Gravel Wins the Skagit Nationals

David Gravel. (Mike Campbell photo)

ALGER, Wash. (September 3, 2022) — David Gravel closed out the three-night Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals by winning the $26,000 to win finale Saturday night at Skagit Speedway. Gravel, from Watertown, Connecticut, set a torrid pace through slower traffic before holding off a last lap challenge from Brad Sweet for the victory. The win was Gravel’s sixth victory of the 2022 season.

Gravel had consistent pressure throughout the 35-lap main from Sweet and Spencer Bayston while racing through slower traffic a majority of the event.

“I saw (Sweet) coming to the white,” said Gravel of Sweet’s final lap challenge for the lead. “I could see his right front I knew he was close and he kind of got halfway underneath me, but I was comfortable running the bottom of one and two. I was probably costing myself a little bit of time but you tried to run somewhat conservative and you’ve got to step up you can.”

Gravel took the lead at the start of the main event while Bayston and Sweet diced for second position. The only caution flag of the event appeared seven laps into the feature when Ryan Timms did a 360-degree spin in turn two and remained under power.

Gravel, Bayston, and Sweet lined up and blasted through traffic with Gravel keeping a fast pace through the slower cars to maintain the lead. Even with Gravel doing well getting through the slower cars Bayston and Sweet were able to stay on Grave’s back bumper. Bayston had one look under Gravel for the lead on lap 16 but could not make the pass.

On lap 12Sweet was able to drive by Bayston off turn two and drive up to Gravel’s back bumper. Sweet was able to get one look under Gravel coming to the white flag, but Gravel had enough speed to stay in front of Sweet on the final lap to pick up the victory. Sweet, Bayston, James McFadden, and Robbie Price rounded out the top five.

Jared Peterson won the Northwest Focus Midget Car Series feature starting on the pole and leading all 30-laps for the victory.

Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Skagit Speedway
Alger, Washington
Saturday, September 3, 2022

Qualifying
1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.088[21]
2. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 11.127[8]
3. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.153[3]
4. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.180[10]
5. 7S-Robbie Price, 11.185[7]
6. 5-Spencer Bayston, 11.285[4]
7. 83-James McFadden, 11.327[31]
8. 2-David Gravel, 11.372[24]
9. 41-Carson Macedo, 11.374[20]
10. 2L-Logan Forler, 11.394[12]
11. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt, 11.416[25]
12. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.480[27]
13. 83JR-Kerry Madsen, 11.511[9]
14. 18T-Tanner Holmes, 11.513[19]
15. 96-Greg Hamilton, 11.515[2]
16. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.550[13]
17. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.552[26]
18. 55-Trey Starks, 11.579[17]
19. 46JR-Joel Myers Jr, 11.604[5]
20. 18-Jason Solwold, 11.604[28]
21. 7-Tyler Thompson, 11.605[16]
22. 5T-Ryan Timms, 11.621[22]
23. 14-Corey Day, 11.622[14]
24. 21-Mitchell Faccinto, 11.635[18]
25. 17S-JJ Hickle, 11.689[11]
26. 53-Jessie Attard, 11.703[23]
27. 19-Colby Thornhill, 11.775[15]
28. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.842[32]
29. 6-Bill Rose, 11.876[29]
30. 20G-Noah Gass, 11.896[1]
31. 14B-Bailey Jean, 11.969[30]
32. 06T-Malachi Gemmer, 12.124[6]

Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[1]
2. 7S-Robbie Price[2]
3. 41-Carson Macedo[3]
4. 17S-JJ Hickle[7]
5. 83JR-Kerry Madsen[4]
6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[5]
7. 7-Tyler Thompson[6]
8. 6-Bill Rose[8]

Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[1]
2. 5-Spencer Bayston[2]
3. 18T-Tanner Holmes[4]
4. 2L-Logan Forler[3]
5. 55-Trey Starks[5]
6. 5T-Ryan Timms[6]
7. 53-Jessie Attard[7]
8. 20G-Noah Gass[8]

Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 1A-Jacob Allen[1]
2. 83-James McFadden[2]
3. 96-Greg Hamilton[4]
4. 14-Corey Day[6]
5. 46JR-Joel Myers Jr[5]
6. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt[3]
7. 14B-Bailey Jean[8]
8. 19-Colby Thornhill[7]

Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 49-Brad Sweet[1]
2. 2-David Gravel[2]
3. 15-Donny Schatz[3]
4. 41S-Dominic Scelzi[4]
5. 18-Jason Solwold[5]
6. 21-Mitchell Faccinto[6]
7. 11K-Kraig Kinser[7]
8. 06T-Malachi Gemmer[8]

DIRTVision FAST PASS Dash (6 Laps)
1. 2-David Gravel[2]
2. 5-Spencer Bayston[1]
3. 83-James McFadden[4]
4. 49-Brad Sweet[6]
5. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[3]
6. 7S-Robbie Price[8]
7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]
8. 1A-Jacob Allen[7]

Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps)
1. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]
2. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt[1]
3. 5T-Ryan Timms[3]
4. 21-Mitchell Faccinto[4]
5. 7-Tyler Thompson[5]
6. 11K-Kraig Kinser[8]
7. 20G-Noah Gass[10]
8. 14B-Bailey Jean[7]
9. 19-Colby Thornhill[11]
10. 6-Bill Rose[9]
11. 53-Jessie Attard[6]
12. 06T-Malachi Gemmer[12]

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps)
1. 2-David Gravel[1]
2. 49-Brad Sweet[4]
3. 5-Spencer Bayston[2]
4. 83-James McFadden[3]
5. 7S-Robbie Price[6]
6. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[7]
7. 41-Carson Macedo[9]
8. 15-Donny Schatz[12]
9. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[5]
10. 1A-Jacob Allen[8]
11. 18T-Tanner Holmes[10]
12. 14-Corey Day[15]
13. 1S-Logan Schuchart[21]
14. 17S-JJ Hickle[13]
15. 55-Trey Starks[18]
16. 83JR-Kerry Madsen[17]
17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi[16]
18. 5T-Ryan Timms[23]
19. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt[22]
20. 46JR-Joel Myers Jr[19]
21. 96-Greg Hamilton[11]
22. 2L-Logan Forler[14]
23. 18-Jason Solwold[20]
24. 21-Mitchell Faccinto[24]

Lap Leaders: Gravel 1-35

Northwest Focus Midget Car Series

B-Main
1. 51-Michael Knutson[2]
2. 23-Randy Schaaf[8]
3. 19C-Dalton Christmas[6]
4. 11T-Mark Adams[7]
5. 18-Ayuka Carlson[9]
6. 21T-Jan Evans[4]
7. 3B-Brian Hayes[11]
8. 90C-Stuart Milner[3]
9. 21C-Dale Creager[13]
10. 3-Jesse Geddes[12]
11. 5C-Chris Foster[1]
12. 67-Colby Swanberg[5]
13. 06-Ben Beck[10]

A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 32-Jared Peterson[1]
2. 3H-Hannah Lindquist[2]
3. 13A-Alex Peck[3]
4. 7S-Shane Smith[4]
5. 24-Nick Evans[6]
6. 66-Jeff Westergard[12]
7. 41-Ashley Thompson[9]
8. 9S-Sawyer Lind[19]
9. 4-Michael Vollbrecht[5]
10. 30-Matt Loving[8]
11. 09-Levi Harliss[15]
12. 95-Jesse Munn[11]
13. 23-Randy Schaaf[22]
14. 17-Kyle Hanson[20]
15. 76-Tyler Ketchum[18]
16. 9-Bert Johnson[7]
17. 21H-Todd Hartmann[16]
18. 90H-Brian Holmkvist[17]
19. 71-Travis Jacobson[13]
20. 51-Michael Knutson[21]
21. 19C-Dalton Christmas[23]
22. 11T-Mark Adams[24]
23. 35G-Chuck Pierce[14]
24. 48-Stewart Lee[10]