Search
Close this search box.
#LetsRaceTwo
Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, Ohio
Saturday, May 04, 2024
Race Recap  

BIG E BARNBURNER: David Gravel Bests Donny Schatz in Last Lap Eldora Thriller

Eldora Speedway showed exactly why it’s known as “The World’s Greatest Dirt Track” on Saturday night.

The #LetsRaceTwo finale for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars gave fans a main event they couldn’t look away from. It was everything you could ask for. A 10-time champion battling a driver eying his first. A tricky racing surface with multiple grooves. Several late passes for the lead including one last move to secure the victory on the last lap.

The combatants came in the form of David Gravel and Donny Schatz, and they threw everything they had at each other. Hammering the top. Tiptoeing the bottom. Rolling the middle. Slide jobs. Nothing was left on the table. In the end, Gravel grabbed the checkered flag by powering ahead of Schatz down the back straightaway on the 30th and final lap and holding him off to the finish line. Gravel put the punctuation mark on a clean sweep at “The Big E” as he also set Simpson Quick Time and won both his NOS Energy Drink Heat Race and the Toyota Racing Dash.

“With the lower air pressure and lower tire temps we were really, really good,” Gravel said. “I got my wing so far back I couldn’t steer it, and on the restarts I would move it forward. But then as the run went on I got really loose. Once I got to that lapped traffic, my car kind of stalled out. That’s why I grabbed the wing, but then it made it where I couldn’t move around. I just had to hold the car straight. I couldn’t maneuver. Donny was definitely more maneuverable, but I think in open air we were probably a little bit faster.

“It’s really hard to beat Donny Schatz in the slick like that. He was running really hard in (Turns) 1 and 2 and running the cushion and just hang a little bit off of (Turn) 2. And luckily, we were able to get just better runs down the backstretch each time and get position on him. It feels really good to get another win. Starting on the front row two nights in a row and getting no wins would’ve been very disappointing. Really happy to get this one.”

Gravel grabbed sole possession of the most World of Outlaws wins in 2024 with his fifth. He also moved Big Game Motorsports one step away from a major milestone. Tod Quiring’s team is at 99 victories with The Greatest Show on Dirt. A 100th would make him only the sixth car owner to reach the impressive feat. Five of Gravel’s 93 career triumphs have come at Eldora, putting it in a tie for the third winningest track on his résumé.

David Gravel races ahead of Donny Schatz at Eldora Speedway
David Gravel held off Donny Schatz to top an Eldora Speedway thriller (Trent Gower Photo)

The 30-lap Feature was brought to green by Gravel with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid alongside. Kofoid looked under Gravel on the opening circuit but couldn’t find enough speed to make a run at the lead, and Gravel began to pad his early advantage.

It didn’t take long for Gravel to near traffic as third-running Donny Schatz began to close on Kofoid for second. On the eighth circuit, Schatz tried a slider in Turns 1 and 2 and couldn’t clear Kofoid. But in the next set of corners, the 10-time champion rolled the low line to snatch the runner-up spot from the Roth Motorsports #83.

Schatz wasted no time closing on Gravel. He was a second behind the lap he passed Kofoid, and one rotation later it was slashed to six tenths of a second. Then on the 14th lap Schatz found the run he needed and used the low side of Turns 3 and 4 to slip ahead of Gravel and lead the lap.

A slowing Kalib Henry set up a restart on the 17th lap and opened the door again for Gravel. The Huset’s Speedway #2 got a huge run down the back straightaway and slid ahead of Schatz in the third turn to regain the lead.

Over the next several circuits Gravel pulled away and looked as if he was heading to a comfortable win at Eldora. The gap grew to nearly two seconds on Lap 19, but with less than 10 laps to go the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 came to life as traffic became more and more of a factor.

By Lap 25 the lead was back under a second and shrinking with every corner. A few laps later the war began. Schatz dipped beneath Gravel in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 28 and narrowly grabbed the spot on the front straightaway. Gravel returned fire with a slider in Turns 1 and 2 that Schatz countered with a crossover and took the lead back. In Turns 3 and 4 Gravel went low as Schatz opted for the middle, and just as the white flag was within sight the red lights flashed for a flipping Bryce Lucius.

Schatz held the lead for the restart, and the battle immediately resumed when the green lights returned. Gravel got a head of steam exiting the second corner and slid ahead of Schatz in Turns 3 and 4. Schatz turned under him to drive back ahead and lead at the white flag. Like the lap before, Gravel got a run out of Turn 2 and dove under Schatz in the final set of corners. But this time he stuck to the bottom and didn’t leave Schatz the lane to crossover. It proved to be the winning move as he came out on top.

