To say that the wreck was horrific would be an understatement. A few days ago, Eldora Speedway hosted a thrilling finale of the Joker’s Jackpot event, with $10,000 on the line. As you might have guessed, drivers came all guns blazing as soon as the green flag dropped. But what should have been an entertaining dirt track race turned disastrous in the very first corner after five cars were caught up in an incident.
Tyler Courtney appeared to have come off worse for wear at Eldora Speedway. The No. 7BC Sprint Car was rushed to the hospital for further evaluation and was forced to undergo surgery that will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Kyle Larson’s racer faces a long road to recovery
The stakes were high for Tyler Courtney. Sitting in second place, the Clauson Marshall Racing driver was eager to hit the ground running at Eldora Speedway in High Limit Racing, which is co-owned by Kyle Larson. Starting in 10th place, the 31-year-old put the pedal to the metal as soon as the race began, but things took a disastrous twist when Buddy Kofoid lost control of his car at turn one, taking out Courtney, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brad Sweet, Brady Bacon, and Bill Balog in the process.
Courtney’s No. 7BC flipped, and violently slammed into the catchfence wing first, before bouncing across down the banking of the track. While upside down, he was clipped by Hunter Schuerenberg, who ran out of room. The racer was subsequently rushed to the hospital, and underwent a critical back surgery as a result of the incident. While the two-time All Star Circuit of Champions winner is expected to make a full recovery, he will only return to the track after being given the go-ahead by doctors.
Clauson Marshall Racing, which competed full-time in Kyle Larson’s High Limit Racing Series, will feature Cole Duncan behind the wheel of the No. 7BC for Tuesday night’s Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway. For those who don’t know, the Ohio native is a nine-time winner of the All Star Circuit of Champions, and will be making his third start in the competition. After the event at Lernerville, Giovanni Scelzi will be taking over Courtney’s seat for the remainder of the season.
Update from Clauson Marshall Racing pic.twitter.com/u87mXiujbV
— Clauson Marshall Racing (@ClausonMarshall) July 21, 2025
Meanwhile, Courtney’s fiancée, Aysia, also issued an update over his recovery on X, saying, “Tyler is out of surgery and is in post-op recovery. Doctors are pleased with the results and expect a full recovery over the next few months. Please keep the positive thoughts coming, as we still do have a long journey ahead of us.” Even though Tyler Courtney has a long road to recovery ahead, the racer will be working tirelessly to get back on the track, while tuning in to the races, hoping Clauson-Marshall Racing catches up with Kasey Kahne Racing.
Courtney wasn’t the only driver who crashed at Eldora Speedway
It looks like Kyle Larson’s High Limit Racing Series is seeing its fair share of crashes lately. Just a day after Tyler Courtney’s wreck at Eldora Speedway, Aaron Reutzel flipped while running second during a 30-lap feature at the entrance to turn one before getting hit by both Zach Hampton and Steven Snyder Jr. Thankfully, he was able to exit the vehicle on his own before receiving assistance from the Eldora Speedway safety crew, who rushed him to the hospital for evaluation.
Ridge & Sons Racing team owners Brian and Lisa Ridge then issued an update on social media about Reutzel’s condition, writing on X, “We are relieved to report that Aaron has been discharged from the hospital, though he did sustain a fractured right foot. He will be seeing a specialist in the coming days to determine the next steps for his recovery. We kindly ask that you continue to keep Aaron, his family, and the entire RSR team in your thoughts and prayers. We will provide further updates as they become available.”
As things stand, Aaron Reutzel sits third in the Kubota High Limit Racing point standings with five wins this season, including one of two Double Down Duels on Wednesday night. Earlier this year, he also won the $100,000-to-win Bob Weikert Memorial at Port Royal Speedway, which was the most lucrative race win of his career to date. While seeing two of his top drivers sidelined will be a major blow for Kyle Larson’s racing series, safety comes first. And thankfully, there was no lasting damage in either instance.
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