Watertown, Conn.—April 7, 2013—Prior to this weekend in World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series competition this season, David Gravel never had to look at the radar on his phone or even worry about rain for that matter, because weather had not been an issue in the first 11 races of the season for the series. The next two though, were plagued by rain in the days preceding the races, which led to some extra hours by the track crew at Antioch Speedway to get the race in, while the event at Calistoga Speedway fell to extremely wet grounds.
With all the rain that fell prior to the race at Antioch Speedway on Friday, April 5, a blazing fast surface greeted Gravel and his fellow competitors. The native of Watertown, Conn., qualified 12th in the Firetext Response Maxim as he continues to fill-in for the injured Bill Rose, with a very strong field of 35 drivers signed in.
That qualifying effort put him on the outside of the front row in the fourth and final eight-lap heat race. At the start of that contest, he was called for jumping the start, which sent him back a row and would end up changing the complexion of his whole night on a track that was very challenging to pass on. He battled in the heat race for the second spot and a berth in the dash, but fell just short, finishing third to transfer to the main event.
When the field took to the grid for the 30-lap main event, Gravel found himself starting 16th. He gained a position on the start of the race, which went green-to-checkers without a single caution. Gravel would run in 15th for the entire distance and crossed the line in that same spot, which marked his ninth finish of 15th or better this season with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series.
“We had a chance to have a really good night and the heat race really changed that,” said Gravel. “Starting 16th on a track that is tough to pass on is not an easy task. It was definitely a good workout in the feature with no cautions and a bit surprising as well that it went straight through. That’s a small track and for there to not be a single caution was pretty out of the ordinary, especially compared to many of the races we’ve had out west this year.”
Gravel has competed in each of the first nine races of the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series West Coast Swing, recording four top-10 finishes, including a pair of fourth-place performances, all in Rose’s car. With the cancellation of the event at Calistoga Speedway, two races remain for Gravel in California, as he heads to Kings Speedway in Hanford on Friday, April 12 and Perris Auto Speedway on Saturday, April 13 for the SoCal Showdown.
“I’ve heard about both Hanford (Kings Speedway) and Perris (Auto Speedway) and am looking forward to seeing them for the first time,” he shared. “It will be nice to have a weekend with two races, after having just one each of the last two weeks. As a driver, you want to be in the car as much as possible and that helps you stay sharp and on your game as well.”
The 20-year-old is currently seventh in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings, just 31 markers out of the top-five. He has five top-10 finishes, which is tied for sixth-best in the series.
Keep up-to-date with David Gravel and DDR Motorsports by visiting www.DavidGravel89.com. Follow David on Twitter @davidgravel89gand like David on Facebook.
