By Alex Nieten
ROSSBURG, OH (May 2, 2025) – David Gravel and Donny Schatz appear destined to duel for the checkered flag whenever the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series invades Eldora Speedway.
Rewind a year to 2024’s #LetsRaceTwo finale. The two Series champions swapped the lead multiple times, and Gravel sealed it with a last lap pass. Then there was last July’s Kings Royal when Schatz charged all the way from 20th and took the lead from Gravel with less than 10 laps to go. Gravel got back up on the wheel and took it back for his first Kings Royal crown.
Then the two titans found themselves in a similar scenario at Friday’s #LetsRaceTwo opener. Gravel started on the pole of the 30-lapper and led from the drop of the green, but the 10th starting Schatz was on the move.
The Fargo, ND native maneuvered the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 all over the Rossburg, OH half mile as he marched into second by Lap 20. Schatz closed quickly as the two navigated traffic, but it was Gravel finding a way to put a few lappers between himself and Schatz and holding on to complete a clean sweep of the night.
“Man, what a tricky track tonight,” Gravel said. “It was tough to feel grip, tough to exit well, and I felt the best against the cushion and didn’t feel as good down the track. But it’s hard to do that when you’re leading and your pace is fast. You can start basing off other guys and trying the bottom better. I don’t think Donny was that far up early on. He must’ve really got going late. I saw there were a lot of movers and shakers at the end. Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), and Pete (Stephens) just give me a good race car night in and night out.”
Gravel’s win was his fourth in his last six tries to go along with last year’s #LetsRaceTwo opener, the Joker’s Jackpot, and Kings Royal. He and Big Game Motorsports are up to six victories with The Greatest Show on Dirt in 2025, and Gravel upped his career total to 109. The Watertown, CT native’s seventh World of Outlaws win at “The Big E” gives him sole possession of eighth most at the half mile.
Making just the right amount of moves in traffic was the key to picking up yet another trophy from “The House that Earl Built.”
“I was just trying to be patiently aggressive there,” Gravel explained. “The 4 car was running a good pace up high and slowing me down a little bit, but he was going pretty good up there. I tried to pass him once or twice and feel like it really broke my momentum. I felt like I had to get back up and hustle again.”
Schatz settled for second, marking his fifth runner-up in his last six attempts at the track owned by his team boss Tony Stewart. He’s passed a total of 49 cars in his last three Eldora Features. Friday’s finish was Schatz’s best finish of the 2025 campaign, giving him and the No. 15 team reason for encouragement heading into a busy month.
“Everything seemed to be working tonight,” Schatz said. “We could really run anywhere, the top, the middle, the bottom. Making strides out of here really helped. It was fun to be able to see the leader and kind of get to him and pick through lapped traffic. That yellow really helped. We took off really good. I guess when the air pressures went down under yellow it helped a ton and got a few spots, but the longer I ran the worse I got.”
Rounding out the podium was a hard charging Cole Macedo in the TwoC Racing ride. The Lemoore, CA native ripped from 12th to third for the first top three of his rookie World of Outlaws campaign. Even more impressive was the fact he had to drive with a broken left rear shock in the latter stages of the race.
“Our race car was unbelievable before the left rear shock broke, and I feel like that actually hindered me from getting to second or maybe even battling for the lead there,” Macedo said. “Nonetheless I’m so pumped up for this TwoC Racing team and Wayne and Kasey and Bud and everybody that helps out. They’ve been working their tails off.”
Logan Schuchart and Michael Kofoid completed the top five.
Schuchart’s charge from 14th earned him the KSE Racing Hard Charger.
David Gravel grabbed his 131st career Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.
Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Zach Hampton (Real American Beer Heat Two), Giovanni Scelzi (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Bill Balog (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).
David Gravel topped the Toyota Dash.
Ashton Torgerson received the SPA Technique #1 Redraw.
Emerson Axsom won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.
The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Bill Balog.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars close out #LetsRaceTwo at Eldora Speedway on Saturday, May 3. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
For the remaining 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz[10]; 3. 2C-Cole Macedo[12]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[14]; 5. 83-Michael Kofoid[6]; 6. 6-Zach Hampton[3]; 7. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[4]; 8. 41-Carson Macedo[17]; 9. 71-Parker Price Miller[19]; 10. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[9]; 11. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]; 12. 23-Garet Williamson[11]; 13. 21-Tanner Holmes[13]; 14. 7S-Chris Windom[18]; 15. 21H-Brady Bacon[15]; 16. 99-Skylar Gee[22]; 17. 1K-Kelby Watt[7]; 18. W20-Greg Wilson[24]; 19. 4-Zane DeVault[23]; 20. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[8]; 21. 32-Bryce Lucius[16]; 22. 97-Justin Clark[20]; 23. 27-Emerson Axsom[21]; 24. 17B-Bill Balog[5]