Inside Line Promotions – JOLIET, Ill. (Oct. 22, 2024) – David Gravel recorded a pair of podium finishes last weekend at The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway to increase his lead in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship standings to 78 points with five races remaining this season.
The Big Game Motorsports driver’s results of second place on Friday and third on Saturday give him three career top-five finishes at the track, where he most recently competed in 2017 prior to last weekend.
The doubleheader began on Friday when Gravel set quick time during qualifying and won a heat race to advance into the dash. He picked up a position to place third in the dash before gaining a spot in the A Main for a runner-up result.
“I thought we were a little bit better than Aaron (Reutzel) there at the end,” he said in a post-race interview on DIRTVision. “He really had to lean on the cushion, I thought. I felt like he was coming back to us a little bit, and obviously lapped traffic was coming there. He got over the cushion that one time. That lapped car looked like he was going high and then went low, and Aaron was going low then he went high. I was committed to the top at that point, so I couldn’t really do much from there. It was superior grip on the top of (turns) three and four. Man, it was close.”
Consistency continued on Saturday when Gravel was second quickest in qualifying. A second-place showing in a heat race locked him into the dash. Gravel finished sixth in the dash and he capped the night by advancing a trio of positions in the main event.
“Man, I could not get a good restart behind him single file on the bottom,” he said in a post-race interview on DIRTVision. “I just would start spinning and then hit the grip and just not get down the frontstretch very good. Then I was kind of in defense going into (turn) one where I kind of wanted to attack. Definitely didn’t want that caution because I feel like we were coming. I think lap traffic would’ve benefitted us.”
The team is heading to Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., this Friday and Saturday for the Bull Ring Blitz. Gravel charged from 21 st to fifth in April 2018 during his lone appearance at the track with the World of Outlaws.
QUICK RESULTS –
Oct. 18 – The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 1 (1); Dash: 3 (4); Feature: 2 (3).
Oct. 19 – The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 2 (1); Dash: 6 (6); Feature: 3 (6).
SEASON STATS –
66 races, 15 wins, 42 top fives, 59 top 10s, 64 top 15s, 64 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., for the Bull Ring Blitz with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
X: https://twitter.com/BigGameMotorspt
HUSET’S SPEEDWAY –
Huset’s Speedway is a dirt oval located in Brandon, S.D. The track opened in 1954 and has undergone a large renovation within the last few years, making it a premier destination for both marquee racing events and weekly programs. For more information, visit http://www.HusetsSpeedway.com .
JACKSON MOTORPLEX –
Jackson Motorplex is a 4/10-mile dirt oval located in Jackson, Minn. It hosts special events from May through August, including races with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, Midwest Power Series, Midwest Sprint Touring Series and more. For more information, visit http://www.JacksonMotorplex.com .
TICKET LINK –
To purchase online tickets for events at either Huset’s Speedway or at Jackson Motorplex, visit http://mpv.tickets.com/schedule/?agency=JKMV_PL_MPV&orgid=55369#/?view=list&includePackages=true .
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.
*PHOTO BY TRENT GOWER PHOTOGRAPHY/WORLD OF OUTLAWS*
