From DDR Motorsports PR
Watertown, CT — (February 10, 2013) — David Gravel had three main goals he wanted to accomplish to open his 2013 racing season. First, he looked to keep the momentum going that he gained at the end of the 2012 campaign. Second, he was seeking to qualify for all of the main events he was competing in. And, finally, he was aiming to finish in the top-10 in all of those races. The native of Watertown, Conn., accomplished all three this past weekend at he opened the season at Bubba Raceway Park in Florida with a fifth-place finish in the opener at the three-eighths-mile and a sixth-place showing in the finale aboard the Beyond Boobs J&J. Both races were sanctioned by the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions.
Gravel kicked off the weekend at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., on Friday, Feb. 8, by timing in 10th-fastest of the 35 drivers that were in attendance. The 20-year-old lined up fourth in the second eight-lap heat race and finished third to transfer to the 30-lap main event. In the A-Feature, Gravel started ninth and steadily worked his way forward in a race that saw four cautions and one red flag slow the proceedings. When the checkered flag flew, Gravel crossed the line in fifth to earn his first top-five finish of the season.
“To come from ninth to finish fifth was a very good night for us,” said Gravel. “There were a lot of good drivers there and we passed some very good cars in the feature. Later in the race, the car really came on and we were able to pick up some spots and end the night on a strong note.”
On Saturday, Feb. 9, Gravel turned the seventh-fastest lap in time trials, which gridded him fifth in the third eight-lap heat race. He would come home fourth in that heat to earn a spot in the dash, where he lined up third and finished fifth. Gravel started the 30-lap main event from the inside of the third row and ran among the top-10 for the entire distance, on a track that was very challenging and difficult to pass on. He crossed the line sixth at the finish to earn his second straight top-10 finish to open the 2013 campaign.
“We started the night off pretty well and then kind of struggled later in the night, actually,” he noted. “To finish sixth against the cars that were there, that was pretty good, especially knowing that the car was not quite where we wanted or needed it to be. We learned some things that should help us as the year goes on and we finished the race in one piece, which is always a plus.”
Gravel’s southern trip began with a practice session at Screven Speedway in Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The season was scheduled to open on Thursday, Feb. 7 with the Third Annual Winter Freeze at Screven for the All Stars, but that event fell to rain and will not be rescheduled.
“It was good to get that practice session in, because we have the new tires this year,” Gravel explained. “They are a little different than the old tires, and you have to do some things different with the car, but it’s the same for everyone. We’ll just learning the tires and working hard to make the learning curve less steep.”
The East Coast racer returns to action this week at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., in the 42nd Annual UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit. Two night of racing for the All Stars are up first at the half-mile, Feb. 13–14, with the opening three races of the season for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series to follow, Feb. 15–17. Last season at Volusia, Gravel finished third in the World of Outlaws finale, after battling five-time series champion Donny Schatz and eventual race-winner Craig Dollansky for the lead. He was fourth in the All Stars opener at the track.
“We’re definitely confident heading to Volusia and are really looking forward to racing there five nights in-a-row,” Gravel stated. “Volusia is so much different than Ocala, and you are going so much faster. There will be a lot of good cars there, and qualifying will be very, very important. Hopefully we qualify well each night and put ourselves in a good position to get into the dash and start at the front of the features and be in contention.”
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-to-date with David Gravel and DDR Motorsports by visiting www.DavidGravel89.com. Follow David on Twitter @davidgravel89g and like David on Facebook.