Tyler Courtney Brings Clauson Marshall Racing to Remarkable Prelim Victory at 360 Knoxville Nationals
Tyler Courtney knew there was only one place to park his Clauson Marshall Racing No. 7BC on Friday night: Knoxville Raceway Victory Lane.
The Indianapolis, IN native brought a special triumph for the team at Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals pres. by Great Southern Bank to honor the memory of Bryan Clauson, who passed away 10 years ago to the day.
“This morning, you start looking through Facebook and remembering what a special person and great person he was,” Courtney said. “I feel like this was a night to win tonight, especially at Knoxville. It’s special, but even more special today. I just wish he was here to see it.”
Brady Bacon and Courtney established the front row for the 20-lap Feature for the American Sprint Car Series, with Bacon taking the early jump for the top spot on the opening circuit around the 1/2-mile facility as Courtney slotted into the runner-up position.
Bacon used the clean air ahead to work up to a 1.5-second bubble over Courtney through the first seven laps until lap traffic appeared in the eyesight of the two frontrunners.
While Bacon kept his Dave No. 31 Sprint Car to the bottom lane, Courtney experimented with the high line as he placed more pressure behind Bacon by cutting the gap to within a car length at the halfway point.
Bacon then utilized the middle lane as Courtney stuck the NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car to the cushion. On Lap 12, Courtney reached the outside of Bacon across the backstretch. As Bacon slipped to the high side in Turns 3-4, Courtney cut to the bottom and took the lead away on the frontstretch.
Courtney used his momentum to run away from Bacon to a 1.2-second lead with five laps remaining. However, the “Macho Man” did not allow Courtney to get away as he made a final attempt to retake the lead by charging back to the rear bumper of the leader.
With three laps left, Bacon got within one tenth of a second of Courtney, but a mistake on the exit of Turn 2 allowed Courtney to cement his place in Victory Lane at 360 Nationals for the first time since he won the event in 2024.
“You have nothing to lose when you’re running second,” Courtney said. “You can go search around and see what works and what doesn’t work. I feel like I got to move around just right before we got to lap traffic and found something that worked for me. Drawing the 73 (pill) wasn’t ideal, but we made the most of it. It was just an awesome car.”
Bacon finished second, and Ryan Timms finished in third to clinch the Pole Position for Saturday’s Championship Feature. Anthony Macri finished fourth, and two-time 360 Nationals champion Brian Brown took a fifth-place result.
The top-20 drivers to earn a spot into Saturday’s Feature include: Timms, Aaron Reutzel, Brown, James McFadden, Courtney, Justin Henderson, Kyle Larson, Gio Scelzi, Macri, Bacon, Chase Randall, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Austin Wood, Daison Pursley, Riley Goodno, Corey Day, Terry McCarl, Ryan Leavitt, Kerry Madsen, and Kyler Johnson.
Recap Notes:
Quick Time Award: Sam Hafertepe Jr (16.352 sec.)
Heat Race Winners: Tyler Courtney, Ryan Timms, Tasker Phillips, Clint Garner, Evan Semerad
C-Main Winner: Kasey Kahne
Last Chance Showdown Winner: Rico Abreu
Hard Charger Award: Tasker Phillips (+12)
UP NEXT: The final night of Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals pres. by Great Southern Bank will begin with a final chance for drivers to lock a position into the 30-lap, $20,000-to-win Feature to complete the 36th edition of the event.
Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.
RESULTS: Feature (20 Laps): 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 2. 31-Brady Bacon[1]; 3. 10-Ryan Timms[7]; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri[4]; 5. 21-Brian Brown[6]; 6. 1TZ-Tasker Phillips[18]; 7. 2A-Austin Wood[3]; 8. 24-Terry McCarl[9]; 9. 63-JJ Hickle[10]; 10. 26R-Levi Hillier[11]; 11. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[8]; 12. 71P-Parker Price Miller[24]; 13. 14TSR-Rico Abreu[21]; 14. 55-Kerry Madsen[22]; 15. 44X-Scott Bogucki[15]; 16. 45X-Kyler Johnson[5]; 17. 4-Cameron Martin[23]; 18. 59-Evan Semerad[20]; 19. 19-Joel Myers Jr[13]; 20. 40-Clint Garner[19]; 21. 7T-Tyler Lee[17]; 22. 53-Joe Beaver[12]; 23. 2-Whit Gastineau[14]; 24. 95-Matt Covington[16]
