JACKSON, MINNESOTA (June 27, 2020) – The officials at the Jackson Nationals presented the 42nd Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals with the finale on Saturday night as it was the first big money race of the 2020 season for the competitors. A total of 45 cars showed up to take a shot at earning points to have the opportunity to take home the winner’s share of the purse. Many of those drivers and teams represent the best-of-the-best in sprint car racing, including David Gravel and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41. Gravel and the JJR #41 team stuck together and overcame many challenges and obstacles to earn a total of 932 points which put him fourth overall in points after the two qualifying nights of racing that locked him in the King of the Hill Dash.
Before the evening of racing began though the JJR team was awarded the Equality Die Cast Inc. Best Appearing Car Award that was voted on by the fans. Equality Die Cast Inc. is based in Winona, Minnesota and owned and operated by Rich Foss and his family. They have over 25 years of experience in zinc die casting and provide competitive pricing, on-time delivery and friendly customer service! The award is a tribute to the team’s commitment to not only performance on and off the track, but also their passion to present their team and sponsorship partners professionally at all times as part of their value proposition. That focus and core belief was an integral, important and unwavering part of Jason and Bobbi Johnson’s vision when they formed JJR back in 2010. The award came with a $2,500 gift and the owner and team were appreciative and grateful to have the In Memory of Jason Johnson #41 sprint car sitting on the front straightaway to accept the award. Thank you Equality Die Cast Inc.!
Since David and the #41 team were already locked into the King of the Hill Dash, they focused on preparing the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Vortex Racing Products #41 Maxim to compete on the evolving track surface as the qualifier races were run. When it was their turn to hit the track in round two of the dash, they lined up on the outside of Brad Sweet on the front row with Parker Price-Miller and Sheldon Haudenschild right behind. Gravel drove off the top and into the lead over Sweet. He led wire-to-wire over Sweet to take the win as Price-Miller and Haudenschild settled into the fifth and sixth starting positions for the feature. Gravel and Sweet then moved into the final round against top point earners Logan Schuchart and Daryn Pittman. When the green flag waved this time it was Pittman to the point with Schuchart chasing. Gravel was able to maneuver ahead of Sweet momentarily, but when Pittman took the checkers Gravel came home fourth with Schuchart and Sweet sandwich in between the King of the Hill Dash winner and Gravel.
The only thing that remained on the schedule of events for the 42nd Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals was the 35-lap feature event. Philip, Clyde and Nate went to work in an attempt to make the Weikert’s Livestock/High Performance Lubricants #41 better for their driver who was eager to perform well in the race. The horn sounded and the native of Watertown, Connecticut climbed into his office in his Maxim Racing machine. He buckled into his Simpson Race Products safety belts and pulled on his Simpson helmet and gloves. He rolled onto the track and when the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series went four-wide, the forty-one was on the front row of the Jackson Nationals with Logan Schuchart, Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet. A talented group for sure, but each are fierce competitors. When the green flag unfurled, Schuchart wasted little time taking the lead and was out front early. Gravel was up on the wheel running in the sixth position. With 10 laps in the books, Sheldon Haudenschild tracked down Schuchart and made a pass for the lead with the leaders in lap traffic. The two drivers would swap slide jobs with Schuchart wrestling the lead back. That alone was worth the price of admission. Gravel fell back as far as eighth on a restart after the red was displayed for Parker Price-Miller who flipped in turn one. He was not done yet though. He used the last half of the race to reclaim his positions fighting back to sixth. With 6 laps to go, the talent Connecticut born driver drove back into the top five. Logan Schuchart would collect the win and the $30,000 winner’s check as he beat Sweet, Pittman and Ian Madsen to the finish line with Gravel rounding out the top five. A great run for the forty-one against some of the best in the business in the first crown jewel event of 2020!
Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Saich Family; 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 Auto Reconditioning; AutoMeter; Bell Racing USA; Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS); Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; C&R Racing; Chalk Stix Torsion Bars; 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; 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; Walker Performance Filtration; 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.
