Indianapolis native Tyler Courtney won the 9th Annual Kokomo Smackdown from grid 6. His 3rd Smackdown win and 6th career win in USAC competition at the Indiana clay quarter mile speedway.
The 3-Night USAC AMSOIL National Sprintcar Series racing event included festive and fundraising activities where fan were given the chance to dunk their favourite driver in a dunk tank. The weekend’s activities raising over $35,000 for the Riley Children’s Hospital.
The Thursday and Friday night were dominated by Princeton, Indiana’s Kyle Cummins who set quick time on night 1 and then went on to win the 30-Lap A-Main from grid 6. Cummins took the lead Courtney on lap 13 with Courtney able to stay within striking distance. With 4 laps to go, as the leaders worked through traffic, Courtney got caught up in the traffic ending with a flat left rear in 15th.
Former USAC Sprintcar champion Brady Bacon made a last corner, wheels in the air effort across the line only inches behind Cummins with a yellow flag waving all at the same time. This resulted in a green, white, chequered finish with Cummins a more comfortable winner.
Bacon 2nd, another former series champ. Robert Ballou 3rd from grid 8 with Buddy Kofoid and Thomas Meseraull in the top 5.
Night 2 Cummings started on the outside of the front row of the 30-Lap A-Main and led every lap. However not without having to defend Meseraull briefly sliding in front and yet another former champion in Canton Illinois’ Chris Windom who surged off the turn 2 cushion into the lead with 5 laps to go.
Cummins made tighter circles around the inside back into the lead to win with Windom 2ndfrom grid 9, Courtney 3rd from 7th, Kofoid 4th from 11th and Bacon from 13th rounding out the top 5.
The unique 3-Night point’s format awarding points throughout the preliminary night’s events with the top 8 in point’s competing in a “King of the Hill” bracket racing style pole shuffle. The 3-Lap match races won by CJ Leary, Meseraull, Kofoid and Bacon setting up a 3 lap dash for the pole with Bacon beating Leary.
As the 40-Lap Feature got under way Bacon took the initial lead on a track with drive across the entire surface. Cars using any line available in the early going. Leary and Cummins contested 2nd place with Kofoid feeling pressure from Courtney for 4th.
On lap 9 Carson Short flipped on the front straight bringing out the red flag. When the race resumed Bacon then Cummins broke free from Kofoid, Leary, Courtney and Meseraull who were joined by Windom and Chase Stockon who all switched positions like socks in a washing machine for several laps on the clay chessboard.
The engine once again fell silent under red flag conditions on Lap-14 when Clinton Boyles flipped. At the restart Bacon led Cummins, Kofoid, Windom and Courtney. As the race reached the half-way point Courtney had made his way up to 3rd and slid under Cummins into 2nd with Bacon only car lengths ahead.
The leaders all ran the outside line as they caught the tail of the field. Bacon smashed into the turn two lip as Courtney shot past the bobbling Bacon and to the lead with 13 laps to go and on to win. Cummins and Leary on the podium past Bacon in the late stages. Bacon 4th with Kofoid 5th.
Pounding his #7BC Clauson-Marshall Racing Sprinter delighted in the win in the BC Victory Lane Courtney. His 3rd Smackdown victory tying him with Legend Dave Darland.
“Man this is awesome. It suck that I spun out while leading Sprint Week race here and I crashed running 2nd the other night. Kind of a decent last night but this is the night that counts. I love parking it down here in victory lane” Said a jubilant Courtney.
The series next competing at Bloomington Speedway, Bloomington, Indiana on 11th September.
For live and on demand footage visit https://www.floracing.com/