PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Cometic Gasket concluded with an all-out brawl at Portsmouth Raceway Park with Brent Marks winning his second consecutive Dean Knittel Memorial with the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1.
Marks collected $22,554 for his 11th All Star victory.
Marks, ace of the Murray-Marks Motorsports/M&M Painting and Construction No. 19 sprint car, started third on the Dean Knittel Memorial A-Main grid, battling hot and heavy through the midpoint of Saturday’s feature before taking command from Buch Motorsports’ Justin Peck with less than a handful remaining. Prior to Marks’ winning takeover, Vermeer Motorsports’ Buddy Kofoid was the majority race leader, soon forced to dual with the likes of Rico Abreu, Brent Marks, Justin Peck and Zeb Wise.
Abreu would take command on lap 19, eventually losing the point to Peck on lap 23.
Unfortunately for Peck and Wise, they each suffered from winning contention-ending cotasrophes, Peck in the form of a left rear flat, and Wise in the from of mechanical failure. Although Peck would return, Wise would not, simultaneously ending hopes for an Ohio Sprint Speedweek championship.
Abreu would race on to finish second at Portsmouth Raceway Park, followed by a late-charging Anthony Macri, Buddy Kofoid, and Skylar Gee.
“It’s an honor to win the Dean Knittel Memorial for the second year in a row…a win this team needed,” Marks said. “We’ve been in the hunt for wins the last eight or so races, but just haven’t been able to get it done. I owe it all to this team, and to Al Murray for giving us the tools necessary to succeed.”
Marks may have won the battle, but “Sunshine” Tyler Courtney won the war, capping his second-ever Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Cometic Gasket championship with a criteria win over Buddy Kofoid.
Courtney and Kofoid ended the Dean Knittel Memorial tied for the top spot in the final Ohio Sprint Speedweek standings, but Courtney’s victory at Wayne County Speedway earned him the championship by tiebreaker; the title earned Courtney a $5,000 share.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 19-Brent Marks[3]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 3. 39M-Anthony Macri[12]; 4. 55-Michael Kofoid[2]; 5. 99-Skylar Gee[8]; 6. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[7]; 7. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[5]; 8. 33W-Cap Henry[20]; 9. 4-Chris Windom[13]; 10. 22-Cole Duncan[21]; 11. 45-Tim Shaffer[4]; 12. 70-Scotty Thiel[11]; 13. 25R-Jordan Ryan[17]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson[19]; 15. 32B-Dale Blaney[18]; 16. 101-Cody Maroske[24]; 17. 13-Justin Peck[6]; 18. A79-Brandon Wimmer[10]; 19. 29-Sye Lynch[15]; 20. 97-JJ Hickle[14]; 21. 11N-Harli White[22]; 22. 4S-Tyler Street[23]; 23. (DNF) 26-Zeb Wise[9]; 24. (DNF) 23Z-Zane DeVault[16]; 25. (DNF) 54-Danny Smith[25]