By T.J. Buffenbarger
By T.J. Buffenbarger
ROSSBURG, Ohio (July 18, 2024) – David Gravel watched multiple competitors fall by the wayside while leading but avoided the same pitfalls to win the Jokers Jackpot with the High Limit Sprint Car Series Thursday night at Eldora Speedway.
After multiple front runners fell by the wayside including Giovanni Scelzi hitting the wall and turning over while leading, Gravel avoided mistakes over the final seven laps for the victory to collect the $100,000 payday.
For Gravel, it was his first major event win at Eldora in front of a full house of fans.
“It never sucks winning races no matter what day of the week it is,” said Gravel in the post-race press conference. “I’ve never won a big race here. It’s always eluded me. I want to win the Kings Royal really bad and I just don’t know where this event fits yet. I guess I’m the I’m the first winner of this event so hopefully it’s something that’s going to stick around for a long time and they can keep building this midweek event here at Eldora, so I don’t know where it places but it definitely feels good to win a big one that’s for sure.”
Scelzi and Larson started on the front row for the 40-lap main event. Scelzi took the lead with Larson and Courtney in tow. By lap five Courtney was able to drive under Larson for second. Meanwhile, Scelzi started to overtake slower cars.
The first caution flag of the event took place on lap 10 when he got into the wall just after Scelzi put him a lap down.
During the caution, Courtney had to go to the work area with a flat right rear tire. Courtney was able to rejoin the field at the tail after the tire was changed but was no longer a factor for the win.
During the restart Larson was able to slide by Scelzi for the lead, but Scelzi was able to counter and maintain the lead while Gravel was able to slide up into third. One lap later Brad Sweet was able to close on Gravel to third.
With 16 laps in Buddy Kofoid’s race came to an end when he brough tout the caution flag with engine
Scelzi held the lead with Larson behind him while Gravel and Sweet raced for the third spot with Gravel holding the spot.
Scelzi started to overtake slower traffic by lap 25, and two laps later had issues getting by a slower car that started to evaporate his lead.
With eight laps to go another caution flag came out for James McFadden slowing with a flat tire. This necessitated a fuel stop. After the fuel stop Jacob Allen, who had charged form 21st to fifth, had issues with an ignition box and his car would not fire. Allen came to the work area and was able to swap out ignitions and join the tail of the field.
After the restart Gravel started to pressure Scelzi for the lead. Going into turn one Scelzi got into the wall and flipped in turn one, handing the lead to Gravel. Scelzi emerged from his car under his own power, dejected.
Gravel was able to pull away from Larson on the restart. Suddenly Larson’s car slowed in turn four, allowing Schatz to move to second and Gravel to pull further away. With two laps to go the final caution came out when Larson slowed with mechanical issues with his car.
During the final restart Gravel was able to pull away for the victory. Schatz, Sweet, Justin Peck, and Rico Abreu rounded out the top five.
Gravel had to search for a line his race car liked and avoid the pitfalls that befell his other competitors.
“Gravel searched to find a line his car would work and avoid some of the misfortune that befell some of the competitors around him during the main event.
“I knew it was a long race and just trying to figure out where my car was the best,” said Gravel about and I tried to run up by where those guys were, and I just didn’t feel very good up there. Sunshine getting a flat put me in a decent position and I got past Kyle. I was running second there I thought I had an opportunity, but Gio had a torrid pace and he was far away. If there wasn’t a caution I don’t know if we would ever got to him. Luckily there was a caution was able to put some pressure on him and he got on the fence and thankfully didn’t come down the track and take me out. From there under the red Cody (Jacobs) said stick with the line I was drawn in and try to do that for eight laps. Man, it gets technical once you spin that one time off the turn for it’s so hard to get the tires back underneath you and just chasing your wing with your race car and luckily, we were good enough to get it done.”
