KNOXVILLE, IOWA (August 4, 2019) – Each year when the schedule comes out the drivers and teams circle the August dates at Knoxville Raceway on their calendars for a reason. Winning at any track is special, but when you pick up a win in August at Knoxville Raceway, the Sprint Car Capital of the World, it hold some additional meaning. Plus, it is never easy as the best from everywhere in the country show up to compete. After the feature concluded at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, David Gravel and the JJR #41 headed north to sprint car racing’s Mecca for the 8th Annual Bell Helmets Capitani Classic. There were 77 cars entered and lining the inside pit area at Knoxville Raceway.
The field would be split into two groups for time trials. The Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) entry with David Gravel behind the wheel would be the 16th car out on the track for his two laps at speed aboard the High Performance Lubricants/RaceDiecast.com #41 Maxim. With his Hoosier Racing Tires rolling, the Watertown, Connecticut native took the green flag and started the clock. He was picking up speed and stopped the clock on his first lap at 16.149 seconds. He stayed on the loud pedal and turned a better lap the second time around at 15.776 seconds, pushing him up the speed charts. His fastest lap would be fifth quick overall in the first group.
For the six heat races, the top four in each heat race were inverted in the starting lineup, which put Gravel and his Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) #41 on the inside of row two in the second 8-lap heat race. Californian Shane Golobic was on the front row with Lynton Jeffries, as David shared row two with Kerry Madsen. The initial start was called back and on the restart Golobic charged into the lead as Gravel took control of the second position, with Jeffries and Madsen fighting for the third and final transfer position. Golobic was in control at the front of the pack as Gravel was contending with the hard charging Jeffries who was moving in closer to the forty-one’s rear nerf bar with each passing lap. Gravel used his Kistler Engines power to maintain the runner-up position and was holding off Jeffries. Shane Golobic drove a great race to take the win over Gravel and Jeffries with those three finishers advancing to the feature event.
But before the feature David Gravel had some more work to do. Gravel earned enough points in time trials and his heat race to earn a shot in the Pole Shootout. He would take on the defending Knoxville Nationals champion, Brad Sweet, and drive off his inside starting position to take the lead entering turn one. He would continue his drive forward for two laps to take the win and advance on to the next round where he would find Brian Brown. The two talented drivers put on a one mile show during their two lap dual, but Brown prevailed in a close finish to advance to the final round against top point man Brock Zearfoss.
With his finish in the Pole Shootout, David would start on the inside of row two from the third starting position in the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication #41 Maxim. He wasted no time at the start of the race and drove by Brock Zearfoss into the second position behind Brian Brown. He was hitting his marks and finding speed and on the seventh circuit he drove the High Performance Lubricants #41 into the lead. Brown was right there and after the first caution slowed the field, Brown made it work and got back by Gravel to retake the lead with 10 laps in the books. Gravel kept digging and took the lead back on lap 12 and led the next 3 circuits before Brown was back by him again. The racing at the front of the field was exciting as Giovanni Scelzi was now clearly in the mix just after the halfway point of the race. In fact, he got by Gravel for second and was pushing Brown before Gravel came back to life and drove back into the lead on lap 20. David Gravel would not be denied as he took the double checkered flags and the victory in the 8th Annual Bell Helmets Capitani Classic! A great run for the forty-one!
David Gravel and the JJR #41 Team Pick Up the Victory in the 8th Annual Bell Helmets Capitani Classic!
We are proud to represent all of our dedicated and loyal supporters:
Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Saich Family; Jonestown KOA; Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution; Weikert’s Livestock; J.R.C. Transportation, Inc.; Durst Inc.; Maxim Racing; The Boyd Family; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); Waco Metal; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; Tiger Towing; All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads, Inc.; All Pro Auto Reconditioning; AutoMeter; Bell Racing USA; Blackbeard; Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS); Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; C&R Racing; Chalk Stix Torsion Bars; Cody Monoco Racing; Crow Enterprizes, Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne FK Shocks; Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K&N Filters; Kaiden Kares; Kistler Racing Engines; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy Graphics; Max Papis Innovations (MPI); MSD Performance; RaceDiecast.com; Schoenfeld Headers; Shell Shock Paint; Simpson Race Products; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Vortex Racing Products; Weld Wheels; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.
To stay up-to-date with David Gravel and his success and journey on and off the track, as well as to purchase his gear and merchandise, go to www.DavidGravel89.com.
To stay connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR), go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com.
