SUNSHINE KICKS OFF USAC SPRINT CAR TITLE PURSUIT IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
By: Lonnie Wheatley
Ocala, Florida………An ambitious slate of events for the 2018 season gets under way for Tyler Courtney this weekend. And the Sunshine State is a fitting place for “Sunshine” and the Clauson-Marshall-Newman Racing Priority Aviation No. 7BC Sprint Car team to kick off the chase for the USAC National Sprint Car title at this weekend’s season opening event at Bubba Raceway Park’s “Winter Dirt Games” in Ocala, FL.
Following Wednesday night’s practice session, Courtney will be in action aboard the Rider-powered Driven2SaveLives Spike-chassis over the next three nights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday atop the 3/8-mile Bubba Raceway Park clay oval.
After racing his way into a second consecutive Chili Bowl Nationals championship feature event in Tulsa, OK, last month, this weekend’s set of races launches a slate of approximately 80 events for the year that also includes aspirations of a USAC National Midget title aboard the Clauson-Marshall Racing Driven2SaveLives No. 7bc as well as the dirt portion of the USAC Silver Crown schedule in the Hans Lein No. 97.
Coming off a strong 2017 campaign that included 15 overall wins (eight Sprint Car triumphs, seven Midget victories and one Silver Crown score), the expectations for the 2018 season are high.
“Hopefully we can get more wins and get at least one USAC National championship if not both,” Courtney commented.
The Indianapolis native understands the process after finishing fourth in USAC Sprint Car points and sixth in USAC Midget points last year.
“We just have to take it one race at a time,” Courtney explains. “We have to be able to capitalize on the good nights and make the best of the bad nights.”
It all begins for the driver of the Schoenfeld Headers/Wilwood Brakes entry in the form of a unique Bubba Raceway Park this weekend.
“It’s different. Some nights it can be really heavy and other nights it can really slick off,” Courtney explains. “You have to be prepared for whatever it turns out to be.”
The driver of the CSI Shocks/Walker Filtration machine goes on to say that early laps can be an indication of the weekend ahead at Bubba Raceway Park. “If you’re good early, you stay that way. But if you’re slow in practice, then you’re likely to struggle all weekend.”
Courtney will be looking for a strong start in this weekend’s USAC Sprint Car “Winter Dirt Games” at Bubba Raceway Park before getting back into action at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas aboard Mike Phulps’ No. 56 USAC West Coast Sprint Car on February 28 and March 1.