“I just tried to go a car width lower or higher than him (Schatz) on the start and was able to get alongside him,” Gravel said. “And then when I slid across, I slid way too hard across all the way to the fence. I should’ve backpedaled, kept the tires underneath me, and put myself in better shape in (Turns) 1 and 2. But luckily, we were able to get a good run. Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), and Stephen (Hamm-Reilly) have been working really hard.”

Schatz brought home the runner-up spot after the hard-fought battle aboard the Carquest #15. The Fargo, ND native notched back-to-back podium finishes during the #LetsRaceTwo weekend and is up to seven top threes in 2024. Schatz felt he might’ve been standing in Victory Lane if it wasn’t for the red flag coming to the last lap.

“He ran away on that one restart,” Schatz said. “He drove by us and ran away. And then we caught back up and got back by. So, I guess if we wouldn’t have had the red, it may have been a different story.”

Carson Macedo brought the Jason Johnson Racing #41 home third to complete the top three. The Californian has now bagged six podiums this season. He fought within the top five throughout the entire race and climbed his way onto the podium with a strong run late in the going.

“I think I just had a really good final restart there,” Macedo explained. “Everybody kind of went to the top, and I sort of filled through the middle and felt really good. It’s a testament to Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman. They gave me a great car there. I thought there were points in the race where I had a really, really good car and then faded a little, and then I got good there at the end. I feel like we gain some momentum with that kind of a race car.”

Giovanni Scelzi and Logan Schuchart completed the top five.

A 21st to ninth drive earned Sheldon Haudenschild the KSE Racing Hard Charger.

David Gravel claimed his fourth Simpson Quick Time of 2024 and the 114th of his career in Sea Foam Qualifying.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three, and Four went to David Gravel (252nd Heat Race win of career), Giovanni Scelzi (46th of career), and Emerson Axsom (first of career). Milton Hershey School Heat Two belonged to Buddy Kofoid (21stof career).

Gravel also topped the Toyota Racing Dash.

Sheldon Haudenschild won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Bryce Lucius was awarded the Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to Pennsylvania for the first three battles with the PA Posse. First up is Lincoln Speedway’s (Abbottstown, PA) Federated Auto Parts Gettysburg Clash on Wednesday, May 8. Then the weekend takes the tour to Mechanicsburg, PA’s Williams Grove Speedway for the HVAC Distributors Morgan Cup on May 10-11. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz[4]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[6]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[5]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart[11]; 6. 83-Michael Kofoid[2]; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[7]; 8. 99-Skylar Gee[3]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[21]; 10. 22-Cole Duncan[13]; 11. 27-Emerson Axsom[8]; 12. 23J-Cale Thomas[9]; 13. 21H-Brady Bacon[23]; 14. 7S-Landon Crawley[15]; 15. 17B-Bill Balog[17]; 16. 1-Nate Dussel[24]; 17. 42-Sye Lynch[20]; 18. 101-Kalib Henry[16]; 19. 23-Garet Williamson[22]; 20. 24D-Danny Sams III[19]; 21. 55T-McKenna Haase[18]; 22. 32-Bryce Lucius[10]; 23. 24-Logan Seavey[14]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer[12]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

