From Bill Wright
Bill Wright
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 8, 2021) – For the second time in his career, David Gravel topped the Fatheadz Eyewear Capitani Classic Presented by Great Southern Bank. The Watertown, Connecticut native earned $8,000 aboard the Big Game Motorsports #2 in the last test before next week’s Knoxville Nationals. Gravel last won the Capitani Classic in 2019 and followed that up with a win at the “Granddaddy of them all” the following week.
Before a lap could be completed in the 25-lap main event, Hunter Schuerenberg slowed with ignition issues. Once green, Cory Eliason led the field ahead of Donny Schatz, Gravel, Justin Henderson and Sheldon Haudenschild.
Schatz reeled in the leader and briefly challenged Eliason for the lead on lap eight, but soon Gravel was in pursuit of the runner-up spot, and took that from Schatz as traffic entered the picture on lap 12.
As the lapped car of Kasey Kahne emerged, Eliason chose the cushion, while Gravel chose the low side. The split of Kahne resulted in Gravel taking the lead to complete lap 13.
Behind the leaders, Schatz and Henderson were in pursuit, with Haudenschild taking the fourth spot with just five laps to go. The race changed greatly back in the pack when Carson Macedo did a 360 spin while running eighth with four laps to go.
Gravel led Eliason, Schatz, Haudenschild and Henderson back to green. Kerry Madsen was a big mover, gaining fifth on the restart, and taking fourth from Haudenschild on the white flag lap.
Gravel was never headed in the bottom groove, and earned his ninth career win here. Eliason, Schatz, Madsen and Haudenschild trailed. Brian Brown, Davey Heskin, Henderson, James McFadden and Macedo rounded out the top ten.
Eliason and Schatz set quick time in their respective groups, and Heskin, Roger Crockett, Brad Sweet, Brown, McFadden and Gio Scelzi won heat races. Spencer Bayston and Parker Price-Miller won B mains.
Eliason was paid $2,000 for topping the T-Mobile Pole Shuffle, a series of seven two-car two-lap match races.
“We felt good here,” said Gravel in Victory Lane. “I feel like I’m pretty good around the bottom, and that was the best groove tonight. I kind of screwed up in that Pole Shuffle, but I knew if I started up front, I was going to have a chance. It felt good passing Donny, and Cory was really fast. Once I was able to get by (lapped car) Paul McMahan there, and kind of get some clear track. I just thought the bottom was the dominant place, and I felt if I went high, I was leaving the door open for someone else.”
10th Annual Fatheadz Eyewear Capitani Classic Presented by Great Southern Bank
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville, Iowa
Sunday, August 8, 2021
Time Trials Group #1 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps
1. 26, Cory Eliason, Visalia, CA (5), 15.368
2. 11M, Spencer Bayston, Lebanon, IN (2), 15.405
3. 17, Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, OH (8), 15.440
4. 71, Shane Stewart, Bixby, OK (29), 15.442
5. 7, Justin Henderson, Tea, SD (9), 15.541
6. 14, Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. (14), 15.583
7. 56N, Davey Heskin, St. Michael, MN (11), 15.603
8. 11, Roger Crockett, Broken Arrow, OK (26), 15.611
9. 49S, Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA (23), 15.617
10. 17W, Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA (30), 15.708
11. 7BC, Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, IN (19), 15.770
