7/19/2018
Tyler Courtney
Courtney Geared Up for Indiana Sprintweek after Challenging Mid-America Midget Week
Lonnie Wheatley, INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 19, 2018) – The USAC “Mid-America Midget Week” results weren’t exactly what Tyler Courtney and the Clauson-Marshall Racing Driven2SaveLives/Indiana Donor Network No. 7bc Midget team had hoped for.
Granted, three top-tens in four races rounded out by a top-five is far from disastrous. But for a racer that already has seven triumphs to his credit on the season, it wasn’t exactly up to expectation.
“It wasn’t the best of weeks, but that’s part of it,” Courtney surmised. “You have to have the bad weeks to have the good weeks.”
The upside of open wheel racing is that the opportunity to bounce back is right there. And it begins with Indiana Sprintweek, featuring seven nights of USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car competition over nine nights beginning on Friday night aboard the Clauson-Marshall-Newman Racing Priority Aviation No. 7bc Sprint Car.
“I’m looking forward to it, we have some good momentum in the Sprint Car and we’ve had good speed at about all of these tracks this year,” the current USAC National Sprint Car points leader commented.
Last week’s five-race set that was reduced to four due to a rainout along the way began with the USAC Midget return to Oklahoma at Meeker’s Red Dirt Raceway on Tuesday night, July 10, where Courtney salvaged a tenth-place finish after an early miscue.
“I drove off the track there early in the race and pretty much threw that one away,” Courtney said after gridding the feature outside the front row.
Action continued on Wednesday night at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, KS, where Courtney was battling among the leaders before mechanical issues late in the race relegated him to eighth at the line.
“We had issues with two laps to go and I was just able to limp it home,” Courtney explains.
After the opening leg of the Midwest Midget Championship at Fairbury, Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway fell victim to rain on Friday, Sunshine’s trying week continued with steering woes that limited him to a 15th-place finish.
Courtney managed to salvage the week with a fifth-place run in Sunday’s Mid-America Midget Week finale at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex. Courtney began the night by timing in sixth and then winning his heat race to grid the feature in third.
“It was a decent night, at least it was an improvement over the rest of the week,” Courtney says. “Some weeks will be your week and some won’t.”
It may have been a perfect time to get a bad week out of the way to set up a great week in the form of Indiana Sprintweek.
2018 Quick Stats: 41 races, 7 wins, 25 top-fives, 30 top-tens.
Quick Results: USAC National Midgets “Mid-America Midget Week”
Tuesday, July 10 – 10th at Red Dirt Raceway (Meeker, OK)
Wednesday, July 11 – 8th at Solomon Valley Raceway (Beloit, KS)
Friday, July 13 – Rained Out at Jefferson County Speedway (Fairbury, NE)
Saturday, July 14 – 15th at Jefferson County Speedway (Fairbury, NE)
Sunday, July 15 – 5th Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex (Sweet Springs, MO)
Up Next: USAC Amsoil National Sprint Cars “Indiana Sprintweek”
Friday, July 20 – Plymouth Speedway
Saturday, July 21 – Kokomo Speedway
Sunday, July 22 – Lawrenceburg Speedway
Wednesday, July 25 – Terre Haute Action Track
Thursday, July 26 – Lincoln Park Speedway (Putnamville)
Friday, July 27 – Bloomington Speedway
Saturday, July 28 – Tri-State Speedway (Haubstadt)
Keep Track: Keep track of Tyler Courtney’s on-track action including schedule and results at www.tylercourtney.com.
If you would like Tyler Courtney Racing press releases e-mailed directly to you, send your e-mail address to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Penning the recurring series of “The Wheatley Chronicles” articles on www.sprintcarmania.com, Lonnie Wheatley provides media, public relations and more for select tracks, drivers and events. For more information, Wheatley may be contacted at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley
