AT A GLANCE: David Gravel looks to keep near perfect record at Lake Ozark

After a rough weekend last week, David Gravel will be on the hunt to rebound at Lake Ozark Speedway where his starts are few but superb.

In three World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car races at the 1/3-mile track near the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri, Gravel has one win and has never finished worse than second – with two teams, as well.

“It’s just a fun track,” said Gravel, of Watertown, CT. “I think it races really good. I’ve been there three times in total I think, and the track has been racy every time. They’ve got a good product there. It’s also an added benefit that it’s right down the road from Jason Johnson Racing.”

The JJR shop, in Rocky Mount, MO, is about 15 minutes away from the speedway and Gravel was able to give them a special hometown win in front of fans, family and sponsors in October for the Jason Johnson Classic.

He’ll look to repeat that win and sweep the weekend during the May 29-30 doubleheader at Lake Ozark to rebuild the momentum he and his team established after winning at Knoxville in May. They lost a bit of it at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 last weekend with a sixth-place finish the first night and a 17th-place finish the next.

The first night they found an issue in the motor, the next he had the misfortune of going out late on a slick track in qualifying and was unable to recover from it the rest of the night.

A return home for JJR is the perfect opportunity to regroup and rebound. A win for Gravel would also make him the first repeat winner at the track. So far, there have been five different winners in five race — Tim Shaffer, Craig Dollansky, Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet and David Gravel.

Qualifying is key to having a good run at the speedway, according to Gravel, and in the past year there’s been no one better at that than he and JJR. The duo collected 21 overall Quick Time awards in 2019 – one of them being at Lake Ozark in April – and already have two this year at Volusia Speedway Park.

His first start at Lake Ozark was in 2018 with CJB Motorsports and drove the #41 for JJR in the other two. While the teams’ setups don’t correlate, they’re in the same vicinity, he noted.

“I think as a driver if you’re really good at a track, historically you can bring an added benefit to that team,” Gravel said. “I think we just did our normal deal there and it worked out good. I think the CJB car and the JJR car are both good late in the Feature and if you can position yourself close to the front, you’re going to have good results.”

With the rust fully shaken off after the nearly two-month break, Gravel said he is primed and 100% committed to his Sprint Car racing. His NASCAR Truck racing plans are on hiatus at the moment with the series still developing its schedule and running races without practice, so his focus is solely on winning with the World of Outlaws.

His one win of the year, so far, at Knoxville was his 52nd career World of Outlaws win – tying him for 15th on the all-time wins list with reigning champion Brad Sweet. One thing he missed at Knoxville that he’d experience with a win at Lake Ozark is the cheer of fans back in the stands.

“It’s just not the same,” Gravel said about winning with no fans in the stands at Knoxville. “No one wants to race without fans as long as we don’t have to. Hopefully it will be the new normal in the coming weeks. People can enjoy it on DIRTVision and in person.”

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

PROSPECTIVE ENTRIES

WHEN & WHERE
Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30 at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, MO, on DIRTVision. Hot Laps at 6 p.m. (CT)/7 p.m. (ET) and racing at 7:30 p.m. (CT)/8:30 p.m. (ET). 

ABOUT THE TRACK
Lake Ozark Speedway is a semi-banked 1/3-mile track.
Track Record – 11.111 sec. set by Jason Sides on Oct. 19, 2019
Online – LakeOzarkSpeedway.net

1/3-MILE WINNERS IN 2020
There have been two races on a 1/3-mile track this year.
Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55: Brad Sweet won on May 22 and Kyle Larson won on May 23

LAKE OZARK SPEEDWAY PREVIOUS WINNERS
2019 – Brad Sweet on April 26, David Gravel on Oct. 19
2018 – Donny Schatz on May 4
2007 – Craig Dollansky on May 12
2005 – Tim Shaffer on May 6

ON THE INTERNET
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – Twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOSprint – @woosprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws
YouTube – YouTube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – Dirtvision.com – Get your Fast Pass to watch all races LIVE for only $39/month
Twitter – Twitter.com/DIRTVision – @DIRTVision
Facebook – Facebook.com/WatchDIRTVision

DRIVER INFO
Follow World of Outlaws full-time drivers on Twitter:
Bill Rose – @BillRose6_Rose
Brad Sweet – @BradSweet49
Carson Macedo – @carson_macedo
Daryn Pittman – @darynpittman
David Gravel – @DavidGravel
Donny Schatz – @donnyschatz
Jacob Allen – @JacobAllen1A
Jason Sides – @SidesMotorsport
Kraig Kinser – @KraigKinser11k
Logan Schuchart – @Lschuchart1s
Mason Daniel – @MasonDRacing
Sheldon Haudenschild – @Haudenschild_17
Wayne Johnson – @wjr77x

AROUND THE TURN: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series on Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6, will race at Beaver Dam Raceway, broadcasted live on DIRTVision. Tickets for the doubleheader can be purchased by clicking here.

2020 STATS
There have been six World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Feature events this season.

FEATURE WINNERS (5 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 2
– Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 1
– David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 1
– Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. – 1

DRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (15 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 3
– David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 3
– Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 3
2 – Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 2
– Cory Eliason, Visalia, Calif. – 2
– Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 2
3 – Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 1
– Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– Parker Price-Miller, Kokomo, Ind. – 1
– James McFadden, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia – 1
– Shane Stewart, Bixby, Okla. – 1
– Brian Brown, Grain Valley, Mo. – 1
– Jacob Allen, Hanover, Pa. – 1
– Shane Stewart, Bixby, Okla. – 1
– Brent Marks, Myerstown, Pa. – 1 

DIRTVISION FAST PASS DASH WINNERS (4 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 2
2 – Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 1
– Jacob Allen, Hanover, Pa. – 1
– Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (5 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 2
2 – Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pa. – 1
– Jacob Allen, Hanover, Pa. – 1
– Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. – 1
– Paul McMahan, Nashville, Tenn. – 1

C-MAIN WINNERS (3 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Trey Starks, Puyallup, Wash. – 1
– Cale Thomas, Fairland, Ind. – 1
– Anthony Macri, Dillsburg, Pa. – 1

D-MAIN WINNERS (1 driver)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Kyle Moody, Lewisberry, Pa. – 1

PODIUM FINISHES (9 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – # of podiums
1 – Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 5
2 – Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 4
3 – Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 2
– Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. – 2
4 – Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– James McFadden, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia – 1
– David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 1
– Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 1
– Brent Marks, Myerstown, Pa. – 1

HARD CHARGER AWARD (4 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C. Awards
1 – Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 3
2 – Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 1
– Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 1
– Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1

TOTAL LAPS LED (9 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps
1 – Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 50
2 – Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 45
3 – Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 32
4 – Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 21
5 – Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. – 18
6 – Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 9
– Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 9
– Jacob Allen, Hanover, Pa. – 9
7 – David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 2

QUALIFYING QUICK TIME (3 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
1 – David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 2
2 – Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 1
– Aaron Reutzel, Clute, Texas – 1
– Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. – 1
– Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 1

NEW TRACK RECORDS (1 driver)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – TR
1 – Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. (9.995 sec. at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55)

FASTEST IN PRACTICE (4 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – # of times fastest
1 – Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 2
2 – Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 1
– Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 1
– Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 1

2020 World of Outlaws Schedule & Winners
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Friday, Feb. 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1)
2. Saturday, Feb. 8 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brad Sweet (1)
3. Sunday, Feb. 9 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Logan Schuchart (1)
4. Friday, March 13 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / (Postponed)
5. Saturday, March 14 / LoneStar Speedway / Kilgore, TX / (Canceled)
6. Saturday, March 21 / USA Raceway / Tucson, AZ / (Canceled)
7. Sunday, March 22 / Arizona Speedway / San Tan Valley, AZ / (Canceled)
8. Saturday, March 28 / Perris Auto Speedway / Perris, CA / (Canceled)
9. Sunday, March 29 / Santa Maria Raceway / Nipomo, CA / (Postponed)
10. Friday April 3 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / (Postponed)
11. Saturday, April 4 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / (Postponed)
12. Friday, April 10 / Merced Speedway / Merced, CA / (Canceled)
13. Saturday, April 11 / Ocean Speedway / Watsonville, CA / (Canceled)
14. Friday, April 17 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA / (Canceled)
15. Saturday, April 18 / Stockotn Dirt Track / Stockton, CA / (Canceled)
16. Friday, April 24 / Vado Speedway Park / Vado, NM / (Canceled)
17. Saturday, April 25 / Vado Speedway Park / Vado, NM / (Canceled)
18. Friday, May 1 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK / (Postponed)
19. Saturday, May 2 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / (Postponed)
20. Wednesday, May 6 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / (Postponed)
21. Friday, May 8 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (1)
22. Friday, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / (Postponed)
23. Saturday, May 9 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / (Postponed)
24. Wednesday, May 13 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / (Postponed)
25. Friday, May 15 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / (Postponed)
26. Saturday, May 16 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / (Postponed)
27. Tuesday, May 19 / Bridgeport Speedway / Swedesboro, NJ / (Postponed)
28. Fri., May 22 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (2)
29. Sat., May 23 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Kyle Larson (1)
30. Saturday, May 23 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC / (Postponed)
31. Monday, May 25 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / (Postponed)