Joker’s Jackpot
High Limit Sprint Car Series
Eldora Speedway
Rossburg, Ohio
Thursday, July 18, 2024
J Forged Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 15-Donny Schatz[1]
2. 83-James McFadden[3]
3. 39M-Anthony Macri[2]
4. 24-Rico Abreu[4]
5. 2KS-Chase Randall[6]
6. 26-Zeb Wise[9]
7. 24D-Danny Sams III[5]
8. 1-Brenham Crouch[7]
9. 50YR-Gary Taylor[8]
10. 25R-Jordan Ryan[10]
11. 28-Brian Paulus[11]
DMI Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 57-Kyle Larson[1]
2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]
3. 5-Spencer Bayston[3]
4. 23-Garet Williamson[4]
5. 99-Skylar Gee[6]
6. 1K-Kelby Watt[5]
7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[7]
8. 21H-Brady Bacon[9]
9. 70-Kraig Kinser[8]
10. 81-Lee Jacobs[10]
BR Motorsports Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]
2. 13-Justin Peck[2]
3. 101-Kalib Henry[3]
4. 55V-Kerry Madsen[5]
5. 45-Landon Brooks[8]
6. W20-Greg Wilson[10]
7. 25-Daison Pursley[7]
8. 5T-Ryan Timms[6]
9. 15K-Creed Kemenah[9]
10. 11-Hunter Schuerenberg[4]
Winters Rears Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 2-David Gravel[1]
2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]
3. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[4]
4. 1A-Jacob Allen[5]
5. 42-Sye Lynch[3]
6. 32-Bryce Lucius[7]
7. 88-Tanner Thorson[6]
8. 19H-Joel Myers Jr[9]
9. 2MD-Darin Naida[10]
10. 29-Logan McCandless[8]
Capitol Renegade Heat Race #5 (8 Laps)
1. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[1]
2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[2]
3. 9P-Parker Price Miller[3]
4. 8-Cory Eliason[4]
5. 18T-Tanner Holmes[6]
6. 27-Emerson Axsom[5]
7. 49X-Tim Shaffer[8]
8. 23J-Cale Thomas[7]
9. 55T-McKenna Haase[9]
10. 70M-Henry Malcuit[10]
FK Rod Ends Heat Race #6 (8 Laps)
1. 49-Brad Sweet[1]
2. 41-Carson Macedo[2]
3. 19-Brent Marks[3]
4. 21-Brian Brown[4]
5. 14-Corey Day[6]
6. 23B-Devon Borden[7]
7. 55-Chris Windom[9]
8. 16T-Cole Macedo[8]
9. 9-Kasey Kahne[5]
10. 10-Scott Bogucki[10]
C-Main (10 Laps)
1. 25-Daison Pursley[3]
2. 88-Tanner Thorson[4]
3. 24D-Danny Sams III[1]
4. 49X-Tim Shaffer[5]
5. 21H-Brady Bacon[8]
6. 5T-Ryan Timms[9]
7. 55-Chris Windom[6]
8. 23J-Cale Thomas[11]
9. 15K-Creed Kemenah[14]
10. 9-Kasey Kahne[17]
11. 1-Brenham Crouch[7]
12. 50YR-Gary Taylor[12]
13. 19H-Joel Myers Jr[10]
14. 29-Logan McCandless[21]
15. 81-Lee Jacobs[19]
16. 25R-Jordan Ryan[18]
17. 2MD-Darin Naida[15]
18. 55T-McKenna Haase[16]
19. 28-Brian Paulus[24]
20. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[2]
21. 70-Kraig Kinser[13]
22. 11-Hunter Schuerenberg[20]
23. 70M-Henry Malcuit[22]
24. 10-Scott Bogucki[23]
25. 16T-Cole Macedo[25]
B-Main (15 Laps)
1. 1A-Jacob Allen[3]
2. 23-Garet Williamson[1]
3. 8-Cory Eliason[4]
4. 55V-Kerry Madsen[2]
5. 26-Zeb Wise[11]
6. W20-Greg Wilson[13]
7. 45-Landon Brooks[8]
8. 14-Corey Day[10]
9. 21-Brian Brown[5]
10. 18T-Tanner Holmes[9]
11. 23J-Cale Thomas[24]
12. 1K-Kelby Watt[12]
13. 5T-Ryan Timms[22]
14. 2KS-Chase Randall[6]
15. 25-Daison Pursley[17]
16. 88-Tanner Thorson[18]
17. 99-Skylar Gee[7]
18. 21H-Brady Bacon[21]
19. 24D-Danny Sams III[19]
20. 32-Bryce Lucius[14]
21. 23B-Devon Borden[16]
22. 27-Emerson Axsom[15]
23. 49X-Tim Shaffer[20]
24. 55-Chris Windom[23]
Kubota A-Main (40 Laps)
1. 2-David Gravel[4]
2. 15-Donny Schatz[5]
3. 49-Brad Sweet[6]
4. 13-Justin Peck[9]
5. 24-Rico Abreu[20]
6. 19-Brent Marks[18]
7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[8]
8. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[10]
9. 41-Carson Macedo[12]
10. 83-James McFadden[7]
11. 1A-Jacob Allen[21]
12. 5-Spencer Bayston[14]
13. 8-Cory Eliason[23]
14. 39M-Anthony Macri[13]
15. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]
16. 9P-Parker Price Miller[17]
17. 101-Kalib Henry[15]
18. 23-Garet Williamson[22]
19. 42-Sye Lynch[19]
20. 57-Kyle Larson[2]
21. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[1]
22. 87-Aaron Reutzel[11]
23. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[16]
24. 55V-Kerry Madsen[24]