LAST CALL FOR GRAVEL AND THE FORTY-ONE: GRAVEL AND THE JJR #41 GIVE IT THEIR ALL ON FINAL NIGHT AT THE LAST CALL TO COME HOME WITH A PODIUM FINISH AT THE DIRT TRACK AT CHARLOTTE

CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA (November 7, 2020) – David Gravel and the NOS Energy Sprint Car Series sprint car stars were all back in the pit area for the last race of the 2020 season. Following the announcement earlier in the week that David Gravel would be departing the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 Sprint Car Team at the conclusion of the 2020 season, everyone was eager to get racing in the Last Call event to end the season and partnership on a high note. David and the JJR #41 team enjoyed a lot of success together over the past two season highlighted by 23 wins, including the 2019 Knoxville Nationals, which will always be cherished by all involved. But, on Saturday evening it was all about showing out for the Last Call together as one team. There were 44 teams registered to race and lining the pits at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

David Gravel climbed in the Durst Inc./Weikert’s Livestock #41 Maxim for his two time trial laps around the fast and racy, red clay 4/10-mile oval. He would be the 16th car out on the track in Flight B. The Connecticut speed chauffeur pulled on his Simpson Race Products helmet and flipped the shield down as the push truck tapped the rear nerf bar. His Kistler Engines/Engler Machine & Tool, Inc. power plant came to life and he dropped his right foot on the loud pedal to get up to speed. He was making tracks and not looking back as he drove through the turns and hustled down the straightaways. When he crossed the timing stripe the first time around the clock indicted a lap of 12.688 seconds. He continue to hustle in the cockpit and turned in his second lap in 12.874 seconds. The quicker of his two laps was quick time not only in Flight B but also overall.

With time trials completed, World of Outlaws (WoO) timing and scoring officials prepared the 8-lap Drydene heat race lineups. David Gravel, who has a series leading 20 Drydene Heat Race wins this season, would get going in the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/All Pro Auto Reconditioning #41 Maxim from the inside of the front row with Brad Sweet to his outside. The two competitors were racing for the two spots in the dash event. When the green flag waved, Gravel got digging from the low side and beat Sweet into turn one. Sheldon Haudenschild was stalking the top two from the show position as the competitors were kicking the dust up. Gravel would collect the heat race win over Sweet and Haudenschild with Shane Stewart and Ian Madsen securing the final two transfer spots from the heat race to the feature.

To find out where he would start the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, David pulled the seven pill which put him on the inside of row four beside Kerry Madsen. Brad Sweet was sitting on the pole with Logan Schuchart to his right side. Schuchart and the remainder of the field had some good fortune when Spencer Bayston, who was supposed to start from the second position, experienced mechanical issues and could not start the race moving everyone up one position. When the green lights illuminated, Sweet drove into the lead as Gravel made an aggressive run forward and into the third position temporarily before Brian Brown took it back through turns 3 and 4. Sweet led wire-to-wire to take the victory over Schuchart and Brown with Gravel bringing the Tiger Towing/Team Jack Foundation #41 Maxim home fourth ahead of Carson Macedo, Parker Price-Miller, Kerry Madsen and Spencer Bayston who completed the finishing order.

With all of the qualifying behind them, it was time to race the final 30 laps of the season in the Last Call for 2020. The crews finished their final adjustments and it was time to go racing at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. David Gravel would get started from the outside row two in his final race aboard the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41. He climbed in the cockpit and buckled in for some high speed action. When the racing went under green flag conditions it as Sweet leading Schuchart, Gravel and Brown through the first few laps before surrendering the lead to Logan Schuchart just before the caution flew on lap 4 for debris. Under the yellow, Ian Madsen headed to the work area with a flat tire before rejoining the field. The top five in the running order was Schuchart, Sweet, Gravel, Macedo and Kerry Madsen. The action restarted with Schuchart leading the way, but the red dust was flying making it very difficult to see. On lap 10, the yellow was displayed to let the dust settle as Bill Rose slowed. Action resumed with Schuchart holding the lead. Gravel used the high side to try to pass Sweet and although he got close, Sweet maintained the position. Another caution was thrown on lap 16, this time to allow the dust to settle for safety reason as it was becoming impossible to see for the competitors. The top five had not changed and they got back up to speed. This time Gravel got a run off turn four and tried to duck under Sweet to steal the runner-up spot to no avail. Three laps later, on lap 19, the caution again was displayed for fourth running Carson Macedo who shredded his tire. He rejoined the field and they got back to racing. The final laps ran uninterrupted with Schuchart collecting the win over Sweet and Gravel with Kerry Madsen and Brian Brown rounding out the top five. The humble Watertown, Connecticut driver used the podium opportunity to thank Bobbi Johnson, the sponsors and his JJR crew for their two successful years together. Another great run for the forty one with well wishes for continued success to David as well as the JJR #41 team!

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; 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 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.