[Read More]
Results  
Feature Results
POSStart+/-#DriverLapsBehindLedStatusPointsMoney
1102David Gravel 300.00025Running150$12,000
24+215Donny Schatz 30-0.4085Running146$8,000
36+341Carson Macedo 30-1.135Running144$5,000
45+118Giovanni Scelzi 30-1.401Running142$3,200
511+61SLogan Schuchart 30-2.350Running140$2,800
62-483Michael Kofoid 30-2.822Running138$2,600
7703ZBrock Zearfoss 30-3.062Running136$2,400
83-599Skylar Gee 30-3.641Running134$2,300
921+1217Sheldon Haudenschild 30-4.441Running132$2,200
1013+322Cole Duncan 30-4.696Running130$2,000
118-327Emerson Axsom 30-5.462Running128$1,800
129-323JCale Thomas 30-5.612Running126$1,600
1323+1021HBrady Bacon 30-6.330Running124$1,400
1415+17SLandon Crawley 30-6.591Running122$1,200
1517+217BBill Balog 30-7.145Running120$1,200
1624+81Nate Dussel 30-7.499Running118$1,200
1720+342Sye Lynch 30-7.891Running116$1,200
1816-2101Kalib Henry 30-8.316Running114$1,200
1922+323Garet Williamson 29-1 LapsRunning112$1,200
2019-124DDanny Sams III28-2 LapsRunning110$1,200
2118-355TMcKenna Haase 28-2 LapsRunning108$1,200
2210-1232Bryce Lucius 28-2 LapsRunning106$1,200
2314-924Logan Seavey 27-3 LapsRunning104$1,200
2412-1249XTim Shaffer 2-28 LapsRunning102$1,200
KSE Hard Charger: Sheldon Haudenschild
Last Chance Showdown Results
POSStart+/-#DriverLapsBehindLedStatusPointsMoney
13+217Sheldon Haudenschild 00.000Running150$0
24+223Garet Williamson 0-6.330Running146$0
35+221HBrady Bacon 0-7.095Running144$0
49+51Nate Dussel 0-11.134Running142$0
52-329Logan McCandless 0-12.870Running140$500
611+5W20Greg Wilson 0-13.175Running138$400
76-129ZZeth Sabo 0-13.781Running136$350
87-15TTravis Philo 0-13.942Running134$300
98-115KCreed Kemenah 0-15.125Running132$300
101006Bill Rose 0-1.142Running130$300
1113+214Sean Rayhall 0-4.226Running128$200
121-1139MAnthony Macri 0190.787Running126$200
1312-170Kraig Kinser 0190.787Running124$200
Dash 1 Results
POSStart+/-#DriverLapsBehindLedStatusPointsMoney
12+12David Gravel 00.000Running0$0
24+283Michael Kofoid 0-2.230Running0$0
31-299Skylar Gee 0-4.145Running0$0
45+115Donny Schatz 0-4.823Running0$0
56+118Giovanni Scelzi 0-4.948Running0$0
67+141Carson Macedo 0-6.088Running0$0
78+13ZBrock Zearfoss 0-7.311Running0$0
83-527Emerson Axsom 0-8.361Running0$0
Heat 1 Results
Pos.Start+/-#DriverLaps CompletedBehindLaps LedStatus
1102David Gravel 00.000Running
22015Donny Schatz 0-2.153Running
35+223JCale Thomas 0-2.434Running
46+222Cole Duncan 0-4.062Running
58+317BBill Balog 0-5.119Running
64-217Sheldon Haudenschild 0-5.748Running
7705TTravis Philo 0-6.919Running
83-529Logan McCandless 0-7.951Running
99014Sean Rayhall 037.150Running
Heat 2 Results
Pos.Start+/-#DriverLaps CompletedBehindLaps LedStatus
11083Michael Kofoid 00.000Running
26+43ZBrock Zearfoss 0-1.345Running
38+532Bryce Lucius 0-2.837Running
47+324Logan Seavey 0-2.931Running
53-255TMcKenna Haase 0-4.003Running
65-123Garet Williamson 0-4.602Running
74-315KCreed Kemenah 0-5.442Running
82-639MAnthony Macri 0128.542Running
Heat 3 Results
Pos.Start+/-#DriverLaps CompletedBehindLaps LedStatus
11018Giovanni Scelzi 00.000Running
23+141Carson Macedo 0-1.812Running
32-11SLogan Schuchart 0-3.771Running
45+17SLandon Crawley 0-5.160Running
54-124DDanny Sams III0-7.478Running
67+121HBrady Bacon 0-8.825Running
76-11Nate Dussel 0-10.633Running
880W20Greg Wilson 0-14.129Running
Heat 4 Results
Pos.Start+/-#DriverLaps CompletedBehindLaps LedStatus
