 10’s (15), Heat Wins (7).
Shane Golobic – Races (20), Feature Wins (0), Top 5’s (11), Top 10’s (18), Heat Wins (11).
Justin Grant – Races (20), Feature Wins (2), Top 5’s (9), Top 10’s (14), Heat Wins (6).
CLAUSON-MARSHALL RACING:
Race on. A saying that Bryan Clauson always related to his father Tim when our sport faced its darkest moments. It’s what racers do, we continue to race on. Following Bryan’s tragic passing in August of 2016, Tim Clauson and Richard Marshall never wavered when they formed Clauson-Marshall Racing. After unveiling a dream team at the 2017 Chili Bowl, CMR shifted focus to USAC. With a trio of Tyler Courtney, Justin Grant and Shane Golobic competing on the national level, along with Zeb Wise in the development ranks of POWRi Midgets and micro sprints, the future at Clauson-Marshall Racing looks brighter than ever.
- Tim Clauson on Aug 08, 2017
- Article Date: 8/8/2017 by Brian Walker