A LITTLE HOME COOKING AT LAKE OZARK: DAVID GRAVEL AND THE HOMETOWN JJR TEAM SOLDIER TO A RUNNER-UP FINISH IN THE BATTLE AT THE LAKE TO KICK OFF A THREE RACE WEEKEND FOR THE OUTLAWS

ELDON, MISSOURI (April 26, 2019) – A few years ago, Jason and Bobbi Johnson fell in love with the Lake of the Ozarks area. So much so they bought a property where they could build their dreams around the lake. They absolutely fell in love with the “lake life” and the people in the area who are just tremendous. Then life, as it so often does, took some unexpected and unfortunate twists, but those have not changed the dreams and goals of this persistent bunch at JJR which is headquartered nearby (8 Miles from track) in Rocky Mount, Missouri. On Friday night they got to race their Tiger Towing/Pro Powder Coating (PPC)/LogoDaddy Graphics #41 Maxim entry at the racy and well-prepared Lake Ozark Speedway in front of a packed house of friends, family and well just down right good people many whom call this area home, too. There were 32 cars registered, the sun was out, and it was time to go racing in the Battle at the Lake at Lake Ozark Speedway!

The talented driver of the JJR #41, David Gravel, would be the fourteenth car out for his two laps of speed. He wasted little time, no pun intended, as he trounced on the loud pedal and his Kistler Engines/Engler Machine & Tool power delivered as he shot up to the top of the speed charts with an impressive lap of 11.714 seconds. His second laps was a little slower at 12.222 seconds, but the first lap set a mark that no one was able to beat as Gravel captured his first quick time of the season aboard the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Jonestown KOA #41.

His fast lap positioned him on the pole in the first and fastest heat race with Kerry Madsen sharing the front row with him. The heat was loaded with talent with names like Ian Madsen, Sammy Swindell, Logan Schuchart, Justin Peck, Brian Brown and Rico Abreu. When the green flag waved over the 10-lap event, David drove to the top spot briefly in the Tiger Towing/J.R.C. Transportation Maxim, but was dueling early in a spirited battle for track position with Kerry Madsen. Madsen would lead lap one as Sammy Swindell entered the picture now and made it interesting for a few laps before the drivers settled into their running order. Kerry Madsen would take the heat race win over Gravel, Swindell and Ian Madsen with Logan Schuchart coming home fifth to secure the final transfer position to the feature.

The Watertown, Connecticut native was working hard along with Philip, Tyler and Patrick as the JJR #41 was fast every time it hit the track. After drawing the “7” pill, David would start the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash from the inside of row four. These dash races are always entertaining as the drivers get up on the wheel and drive hard to gain every spot as the finishing order of the dash sets the starting order for the feature event each night. Polesitter Daryn Pittman brought the field to the green and roared to the front of the field. He led over Brad Sweet and Cale Thomas, but it was Mr. Gravel on the move from his seventh starting position. He was wheeling and dealing inside the cockpit of his Maxim Racing machine and when the checkered flag waved he drove the Durst Inc./Buckwalter Trucking #41 to a fourth place finish behind Pittman, Sweet and Thomas with Kerry Madsen, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz and Lynton Jeffrey crossing the finish line behind him.

The 40-lap feature event was the final race of the night on the racing agenda at Lake Ozark Speedway. Gravel would start from the fourth position in the JJR #41 entry and he was ready to go in the Weikert’s Livestock/T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication #41. Philip and the JJR crew methodically made the final preparations and it was time to go racing at Lake Ozark Speedway. Brad Sweet jumped into the early lead with Pittman close behind. David drove the forty-one into the third spot and over the first three quarters of the race stayed in the show postion before driving hard on the high side to pass Pittman entering turn one for the runner-up spot on lap 28. Sweet was building a big lead with Gravel relentlessly giving chase in the Tiger Towing #41 until a red flag flew with ten laps to go. Sweet had built up a big lead before the red was displayed, but now they would restart bumper-to-bumper in the single file restart order. When the green flag was shown again, Gravel drove to the top side of the speedway and was dominating around the top. He would build up his speed and momentum and overtook the top spot on lap 32. He was moving and led for 5 laps before surrendering the lead late to Sweet who motored by on the bottom groove to take the win. Gravel came home second just ahead of Donny Schatz who was third. After the race Gravel explained, “Our right rear tire was going low (after getting a hole in the tire), and that doesn’t help on the cushion.” Nonetheless, it was a strong run for Gravel and the JJR #41 team at their home track! A great run for the forty-one!

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; Schoenfeld Headers; Shell Shock Paint; Simpson Race Products; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Vortex Racing Products; Weld Wheels; Wilwood Racing; Winters Performance Products; and, www.racediecast.com.

To stay connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR), go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com

To learn more about David Gravel, and stay up to date with his success and journey, go to www.DavidGravel89.com