By DDR Motorsports PR
Watertown, Conn.—April 17, 2012 — These days David Gravel is being a bit of an “Outlaw.” After recording his second top-10 finish of the season with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in his first race at Paducah International Raceway, the Connecticut native will again compete with the series this weekend. He will make his debut at Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, on Friday, April 20, as well as his second appearance at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. on Saturday, April 21.
In Gravel’s debut at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky last weekend, he opened the evening by qualifying in the eighth position. From there the 19-year old started on the front row of his heat race and made a sweeping last lap pass of 20-time series champion Steve Kinser to capture the victory and earn a spot in the dash.
“We qualified where we like to be,” commented Gravel. “Paducah has some really cool high banks, so it was too bad that it took rubber later in the night. Honestly in the heat race, I thought (Steve) Kinser was better than us. He was running the outside and I poked my nose below him in the bottom lane. He switched to the bottom lane on that final lap and I switched to the top, which was where I was able to make the pass.”
Gravel finished eighth in the dash, which put him on the outside of the fourth row for the 30-lap main event. On the start, the young driver stepped up to the seventh position when he got around Stevie Smith in his No. 89G Kistler-powered J&J. On lap-12, Gravel had caught Sammy Swindell and one lap he grabbed the sixth position from the three-time series champion, but the following lap the veteran retook the position.
On a restart, after the only caution flag of the night, which flew near the halfway point of the race, Steve Kinser grabbed the eighth position away from Gravel. With eight laps to go, Gravel lost a spot to Cody Darrah and ended up coming home ninth to earn his second top-10 finish of the season with the World of Outlaws.
“After losing a few positions in the dash, we made some changes in the feature,” explained Gravel. “In the feature we were doing well until the first caution came out and the track began to take rubber and our car did not handle well with the rubber. We ended up losing a position, but when it comes down to it, a top-10 finish with the Outlaws is overall a good night of racing and I cannot complain about it.”
This weekend Gravel will visit a new track for the second consecutive weekend, as he takes to the historic half-mile Missouri State Fair Speedway.
“I have heard that Sedalia is a Fairgrounds-style track, which is pretty big with long straightaways and tight turns,” Gravel stated. “This week I am going to be aggressive again in hot laps since this is another new track for me. My goal is to get a good feel for it then, so we can do well in time trials.”
The second track Gravel will face is Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. The last time Gravel saw the quarter-mile bullring was in 2010, when he started 18th and piloted his way to a 12th-place finish.
“A lot has changed since two years ago,” Gravel started. “I am definitely a more confident driver and have learned a lot since I last raced there. I remember time trials there being tough since the corners are so tight. I got on the cushion there and ended up in a wheelie, which killed my lap. I am going to be aggressive this weekend and hopefully correct past mistakes, so we can run well in the feature.”
Gravel has made four starts with the World of Outlaws this season, recording a pair of top-10 finishes, including a third-place showing at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida, where he battled wheel-to-wheel with four-time series champion Donny Schatz and eventual winner Craig Dollansky. Gravel has five Top-10 finishes this season with the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions and is currently third in their national points.
David Gravel and DDR Motorsports would like to thank: J&J Chassis, JRC Transportation, Kistler Engines, Musco Fuels and P&M Transportation for their continued support.
Keep up with all the action:
Follow David Gravel on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DavidGravel89g and receive live updates from the track each and every race night. Results are also posted to the David Gravel Racing site on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Gravel-Racing/143538695709198.
Tune in:
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