WATERTOWN, Conn. — Oct. 10, 2013— David Gravel and his fellow World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series competitors were part of the biggest sprint car race in the Northeast last weekend at the famed Williams Grove Speedway, and this weekend will be part of the largest week of short track racing in the Northeast — NAPA Auto Parts Super Dirt Week in the Syracuse area of New York. The week culminates at the New York State Fairgrounds with the running of the traditional 200-lap event for the Super DIRTcar Series, while the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series will take to the track at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park as part of the festivities leading up to the event for the Big Block Modifieds at the Syracuse Mile.
The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, N.Y., will hit the track on Saturday, Oct. 12. The night will begin with hot laps, followed by time trials, heat races, a dash and a 25-lap main event that pay $10,000 to the winner. The event will be taped for broadcast on the CBS Sports Network on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. Eastern.
“Rolling Wheels (Raceway Park) is a very big and fast place,” said Gravel. “I’ve been pretty fast there in the past and had some bad luck, while running up front. Hopefully, we can be as fast as we have been there the last couple times we’ve been there and have a successful run. With how fast that place is you try to be as smooth as you can with the (steering) wheel and not scrub off too much speed at any point of the track.”
Gravel has made one start this season aboard the FMR Racing/JRC Transportation/Musco Fuel/Model Craft J&J at the sprawling five-eighths-mile, finishing eighth in July. In that event, the native of Watertown, Conn., timed in 15th, just missing the heat race inversion by less than one-tenth-of-a-second. Gravel started fifth in the third heat race and finished in that same spot to earn a spot in the 25-lap main event. He charged from the 15th starting spot in the A-Feature to finish eighth and earn his second career top-10 finish with the series at the track.
“I have some extra confidence going into this weekend after getting a top-10 in the National Open last weekend,” he shared. “That is the second biggest sprint car race in the world and to run near the front was a great accomplishment for us. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going this weekend and the last few races this season.”
Last year during the Super Dirt Week event for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, Gravel finished fifth at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, which marked the best finish of his career at the track. He started the night by turning the eighth-fastest lap in time trials, and that put him on the front row of the second eight-lap heat. Gravel would win that heat race to garner a starting spot in the dash, where he finished fifth. In the spring race for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in 2012, Gravel was running second with eight laps remaining when an aluminum heim that connects to the throttle pedal broke.
“Track position is everything at a place like Rolling Wheels,” noted Gravel. “A lot of times you won’t have a caution to bunch the field back up, so you have to put yourself in a good spot to start the race. We definitely want to get in the dash so we can start in the top-10 in the feature. If you start in the first few rows you have a good chance to contend for a win.”
Gravel raced for the first time with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in 2011 during Super Dirt Week. He has made a total of four career starts at the largest track on the circuit.
Entering this weekend’s event, which is one of just three A-Features remaining on the calendar for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, Gravel is 13th in the series standings. He has two victories this season. One, a preliminary feature win on the opening night of the Knoxville Nationals, and the other, an A-Feature triumph at I-94 Speedway in Minnesota. Last weekend, the 21-year-old finished eighth in the National Open at Williams Grove Speedway to earn his 25th top-10 finish of the season.
Keep up-to-date with David Gravel and DDR Motorsports by visiting www.DavidGravel89.com. Follow David on Twitter @davidgravel89g and like David on Facebook.
