David Gravel Edges Ian Madsen for Return to Racing Victory

David Gravel. (T.J. Buffenbarger photo)

By T.J. Buffenbarger

KNOXVILLE, Iowa (May 8, 2020) — The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series “Returned to Racing” on Friday night following six weeks of idle time due to the COVID-19 outbreak in spectacular fashion Friday at Knoxville Raceway with David Gravel topping Ian Madsen in a thrilling feature event. Gravel and Madsen exchanged the lead multiple times before Gravel took advantage of a pair of mistakes by Madsen to take the lead coming to the white flag.

“I was really good in one and two on the bottom, but man I could not come off,” said Gravel about his race for the lead with Madsen. “(My Car) got so tight and it got so treacherous and he was kind of going up the track and turning down getting way more momentum. If I hit my marks perfect, I was faster, but man it was hard to do.”

The victory was the first of the season for Gravel and the Jason Johnson Racing team, and will be memorable due to fans not being in the grandstands due to social distancing regulations, performing only in front of a pay-per-view audience on DIRTvision.com.

Afterwards the fact Gravel won the first race following the COVID related layoff was not lost on him.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Gravel in victory lane. “We don’t really feel how many people are watching, but I’m sure tens of thousands of people are watching tonight and hopefully that was a good to get everyone’s blood pumping again because Ian and I battled and battled and lapped cars were in my way and went in his favor. Then he messed up in three and four and gave me a chance.”

Madsen and Daryn Pittman started on the front row for the 30-lap main event. Pittman drove to the lead off turn two with Madsen on his back bumper. Ian Madsen did not stay in the runner up position for long as he started to put heat on Pittman for the lead on lap six. One lap later the first caution of the race came out when Donny Schatz and Shane Golobic made contact off turn four and Golobic ending up with a flat tire.

Pittman chose the bottom for the double file restart and maintained the lead but was immediately under pressure from Madsen for the lead. Lap nine Ian Madsen got a run on Daryn Pittman to take the lead using the top side of the race track off turn four and pulled away.

The race for the lead was interrupted on lap 13 when Kerry Madsen slowed between turns three and four and Sheldon Haduenschild had nowhere to go, making contact and flipping between turns three and four. Haudenschild emerged from his car under his own power.

Madsen was immediately pressured by Pittman and Gravel following the restart. Pittman was able to slide Ian Madsen for the lead in turn one only to have Madsen cross over and take the lead back off turn two.

As the top three distanced themselves from the rest of the field Gravel drove under Pittman off turn four to take the second spot on lap 16 and quickly closed in on Ian Madsen for the lead.

On lap 18 the intense battle for the lead between Gravel and Madsen commenced. Gravel drove by Madsen using the low side of the racetrack in turns one and two only to get held up by a slower car in turns three and four. Madsen took the lead back, driving to the bottom and slamming the door shut on Gravel

While Madsen and Gravel diced for the lead Logan Schuchart drove by Pittman on lap 22 and quickly closed on the lead duo.

Up front Madsen and Gravel exchanged the lead again in turns one and two with Madsen taking the lead back and started to pull away on lap 24. Madsen’s advantage was quickly erased on lap 26 when he slipped off the cushion in turns three and four while navigating slower traffic and allowed Gravel to close.

Coming to the white flag Madsen slipped again off turn four and gave Gravel the opportunity he needed to take the lead. Gravel then pulled away for the victory over Madsen, Schuchart. Pittman and Eliason, who had to overcome having to change a blown engine after the dash, rounded out the top five.

Even though Gravle maintains a regular fitness regiment he indicated that he was possible out of “race shape” for not being in the car for so long.

“It just shows when you are out of the race car for a long time. Ian (Madsen) and I made a lot of mistakes. I am happy it was a 30-lap race. If it were a 25-lap race I would have lost that one.”

World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville, IA
Friday May 8, 2020

Qualifying Fight A:
1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 15.162
2. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 15.398
3. 83R-Lynton Jeffrey, 15.470
4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 15.478
5. 18-Ian Madsen, 15.527
6. 83-Daryn Pittman, 15.535
7. 09-Matt Juhl, 15.615
8. 5-Brent Marks, 15.631
9. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 15.643
10. 24W-Lucas Wolfe, 15.735
11. 48-Danny Dietrich, 15.751
12. 17A-Austin McCarl, 15.768
13. 14P-Parker Price-Miller, 15.774
14. 49-Brad Sweet, 15.788
15. 64-Brooke Tatnell, 15.859
16. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 15.871
17. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg, 15.876
18. 13-Paul McMahan, 15.886
19. 56N-Davey Heskin, 15.891
20. 41G-Giovanni Scelzi, 15.904
21. 55K-Robbie Kendall, 15.911
22. 17B-Bill Balog, 16.053
23. 9W-Ryan Giles, 16.239
24. 3P-Sawyer Phillips, 16.243

