A RUNNER-UP FINISH IN DODGE CITY: DAVID GRAVEL WINS THE DRAW WITH HIS 16TH QUICK TIME OF THE SEASON AND DUELS WITH SCHATZ IN ROUND ONE OF THE BOOT HILL SHOWDOWN AT DODGE CITY RACEWAY PARK
DODGE CITY, KANSAS (September 20, 2019) – Back to the Midwest after the California swing, David Gravel and the JJR #41 team pulled the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) hauler into the pit area off turns three and four at Dodge City Raceway Park for the first of two nights of racing action in the Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown. The weather was perfect and the promoter and track staff welcomed the teams and fans to this beautiful semi-banked, 3/8-mile facility as summer turns to fall, at least from a calendar perspective. There were 25 teams preparing to out on a show World of Outlaws style in Dodge City.
When the time trial order was posted, the Watertown, Connecticut driver would be the 18th car on the track for his two laps against the clock. The track was fast in hot laps, so the expectation of the drivers and teams was that you would need to turn two good laps to set a good time. Gravel pushed off in the Team Jack Foundation/Mark Burch Motorsports #41 Maxim and set sail using his Kistler Engines power. His first time around was indeed quick at 12.216 seconds, which was second quick, but he was determined to see if there was more under the hood. There was in fact more speed as his second lap moved him to the top of the speed charts with a time of 12.164 seconds. His time would hold up and he would collect his 16th quick time of the season.
He would start from the pole position in an absolutely stacked first heat race. In fact the top four currently in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series point standings made up the first two rows with Gravel and Donny Schatz on the front row as Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman made up row two. The front four were followed by the always formidable duo of Shane Stewart and Dominic Scelzi. When the green flag waved over the 8-lap event, Schatz used the outside lane to drive into the lead over Gravel’s Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Vortex Racing Products #41. The two talented drivers would race side-by-side throughout the early laps defining what good racing is all about out on the road. Schatz and Gravel both had fast racecars as the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) #15 settled into the lead with Gravel in hot pursuit. Schatz would take the win over Gravel, with Sweet coming home third as Pittman and Stewart rounded out the top five.
Schatz drew the pole position for the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash and David drew the number two pill out of the NOS Energy Drink can to share the front row for the 6-lap race. This time Gravel used the outside lane to drive into the lead over Schatz on lap one aboard the J.R.C. Transportation/Waco Metal #41 Maxim. Schatz was right there though and dove under Gravel to retake the lead on the second lap before charging to the victory over Gravel, Logan Schuchart, Ian Madsen, and Kraig Kinser with Mason Daniel rounding out the finishing order.
The 25-lap feature lineup was now complete for the first of two nights of racing in the Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park. Philip, Tyler and Patrick continued to work hard to get the car better for their driver before the horn sounded to call them to the track for the main event. The High Performance Lubricants/All Pro Auto Reconditioning/MSD Performance #41 Maxim would again be on the front row when they came around for their four-wide salute to the fans at Dodge City. The track was still fast with multiple lanes to maneuver and make passes, so when the green flag waved in the air Gravel drove into turn one on the outside and came out of turn two in the lead with Schatz and Schuchart giving chase. The top three were all fast and were looking for the fastest line for their speed chariots around Dodge City Raceway Park. Schatz drove by Gravel to lead lap two, but the two drivers were racing wheel-to-wheel, lap after lap putting on quite a show. Schatz would maintain command of the lead over Gravel as Schuchart was closing the gap a little on Gravel in the runner-up position. As Schatz approached the rear of the field, Gravel started to close the distance between himself and the leader. He was able to get the gap below one second before Schatz masterfully maneuvered through lapped cars. A late caution with 19 laps in the books regrouped the field for one last attempt to track down Schatz to get the win. Schatz would have nothing to do with that though as he drove his TOCO Warranty #15 to the win as Gravel followed close behind in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS) #41 Maxim as Logan Schuchart rounded out the podium. From the frontstretch, Gravel explained, “Clean air was going to win there.” He continued, “Sucks to come up second. We had a shot. Lapped traffic was my only shot though.” Another great run for the forty-one!
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 connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR), go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com.
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.