12. 22, Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA (15), 15.771
13. 42, Sye Lynch, Apollo, PA (28), 15.790
14. 9T, Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, WA (32), 15.820
15. 2KS, Chad Kemenah, Alvada, OH (7), 15.841
16. 39, Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK (24), 15.904
17. 5, Presley Truedson, Kennedy, MN (4), 15.926
18. 3Z, Brock Zearfoss, Jonestown, PA (13), 15.938
19. 55, McKenna Haase, Des Moines, IA (18), 15.945
20. 17A, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (25), 15.947
21. 40, Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, SD (16), 15.981
22. 48, Danny Dietrich, Gettysburg, PA (31), 16.024
23. 101, Cale Thomas, Fairland, IN (22), 16.034
24. 20G, Noah Gass, Mounds, OK (27), 16.035
25. 11N, Harli White, Lindsay, OK (1), 16.079
26. 11TK, Tim Kaeding, San Jose, CA (20), 16.142
27. 11T, TJ Stutts, Liverpool, PA (10), 16.161
28. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (12), 16.236
29. 91, Kyle Reinhardt, Neptune City, NJ (17), 16.321
30. 15, Bobby Mincer, Burlington, IA (6), 16.410
31. 14K, Tori Knutson, Monticello, MN (33), 16.524
32. 24, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (3), NT
33. 27, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA (21), NT
Time Trials Group #2 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps
1. 15X, Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND (5), 15.426
2. 2, David Gravel, Watertown, CT (16), 15.595
3. 18, Gio Scelzi, Fresno, CA (28), 15.678
4. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (18), 15.707
5. 9J, James McFadden, Alice Springs, NT, Aust. (27), 15.822
6. 5X, Parker Price-Miller, Kokomo, IN (17), 15.835
7. 5M, Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN (9), 15.866
8. 55V, Hunter Schuerenberg, Sikeston, MO (8), 15.867
9. 17X, Josh Baughman, Odessa, TX (30), 15.888
10. 41, Carson Macedo, Lemoore, CA (15), 15.906
11. 3, Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO (3), 15.995
12. 13, Justin Peck, Monrovia, IN (14), 16.031
13. 09, Matt Juhl, Tea, SD (19), 16.049
14. 20, AJ Moeller, Rockwell City, IA (21), 16.070
15. 2C, Wayne Johnson, Tuttle, OK (31), 16.075
16. 83, Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (4), 16.079
17. 19, Brent Marks, Myerstown, PA (2), 16.097
18. 9, Ryan Giles, Grimes, IA (10), 16.121
19. 3P, Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (13), 16.165
20. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX (6), 16.238
21. 25, Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, SA, Aust. (23), 16.242
22. N47, Marcus Dumesny, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (20), 16.245
23. 70, Sammy Swindell, Lakeland, TN (26), 16.288
24. 18R, Ryan Roberts, Aurora, NE (11), 16.292
25. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (12), 16.315
26. 7W, Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA (25), 16.456
27. 07, Skylar Gee, Leduc, ALB, Can. (1), 16.469
28. 83T, Tanner Carrick, Lincoln, CA (24), 16.473
29. 55K, Robbie Kendall, Catonsville, MD (29), 16.686
30. 7C, John Carney II, El Paso, TX (7), 16.716
31. 56, Joe Simbro, Pleasantville, IA (22), 16.965
32. 53, Jessie Attard, Landilo, NSW, Aust. (32), NT.
Heat Race #one (started), 8 Laps, NT
1. Davey Heskin (2)
2. Shane Golobic (1)
3. Cory Eliason (4)
4. Daryn Pittman (6)
5. Shane Stewart (3)
6. Tasker Phillips (10)
7. Danny Dietrich (8)
8. McKenna Haase (5)
9. Tori Knutson (9)
DNS: – Sye Lynch
Heat Race #two (started), 8 Laps, 2:10.7
1. Roger Crockett (2)
