6/29/2021
Inside Line Promotions
Big Game Motorsports Driver Gravel Scores Win and Three Podiums During THE SHOWDOWN
(Photo by Tylan Porath Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – JACKSON, Minn. (June 29, 2021) – David Gravel posted one win, three podiums and four top 10s during five World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series races last week as part of THE SHOWDOWN.
“I thought we had a solid week,” he said. “One win and three podiums out of five races is pretty good. Obviously you want to win the big money races on the final night, but we won the BillionAuto.com Huset’s 50 opener and we had a strong run to finish off the AGCO Jackson Nationals.”
The Big Game Motorsports driver highlighted the spectacle by earning his sixth World of Outlaws win of the season a week ago Monday during the BillionAuto.com Huset’s 50 preliminary night at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.
Gravel qualified second quickest before winning a heat race, the dash and the main event.
“We hit on all eight cylinders every time we hit the track and had a good dash draw so that always helps,” he said. “The track ended up taking rubber toward the end of the feature. Luckily I got back by Donny (Schatz). In traffic a car messed him up and we were able to capitalize. He’s one of the best rubber racers ever. He’s stolen a lot of people’s wins in the rubber. There’s a fine line of where to run on the track when it takes rubber. If you’re a little too high or a little too low it could cost you.”
Gravel wrapped up the event on Tuesday by qualifying ninth quickest and advancing from fifth to fourth place in a heat race and from 13th to ninth in the A Main.
“We stubbed our toe qualifying,” he said. “We were able to gain one spot in the heat race to start a little further up toward the front in the feature. We were pretty decent in the feature. It was around the top real fast and everything leveled out. We ended up with a top 10 and that’s about all we could do with how we qualified.”
Action shifted to Jackson Motorplex on Thursday for the first of three nights of AGCO Jackson Nationals competition. Gravel timed in 15th quickest, but a run from fifth to second place in a heat race garnered a spot into the dash. He won the dash to start the feature on the pole.
“We were a little concerned by not qualifying that good, but with the format we were able to save ourselves and get into the dash by going fifth to second in the heat race,” he said. “We had a good dash draw. We were decent in the feature. Logan (Schuchart) was really fast and Kerry (Madsen) found the top lane before anybody else did. I was about a corner too late. I was going to the top, but just didn’t get there fast enough.”
Gravel finished third for a good points night.
Friday’s second preliminary round didn’t work in Gravel’s favor as he qualified eighth quickest and maneuvered from seventh to sixth place in a heat race and from 14th to 11th in the A Main.
“We qualified good for when we went out, but we just didn’t really hit it after that,” he said. “We weren’t very good in the heat race. We threw something at it for the A Main since we were starting back. It wasn’t any better. We tried some stuff since we weren’t in an ideal situation and it didn’t work out.”
Gravel ranked sixth in event points following the two preliminary nights. That missed a lock-in spot into the King of the Hill event on Saturday, but Gravel made the most of his pole position in a qualifier to win and advance into the King of the Hill.
Gravel set the quickest time during the first two rounds before posting the third quickest time in the final round. That lined him up on the inside of the second row for the main event.
“I think it went well,” he said. “We’ve seen them do four cars in a King of the Hill race and it usually isn’t very good. Usually the front row moves on so basing it on time was good and it worked out well for us as we picked up a few positions.”
Gravel quickly powered into the lead once the green flag was waved on the A Main and he held onto the top spot for the first seven laps. A caution on Lap 8 bunched the field together. A slight stumble cost Gravel the lead and he ran second for the remainder of the prestigious race.
“I felt good in the qualifier and in the King of the Hill,” he said. “We moved onto the A Main and I thought we had a pretty good car. I wish I got a better restart on Lap 8, but Logan had a more dominant car in traffic. He was very maneuverable. We stalled out behind a couple of cars in traffic where he kept chugging along. You never know what would have happened, but in all reality with how good his car was the result would have probably been the same even without our stumble.”
The Independence Day Spectacular runs this Friday and Saturday at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., for Gravel and the team.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 21 – Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 1 (1); Dash: 1 (1); Feature: 1 (1).
June 22 – Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. – Qualifying: 9; Heat race: 4 (5); Feature: 9 (13).
June 24 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. – Qualifying: 15; Heat race: 2 (5); Dash: 1 (1); Feature: 3 (1).
June 25 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. – Qualifying: 8; Heat race: 6 (7); Feature: 11 (14).
June 27 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. – Qualifier: 1 (1); King of the Hill: 3; Feature: 2 (3).
SEASON STATS –
41 races, 7 wins, 22 top fives, 34 top 10s, 41 top 15s, 41 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., for the Independence Day Spectacular with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BigGameMotorspt
THE SHOWDOWN –
THE SHOWDOWN is one of the biggest weeks of racing for winged sprint car drivers. The action begins on June 20 with a $6,000-to-win 410ci winged sprint car event followed by two days of the Huset’s 50. All three nights are hosted by Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., before Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., showcases the famed AGCO Jackson Nationals June 24-26. The final five nights of THE SHOWDOWN are World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series races with a total purse exceeding $500,000. Additionally, if a driver is able to win the final night of the Huset’s 50 and the AGCO Jackson Nationals he or she will bring home a whopping $180,000.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
Article Credit: Inside Line Promotions
Submitted By: Shawn Miller
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