11027Emerson Axsom 00.000Running
23+199Skylar Gee 0-0.986Running
36+349XTim Shaffer 0-3.582Running
45+1101Kalib Henry 0-4.528Running
52-342Sye Lynch 0-6.107Running
67+129ZZeth Sabo 0-7.880Running
78+16Bill Rose 0-8.351Running
84-470Kraig Kinser 0300.136Running
Qualifying Flight 1 Results
POSStartCarDriverHometownTimeDifference
162David Gravel Watertown, CT13.2000.000
2483Michael Kofoid Penngrove, CA13.205-0.005
3318Giovanni Scelzi Fresno, CA13.267-0.067
41327Emerson Axsom Franklin, IN13.384-0.184
5215Donny Schatz Fargo, ND13.409-0.209
61139MAnthony Macri Dillsburg, PA13.423-0.223
7191SLogan Schuchart Hanover, PA13.423-0.223
8842Sye Lynch Cowansville, PA13.492-0.292
9129Logan McCandless Mercer, PA13.537-0.337
10755TMcKenna Haase Des Moines, IA13.547-0.347
113241Carson Macedo Lemoore, CA13.584-0.384
122199Skylar Gee Leduc, AB13.600-0.400
132617Sheldon Haudenschild Wooster, OH13.615-0.415
141815KCreed Kemenah Alvada, OH13.631-0.431
15524DDanny Sams IIINorth Port, FL13.634-0.434
16970Kraig Kinser Bloomington, IN13.639-0.439
171723JCale Thomas Fairland, IN13.667-0.467
182023Garet Williamson Columbia, MO13.679-0.479
19297SLandon Crawley Benton, AR13.696-0.496
2025101Kalib Henry Sacramento, CA13.706-0.506
211422Cole Duncan Circleville, OH13.755-0.555
22273ZBrock Zearfoss Jonestown, PA13.764-0.564
23221Nate Dussel Bradner, OH13.789-0.589
241649XTim Shaffer Aliquippa, PA13.814-0.614
25125TTravis Philo Waterville, OH13.832-0.632
262324Logan Seavey Sutter, CA13.847-0.647
272421HBrady Bacon Broken Arrow, OK13.871-0.671
281529ZZeth Sabo Fremont, OH13.914-0.714
293117BBill Balog North Pole, AK13.928-0.728
303032Bryce Lucius Findlay, OH14.027-0.827
3128W20Greg Wilson Benton Ridge, OH14.057-0.857
32106Bill Rose Plainfield, IN14.115-0.915
333314Sean Rayhall Boston, MA14.426-1.226
Hot Laps Results
POSStartCarDriverHometownTimeDifference
162David Gravel Watertown, CT13.0700.000
2483Michael Kofoid Penngrove, CA13.127-0.057
31139MAnthony Macri Dillsburg, PA13.174-0.104
41327Emerson Axsom Franklin, IN13.240-0.170
5318Giovanni Scelzi Fresno, CA13.318-0.248
6215Donny Schatz Fargo, ND13.345-0.275
7842Sye Lynch Cowansville, PA13.348-0.278
825101Kalib Henry Sacramento, CA13.353-0.283
92617Sheldon Haudenschild Wooster, OH13.358-0.288
103241Carson Macedo Lemoore, CA13.358-0.288
111723JCale Thomas Fairland, IN13.364-0.294
12755TMcKenna Haase Des Moines, IA13.368-0.298
132023Garet Williamson Columbia, MO13.476-0.406
142199Skylar Gee Leduc, AB13.477-0.407
15970Kraig Kinser Bloomington, IN13.491-0.421
162421HBrady Bacon Broken Arrow, OK13.493-0.423
17297SLandon Crawley Benton, AR13.493-0.423
18524DDanny Sams IIINorth Port, FL13.546-0.476
19273ZBrock Zearfoss Jonestown, PA13.561-0.491
202324Logan Seavey Sutter, CA13.572-0.502
211422Cole Duncan Circleville, OH13.580-0.510
223117BBill Balog North Pole, AK13.605-0.535
233032Bryce Lucius Findlay, OH13.697-0.627
24221Nate Dussel Bradner, OH13.714-0.644
25191SLogan Schuchart Hanover, PA13.726-0.656
261815KCreed Kemenah Alvada, OH13.741-0.671
27125TTravis Philo Waterville, OH13.787-0.717
281529ZZeth Sabo Fremont, OH13.831-0.761
291649XTim Shaffer Aliquippa, PA13.831-0.761
30129Logan McCandless Mercer, PA13.841-0.771
313314Sean Rayhall Boston, MA13.984-0.914
32106Bill Rose Plainfield, IN14.005-0.935
3328W20Greg Wilson Benton Ridge, OH14.113-1.043
DIRTVision Highlights  
Event Info  