2. Justin Henderson (3)
3. Tyler Courtney (1)
4. Austin McCarl (7)
5. Spencer Bayston (4)
6. Cale Thomas (8)
7. Kasey Kahne (5)
8. Tim Kaeding (9)
9. Presley Truedson (6)
10. Kyle Reinhardt (10)
Heat Race #three (started), 8 Laps, 2:10.7
1. Brad Sweet (2)
2. Kerry Madsen (3)
3. Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
4. Brock Zearfoss (6)
5. Riley Goodno (1)
6. Clint Garner (7)
7. Chad Kemenah (5)
8. Noah Gass (8)
DNS: – Bobby Mincer
Heat Race #four (started), 8 Laps, 2:10.6
1. Brian Brown (3)
2. Carson Macedo (1)
3. Donny Schatz (4)
4. Paul McMahan (2)
5. Marcus Dumesny (8)
6. Chris Martin (7)
7. Matt Juhl (5)
8. Lynton Jeffrey (6)
9. Joe Simbro (9)
DNS: – Sawyer Phillips
Heat Race #five (started), 8 Laps, NT
1. James McFadden (3)
2. David Gravel (4)
3. Hunter Schuerenberg (2)
4. Brent Marks (6)
5. Sammy Swindell (8)
6. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5)
7. Dustin Selvage (7)
8. Robbie Kendall (9)
DNS: – AJ Moeller
Heat Race #six (started), 8 Laps, NT
1. Gio Scelzi (4)
2. Justin Peck (1)
3. Josh Baughman (2)
4. John Carney II (10)
5. Parker Price-Miller (3)
6. Wayne Johnson (5)
7. Ryan Giles (6)
8. Ryan Roberts (8)
9. Scott Bogucki (7)
10. Skylar Gee (9)
T-Mobile $2,000 Pole Shuffle
Pole Shuffle #1 (started), 2 Laps, :33.5
1. Brian Brown (2)
2. Kerry Madsen (1)
Pole Shuffle #2 (started), 2 Laps, :32.6
1. Gio Scelzi (1)
2. Brian Brown (2)
Pole Shuffle #3 (started), 2 Laps, :33.2
1. Justin Henderson (1)
2. Gio Scelzi (2)
Pole Shuffle #4 (started), 2 Laps, :33.9
1. Justin Henderson (2)
2. David Gravel (1)
Pole Shuffle #5 (started), 2 Laps, :33.4
1. Justin Henderson (2)
2. Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
Pole Shuffle #6 (started), 2 Laps, :32.6
1. Donny Schatz (1)
2. Justin Henderson (2)
Pole Shuffle Final (started), 2 Laps, :33.6
1. Cory Eliason (1)
2. Donny Schatz (2)
B main #1 (started), 12 Laps, NT
1. Spencer Bayston (1)
2. Kasey Kahne (4)
3. Shane Stewart (2)
4. Daryn Pittman (6)
5. Austin McCarl (8)
6. Chad Kemenah (5)
7. Clint Garner (9)
8. McKenna Haase (7)
9. Riley Goodno (3)
10. Cale Thomas (11)
11. Kyle Reinhardt (17)
12. Tasker Phillips (14)
13. Noah Gass (10)
14. Tori Knutson (16)
15. Tim Kaeding (12)
16. TJ Stutts (15)
DNS: – Presley Truedson, Brock Zearfoss, Danny Dietrich, Bobby Mincer, Sye Lynch, Carson McCarl, Terry McCarl
B main #2 (started), 12 Laps, 3:29.7
1. Parker Price-Miller (1)
2. Paul McMahan (2)
3. Brent Marks (7)
4. Ayrton Gennetten (3)
5. Scott Bogucki (11)
6. Matt Juhl (4)
7. Marcus Dumesny (10)
8. Ryan Roberts (12)
9. John Carney II (18)
10. Dustin Selvage (14)
11. Ryan Giles (8)
12. Chris Martin (15)
13. Skylar Gee (17)
14. Tanner Carrick (16)
15. Wayne Johnson (5)
16. Sawyer Phillips (9)
17. Lynton Jeffrey (6)
18. Joe Simbro (20)
19. Robbie Kendall (19)
DNS: – Sam Hafertepe Jr., AJ Moeller, Jessie Attard
A main (started), 25 Laps, NT
1. David Gravel (5)
2. Cory Eliason (1)
3. Donny Schatz (2)
4. Kerry Madsen (8)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
6. Brian Brown (7)
7. Davey Heskin (9)
8. Justin Henderson (3)
9. James McFadden (10)
10. Carson Macedo (16)
11. Brad Sweet (13)
12. Justin Peck (18)
13. Shane Stewart (23)
14. Spencer Bayston (19)
15. Brent Marks (24)
16. Shane Golobic (15)
17. Tyler Courtney (17)
18. Roger Crockett (11)
19. Parker Price-Miller (20)
20. Kasey Kahne (21)
21. Paul McMahan (22)
22. Josh Baughman (14)
23. Gio Scelzi (6)
24. Hunter Schuerenberg (12)
Lap Leaders: Eliason 1-12, Gravel 13-25
Hard-charger: Stewart (+10)