David Gravel (5) and Bryan Clauson (17W) (Serena Dalhamer photo)
From CJB Motorsports
David Gravel (5) and Bryan Clauson (17W) (Serena Dalhamer photo)
CARLISLE, PA. – May 18, 2016 – David Gravel knew there would be some added pressure as the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series rolled into Tri-State Speedway near Haubstadt, Ind.
The CJB Motorsports team that Gravel drives for visited victory lane at the famous bullring in 2014 and 2015. It was up to the Watertown, Conn. driver to take the streak to three years running.
Mission accomplished.
“We had a really great weekend,” said Gravel, driver of the Big Game Treestands, J.R.C. Transportation Inc., C&S Lawn & Landscape #5. “To go out and get a quick time at Haubstadt and run as well as we did at both tracks was a real boost to our team.”
Gravel has been hot streak as of late. In the last seven events, the 2013 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year award winner has six top-5’s, including four podium finishes.
Fresh off of back-to-back top-5’s at Eldora Speedway, Gravel and the #5 team ventured to Plymouth (Ind.) Speedway for the series inaugural tilt at the 3/8th’s mile oval. Timing in 10th overall set the tone for the night but the true story for the CJB crew was how the team rallied from the 14th starting position in the A-main to finish 3rd.
“The track was awesome – it widened out, there was a cushion and you could just run everywhere,” said Gravel, who has an average finish of 7.4 through 27 events this season. ” We were struggling for grip all night long so we through something at it for the feature and it clicked. I was getting close to the front and could’ve made a run at the guys up front but got caught in lap traffic. It’s awesome running this car, starting in 14th and getting on the podium, I can’t complain.”
The tour stayed within the friendly confines of the Hoosier state by making a 275-mile trip south to Haubstadt and the Tri-State Speedway. The track, known as the “Class Track,” the speedway has been kind to CJB Motorsports as the team won there in 2014 and again in 2015.
“The CJB Motorsports car is obviously pretty good at Haubstadt after Paul [McMahan] won the two years previously, so I had to back that up,” said Gravel, who picked up his first quick time award of the year at the quarter-mile bullring. “Getting our first quick time of the season felt great and just put us in such a great position for the rest of the night. Being on the outside of the front row for the feature helped as we raced down into turn one and that’s what got us the lead. We had to work for that one as we had some good battles during the feature. Hopefully, this leads to more wins to come and a great season.”
(Click above to listen to Gravel in victory lane.)
The series now moves to the east for the first time in 2016. CJB Motorsports will look to defend its home turf of Pennsylvania as events at Lincoln Speedway (on Wednesday, May 18th) and Williams Grove Speedway (Friday, May 20th & Saturday, May 21st) populate the schedule. Veteran Sammy Swindell will rejoin Gravel to give CJB a one-two punch. Gravel and the #5 team will then head north to Weedsport (N.Y.) Speedway.
“Lincoln has been a good and bad place for me,” said Gravel, who finished 11th in last years ‘Gettysburg Clash’ at the track near Abbottstown, Pa. “Pill draw will be crucial there. Your night gets so much better when you can time in well. Racing against the Pennsylvania guys is tough and we certainly have our work cut out for us. Williams Grove is similar to Lincoln in that I’ve had some success and bad luck there. It’s a big track and Barry will have a great setup for us up there. I’m looking forward to it. Weedsport is a typical New York track in that it is dry and slick most of the time. We’ve been good in that so I hope that that will continue for us. I may have some family coming up for that one so it’ll be a nice night.”
(Click here to watch highlights from Tri-State Speedway.)
“I’ve run there quite a bit,” said Swindell, referring to Lincoln Speedway, a track that he has four career Outlaw victories at. “The straightaways are a little higher than the turns so that makes it unique. Turns three and four are a lot more pronounced than turns one and two so that makes it tricky. With the level competition with the local cars, qualifying is very important. It’s a fun place to drive and a hard track to get ahold of. It makes it challenging from a drivers’ standpoint. Williams Grove is a lot of the same. You have your work cut out for you when you go there. Sometimes you can run flat out around there. Other times it’s more technical. It can get tight in traffic in turns three and four. I enjoy it because it’s tough. We’re looking forward to being there and grabbing the win.”
CAR #5 2016 STATS:
Events: 27
Quick Times: 1
Wins: 2
Top-5’s: 14
Top-10’s: 19
Heat Race Wins: 8
Dash Wins: 1
Average Time Trial: 8.69
Average A-main finish: 7.4
Total Laps Led: 75
CAR #1 2016 STATS:
Events: 19
Quick Times: 1
Wins: 0
Top-5’s: 3
Top-10’s: 7
Heat Race Wins: 4
Dash Wins: 0
Average Time Trial: 14
Average A-main finish: 11.8
Total Laps Led: 0
UP NEXT:
The ‘Greatest Show on Dirt’ heads to the northeast for the first time in 2016 with dates at Lincoln Speedway near Abbottsown, Pa. on Wednesday, May 18th, Williams Grove Speedway near Mechanicsburg, Pa. on Friday, May 20th and Saturday, May 21st and Weedsport (N.Y.) Speedway on Sunday, May 22nd.
BOX SCORE:
CAR #5:
Date
Track
Size
Time Trial
Heat start
Heat finish
Dash start
Dash finish
“A” start
“A” finish
Laps Led
5/13/2016
Plymouth
0.375
10
5
5
14
3
0
5/14/2016
Tri-State
0.25
1
1
2
1
2
2
1
40
STAY CONNECTED WITH CJB MOTORSPORTS:
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DRIVER GEAR:
Check out the latest Sammy Swindell apparel and merchandise by visiting Sammy’s official online store as well as the R&R Racewear superstore, the webs largest collection of dirt track racing apparel and merchandise.
ABOUT CJB MOTORSPORTS:
CJB Motorsports is a winged, 410 sprint car team that competes across the country with drivers David Gravel & Sammy Swindell. Founded in 2005, the Chad and Jenn Clemens owned organization has worked to establish a standard of excellence in short track racing through fielding competitive entries and providing exceptional exposure for marketing partners. The team is based out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
CJB Motorsports would like to thank all of our loyal sponsors and product manufacturers for their support and great products. Click on the name of the partner below to be taken to their website for more information.