#LetsRaceTwo
Saturday, May 04, 2024
Eldora Speedway
13929 State Route 118
Rossburg, Ohio 45348 

Event Description
The Greatest Show on Dirt makes a doubleheader trip to "The Big E" in this #LetsRaceTwo weekend.

Series Racing
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series

To Win Amount
$12,000.00

Event Schedule

Friday, May 3rd:
1:30 PM Ticket Sales Begin (Main Gate, Turn 4, Pit Gate)
2:00 PM Spectator Gates Open
6:00 PM Hot Laps
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Hot Laps
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Qualifying
USAC Sprint Car Hot Laps
USAC Sprint Car Qualifying
Opening Ceremonies
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Non-Qualifier Race(s) (8 Laps)(If Needed)
USAC Sprint Car Heat Races
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Heat Races (8 Laps)
USAC Sprint Car C-Main (If Needed)
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Toyota Dash Draw
USAC Sprint Car B-Main
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car C-Main (10 Laps)(If Needed)
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Toyota Dash (6 Laps)
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps)
USAC Sprint Car Feature
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Feature (30 Laps)

Saturday, May 4th:
1:30 PM Ticket Sales Begin (Main Gate, Turn 4, Pit Gate)
2:00 PM Spectator Gates Open
6:00 PM Hot Laps
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Hot Laps
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Qualifying
USAC Sprint Car Hot Laps
USAC Sprint Car Qualifying
Opening Ceremonies
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Non-Qualifier Race(s) (8 Laps)(If Needed)
USAC Sprint Car Heat Races
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Heat Races (8 Laps)
USAC Sprint Car C-Main (If Needed)
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Toyota Dash Draw
USAC Sprint Car B-Main
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car C-Main (10 Laps)(If Needed)
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Toyota Dash (6 Laps)
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps)
USAC Sprint Car Feature
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Feature (30 Laps)


*All times Eastern

Event Hashtag
#LetsRaceTwo

Ticket Options  
Options And Prices
Friday
General:
AGES 14 & UP: $35
AGES 13 & UNDER: Free

Reserved:
AGES 14 & UP: $40
AGES 13 & UNDER: $10

PIT PASS: $45 (2-DAY $85)

Saturday
General:
AGES 14 & UP: $35
AGES 13 & UNDER: Free

Reserved:
AGES 14 & UP: $40
AGES 13 & UNDER: $10

PIT PASS: $45 (2-DAY $85)


Handicapped Seating Location
The top row of main grandstand and terrace sections. Reserved seats are recommended. Companion seating is available, please request when ordering tickets. Chair not provided.

Pit Pass Price
$45
2-Day Pit Pass: $85

Pit Age Requirement
Must be 14 years of age or older. Minors aged 14 through 17 require fully completed Minor Waiver & Parental Consent form.

Parking Cost
$10 or FREE

Handicapped Parking Location
Main parking lot (entry off of State Route 118) and outside of the Turn 4 admission gate.

Camping Availability
non-electric, onsite, showers, waste services

Camping Cost
$49

Frequently Asked Questions  
To Win Amount
$12,000.00

Stadium Seating
Seat cushions are permitted. Stadium style seats may NOT exceed 18 inches, cannot have arms/armrests. No high back seats.

Handicapped Seating
The top row of main grandstand and terrace sections. Reserved seats are recommended. Companion seating is available, please request when ordering tickets. Chair not provided.

Handicapped Parking
Main parking lot (entry off of State Route 118) and outside of the Turn 4 admission gate.

Pit Age Limit
Must be 14 years of age or older. Minors aged 14 through 17 require fully completed Minor Waiver & Parental Consent form.

Personal Coolers
Yes, personal coolers are allowed in the track. Maximum size is 14" in any direction. Glass items are prohibited. Fans cannot bring in their own alcohol.

ATMs
1

Alcohol Sales
Alcohol is available at the track

Smoking Policy
State law prohibits smoking in all spectator areas, buildings, structures and lines. Smoking permitted in designated areas only.

Parking Cost
$10 or FREE

Camping Availability
non-electric, onsite, showers, waste services

Camping Cost
$49

Track Info  

Eldora Speedway
13929 State Route 118
Rossburg, Ohio 45348 

Track Phone
(937) 338-3815

Track Email
[email protected]

Track Size
0.5

Track Type
High banked

Sprint Car Track Record
12.599 seconds by David Gravel on 9/23/20

Late Model Track Record
14.761 seconds by Brandon Sheppard on 10/12/18

Closest Airport
Dayton, OH (DAY / KDAY) James M. Cox Dayton International Airport

Other Airport
Fort Wayne, IN (FWA / KFWA) Fort Wayne International Airport

Track Map
Competitor Info  

Which Schedule Would You like to Print?

2022_CASE_LMS_LOGO.png

Which Schedule Would You like to Add to Your Calendar

2022_CASE_LMS_LOGO