Touring American drivers Tyler Courtney and Cory Eliason are locked in a fierce battle to claim the Western Australian Summer Sprintcar Series after the first four rounds of the seven-event series.
Driving the yellow-and-black Monte Farms Maxim, Courtney survived a racelong battle with his compatriot to win the first 30-lap feature at Perth’s Motorplex Raceway on Boxing Day (Dec. 26). Third was taken by the defending champion (2020-’21), Brock Zearfoss.
Due to COVID, the annual summer sprint car series down under was interrupted last year, leaving the Jonestown, Pa., driver at home.
“It’s a good feeling, coming over here you jump in a car you’ve never been in before at a track I’ve only driven a midget at before, you try to get as comfortable as you can,” Courtney said. “It’s been a great night. We started off a little rough but we got better each time we went out there. The track was in pretty good shape and got pretty racy in the feature.”
Two nights later, Eliason turned the tables on Courtney, who could only manage third place on the 550-yard oval. Adelaide driver Matt Egel appeared to have the victory assured until a slight mistake on the last lap allowed the Indianapolis visitor to pass him within sight of the checkered flag.
On New Year’s Day, the sprint car circus traveled 100 miles south for the third round on the 580 yards circumference Bunbury Speedway.
Matt Egel was the driver to beat after qualifying his Whyalla Earthworks sprint car on the front row of the grid. The 36-year-old Australian 360 champion spun late in the 30-lap feature, allowing Eliason to claim a successive victory in the Bunbury-based Diamond Bay Motorsports car.
Zearfoss finished second in the Goldstar Transport sprinter, ahead of Jason Kendrick in the Triple M car.
“The Diamond Bay car is fast — all in all it was a good night. I hope we can get even more speed out of the machine in the coming races,” Eliason said.
Returning to the Perth Motorplex the next evening, Courtney outgunned Zearfoss at the start of the feature to claim a flag-to-flag victory. Zearfoss clashed with the lapped car of Ryan Lancaster on lap 20, ending his chances. Eliason finished second and Egel third.
After four rounds of the seven-round series, Eliason leads narrowly with 592 points, just 12 more than Courtney.
The Australians, Callum Williamson, James Inglis, Jason Kendrick and Matt Egel are next in the contest. The field will contest the fifth round of the series at Ellenbrook Speedway this weekend, before the concluding rounds at Bunbury on Jan. 14 and Perth on Jan. 21.
The sprint cars then cross the continent for the major races leading into the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at Premier Speedway, Warrnambool on Jan. 27-29. There they will be joined by American drivers who have been competing on the East Coast, along with the best of the Australians for the 50th running of the Classic.