GIBSONTON, Fla. — For a second consecutive year, Tyler Courtney and Clauson Marshall Racing opened Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 competition at East Bay Raceway Park with a victory.
The two-time All Star champion emerged from a hard-fought battle with Justin Peck to secure the Classic Ink USA Southern Swing presented by Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts $6,000 triumph from the front row, ultimately boosting his overall Series win total to 17.
Peck, who finished second in the 2022 All Star standings, did everything he could to steal the limelight from Courtney in the closing circuits, accomplishing that feat on lap 23 with a bold slider across Courtney’s nose wing.
The Buch Motorsports ace was in complete control until caution lights reappeared on lap 26 stalling Peck’s momentum. The next circuit, Courtney was back on top, rocketing down the backstretch to rip around Peck to lead lap 27.
“Even when we lost the lead, I felt like we still had the better car. Had some trouble with some lapped cars…I need to work on that,” Tyler Courtney said. “Hats off to this entire team. It’s been a tough trip for us, but they keep busting their butts. This team is very capable of winning races and ultimately another championship.”
Peck attempted a last-ditch effort on the final lap, but Courtney’s momentum on the top was too much to overcome.
“I’m not sure I would have changed anything about those last few laps,” Peck commented. “They just put together better laps than I did.”
Buddy Kofoid, Anthony Macri and Dylan Westbrook rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [2]; 2. 13-Justin Peck [5]; 3. 11-Buddy Kofoid [7]; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri [13]; 5. 47X-Dylan Westbrook [14]; 6. 55B-Alex Bowman [1]; 7. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [3]; 8. 26-Zeb Wise [11]; 9. 8-Aaron Reutzel [6]; 10. 47R-Eric Riggins Jr. [17]; 11. 28F-Davie Franek [10]; 12. 70-Scotty Thiel [19]; 13. 9P-Parker Price Miller [8]; 14. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [21]; 15. 5T-Ryan Timms [9]; 16. 10X-Ryan Smith [18]; 17. 28M-Conner Morrell [22]; 18. 11M-Brendan Mullen [23]; 19. 6-Carson McCarl [20]; 20. 20B-Cody Bova [16]; 21. 3TK-Tim Shaffer [4]; 22. 50YR-Cole Macedo [12]; 23. 2C-Wayne Johnson [15]; 24. 66-Danny Smith [24]