SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. – Justin Grant and Tyler Courtney entered Friday night’s AMSOIL USAC-CRA/USAC Southwest Sprint Car opener as the victors of the last four 410 sprint races held during the Western World Championships at Arizona Speedway.
Then perhaps it was no surprise that the race for the win Friday would come down to them again. Grant slipped under Courtney, who jumped over the turn one cushion nine laps from the finish, and led the final nine laps to score the victory piloting the Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports/AME Electrical – Mesilla Valley Trans./Spike/Fisher Chevy.
Brody Roa led the first 12 laps with a flurry of activity from drivers Chris Windom, Courtney and Grant each taking their shots at Roa. The reigning USAC Southwest Sprint champ who held strong for much of the first half, interrupted only by a Logan Seavey turn two flip on the fourth lap.
On the 13th circuit, Windom utilized a run underneath Roa to snare the top spot. On the following lap, Roa clung to second as Courtney took a shot at him between turns one and two with a slide job. Courtney pulled ahead briefly, but Roa had the momentum riding with him at the top of turn two. At the exit, the two came together, Courtney’s right rear to Roa’s left rear, causing Roa to ramp over and slam into the turn two outside wall. Roa was uninjured.
Under the ensuing stoppage, race leader Windom had a flat right-rear tire which necessitated a stop in the work area. He’d return to finish fifth.
Courtney, who had won the past three Western World sprint car features dating to 2018, inherited the lead at that point and held the position until lap 21 when a turn one stumble opened the door for Grant to pounce, and though Courtney mounted a charge, he was unable to reel in Grant, who had previously won Western World sprint car prelims in 2015 and ’18.
Grant’s margin of victory was 1.524 seconds over Courtney, Charles Davis Jr., Austin Williams and Windom.
The finish:
1. Justin Grant (5), 2. Tyler Courtney (4), 3. Charles Davis Jr. (3), 4. Austin Williams (12), 5. Chris Windom (8), 6. Ryan Bernal (6), 7. Jake Swanson (16), 8. R.J. Johnson (14), 9. Tye Mihocko (9), 10. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (20), 11. Max Adams (11), 12. Noah Gass (7), 13. Tommy Malcolm (22), 14. Chris Bonneau (18), 15. Cody Williams (17), 16. Chris Gansen (19), 17. Matt McCarthy (15), 18. Stevie Sussex (21), 19. Matt Mitchell (2), 20. Damion Gardner (13), 21. Brody Roa (1), 22. Logan Seavey (10).Â