Qualifying Flight B:
1. 41-David Gravel, 15.446
2. 1A-Jacob Allen, 15.500
3. 4-Terry McCarl, 15.544
4. 26-Cory Eliason, 15.587
5. 21-Brian Brown, 15.689
6. 17W-Shane Golobic, 15.740
7. 71-Shane Stewart, 15.754
8. 2-Carson Macedo, 15.765
9. 57-Kyle Larson, 15.786
10. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 15.797
11. 24-Rico Abreu, 15.904
12. 7-Justin Henderson, 15.913
13. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 15.924
14. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, 15.951
15. 15-Donny Schatz, 15.977
16. 44-Chris Martin, 15.994
17. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 16.122
18. 2KS-Chad Boespflug, 16.149
19. 9-Kasey Kahne, 16.160
20. 44S-Trey Starks, 16.281
21. 33M-Mason Daniel, 16.426
22. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips, 16.691
23. 7S-Jason Sides, 16.720
24. 15M-Bobby Mincer, 17.495

Heat Race #1 (8 Laps):
1. 18 – Ian Madsen
2. 83R – Lynton Jeffrey
3. 48 – Danny Dietrich
4. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss
5. 64 – Brooke Tatnell
6. 56N – Davey Heskin
7. 55 – Hunter Schuerenberg
8. 14P – Parker Price-Miller
9. 9W – Ryan Giles
10. 55K – Robbie Kendall
11. 87 – Aaron Reutzel
12. 09 – Matt Juhl
(First five finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #2 (8 Laps):
1. 1S – Logan Schuchart
2. 2M – Kerry Madsen
3. 83 – Daryn Pittman
4. 41G – Giovanni Scelzi
5. 5 – Brent Marks
6. 17A – Austin Mccarl
7. 41S – Dominic Scelzi
8. 49 – Brad Sweet
9. 13 – Paul McMahan
10. 24W – Lucas Wolfe
11. 3P – Sawyer Phillips
12. 17B – Bill Balog
(First five finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #3 (8 Laps):
1. 41 – David Gravel
2. 15 – Donny Schatz
3. 21 – Brian Brown
4. 57 – Kyle Larson
5. 4 – Terry McCarl
6. 71 – Shane Stewart
7. 24 – Rico Abreu
8. 7S – Jason Sides
9. 11K – Kraig Kinser
10. 9 – Kasey Kahne
11. 33M – Mason Daniel
12. 2C – Wayne Johnson
(First five finishers transferred to the A-Main)

Heat Race #4 (8 Laps):
1. 26 – Cory Eliason
2. 17W – Shane Golobic
3. 2 – Carson Macedo
4. 1A – Jacob Allen
5. 17 – Sheldon Haudenschild
6. 7 – Justin Henderson
7. 15H – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
8. 44 – Chris Martin
9. 44S – Trey Starks
10. 15M – Bobby Mincer
12. 7TAZ – Tasker Phillips
(First five finishers transferred to the A-Main)

C-Main (10 Laps):
1. 44S – Trey Starks
2. 2C – Wayne Johnson
3. 33M – Mason Daniel
4. 15M – Bobby Mincer
5. 09 – Matt Juhl
6. 17B – Bill balog
7. 3P – Sawyer Phillips
8. 24W – Lucas Wolfe
9. 55K – Robbie Kendall
(First two finishers transferred to the B-Main)

Dash (6 Laps):
1. 18 – Ian Mdasen
2. 83 – Daryn Pittman
3. 17W – Shane Golobic
4. 41 – David Gravel
5. 83R – Lynton Jeffrey
6. 1S – Logan Schuchart
7. 21 – Brian Brown
8. 26 – Cory Eliason
(Finish determined the first eight starting positions of the A-Main)

Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps):
1. 17 – Sheldon Haduenschild
2. 71 – Shane Stewart
3. 24 – Rico Abreu
4. 56N – Davey Heskin
5. 41S – Dominic Scelzi
6. 15H – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
7. 7S – Jason Sides
8. 14P – Parker Price-Miller
9. 5 – Brent Marks
10. 13 – Paul McMahan
11. 9 – Kasey Kahne
12. 44 – Chris Martin
13. 55 – Hunter Schuerenberg
14. 44S – Trey Starks
15. 2KS – Chad Boespflug
16. 41G – Giovanni Scelzi
17. 2C – Wayne Johnson
18. 9W – Ryan Giles
19. 87 – Aaron Reutzel

A-Main (30 Laps):
1. 41 – David Gravel
2. 18 – Ian Madsen
3. 1S – Logan Schuchart
4. 83 – Daryn Pittman
5. 26 – Cory Eliason
6. 15 – Donny Schatz
7. 83R – Lynton Jeffrey
8. 21 – Brian Brown
9. 49 – Brad Sweet
10. 57 – Kyle Larson
11. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss
12. 48 – Danny Dietrich
13. 17A – Austin McCarl
14. 2 – Carson Macedo
15. 4 – Terry McCarl
16. 70 – Shane Stewart
17. 64 – Brooke Tatnell
18. 2M – Kerry Madsen
19. 56N – Davey Heskin
20. 24 – Rico Abreu
21. 7S – Jason Sides
22. 11K – Kraig Kinser
23. 1A – Jacob Allen
24. 7 – Justin Henderson
25. 17 – Sheldon Haudenschild
26. 17W – Shane Golobic