DUQUOIN, Ill. – No driver in the history of the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series has ever won three points races in a row to start a season.
However, that statistic could change Saturday night, as Tyler Courtney attempts to go for the season-opening hat trick during the fourth annual Shamrock Classic at the Southern Illinois Center.
Courtney captured the first two outings of the season in February at Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park, leading the final 26 laps to win the opener and the final nine to bag the second night and sweep the weekend for Clauson-Marshall Racing.
With both victories, the Indianapolis, Indiana native became just the eighth driver to win the opening two USAC national midget races of the season, joining Lee Kunzman (1972), Gary Bettenhausen (1975), Rich Vogler (1984-85), Dave Steele (2002), Brad Sweet (2010), Bryan Clauson (2011) and Rico Abreu (2014).
Vogler actually captured the first three to open the 1985 season, but the second of those wins came during a non-points special event at the inaugural Hoosier Dome invitational in Indianapolis. The first and third of Vogler’s scores that year came indoors at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum.
This weekend’s race for Courtney is inside the Southern Illinois Center, a permanent sixth-mile dirt oval.
Courtney has already won there in USAC midget competition, topping the 2016 Junior Knepper 55, and drives for a CMR team that includes Tim Clauson and Tyler Ransbottom on the crew. That duo has been involved in four USAC wins at DuQuoin, including the first two Shamrock Classics with drivers Shane Golobic (2016) and Justin Grant (2017).
Stunningly, a year ago, Courtney was among those who missed the main event, finishing one transfer spot out of the feature lineup during the second semi-feature. However, he’s up for redemption on Saturday as part of a 58-car field for the series’ Midwest opener.
The fourth annual event presents a hefty payday of $50,000 in the Pot of Gold Challenge, which will provide the top-four drivers in passing points throughout the night an opportunity to pad their wallets with a $50,000 bonus.
Following the heats and qualifying races, if the top driver in passing points turns down the chance to go to the tail and go for $50,000 by winning from the rear, the option will move to the next driver back through fourth.
The Shamrock Classic will offer appearance points only to drivers and their teams, with no feature points on the line and little risk should a driver elect to go for the bonus.