FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY
MAY 19, 2017
DAVID GRAVEL WINS WORLD OF OUTLAWS MORGAN CUP WEEKEND OPENER FRIDAY
NIGHT AT WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY
MECHANICSBURG, PA – David Gravel held off Donny Schatz over the final
laps to win the Morgan Cup weekend opener Friday night at Williams Grove
Speedway in a 25-lap main event sanctioned by the World of Outlaws
Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
His seventh series win of the season, and second straight in
Pennsylvania after winning Wednesday at Lincoln, was worth $8,000.
“I’m with a great team with great crew guys,” said Gravel, of
Watertown, Conn. “We just keep getting better and better. I got lucky
with the dash draw again. When it goes your way; it goes your way. I
guess it’s our time right now. The last restart, I didn’t feel that
great, and I screwed up on the last corner on the last lap and I’m sure
(Schatz) got pretty close. I had just enough to hold on.”
After winning the dash, Gravel started on the pole and grabbed the race
lead over Brad Sweet as Greg Hodnett and Daryn Pittman raced hard for
third with Hodnett getting the spot. Schatz started fifth and passed
Pittman as well and then swapped third with Hodnett on lap two.
The caution flag flew with three laps completed for a third turn
incident involving Lucas Wolfe and Joey Saldana.
Gravel extended his lead to about half a straightaway with 10 laps
completed. He led by 1.3 seconds with 13 laps completed as he reached
slower traffic.
This allowed Sweet to close as Gravel began to try the bottom groove to
lap cars. Schatz drove by Hodnett and into third with seven laps to go
and closed on the leaders.
They were having trouble passing the lapped cars and Schatz took
advantage moving by Sweet and into second with four to go.
Jason Sides, who was lapped and in the middle of the leaders, ended up
into the inside backstretch fence with four laps to go bringing out the
caution flag. A single-file restart ensued.
Rahmer would drive by Sweet and into third on the restart as Schatz
stayed right with Gravel. The caution flew again with three laps to go.
Gravel controlled the restart, but Schatz stayed within striking
distance trying to make the bottom groove work as did Rahmer over the
final laps. Gravel stayed on the cushion and had a miscue in turn four
as Schatz closed even more finishing 0.380 behind Gravel. Rahmer
finished a close third.
“You have to qualify good here,” said Gravel. “It’s huge. We did that
tonight and keep putting ourselves in good positions.”
“You’re not going to get him in open race track,” said Schatz. “We had
to stay in traffic. That’s the way it goes some days. I had a great car.
You have to make things happen off the cushion.”
“It means a lot to be able to race with these guys,” said Rahmer. “We
put the whole night together. I’m pretty happy with this. We run our car
to get faster at the end of the race. I needed to maintain early so I
could get good at the end. I was really good in one and two. I just need
to work on three and four for tomorrow night. “
Sweet and Hodnett completed the top five.
Pittman, Brian Montieth, Lance Dewease, Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent
Marks rounded out the top 10.
Saldana set overall fast time with a lap of 16.639 in the second
qualifying flight. Grove point leader Rahmer set fast time in the first
flight of qualifying with a lap of 16.818. A total of 41 cars were in
the pits.
Rahmer, Schatz, Saldana and Pittman won the eight-lap heat races. Greg
Wilson won the C-main, Gravel won the dash and Trey Starks won the Last
Chance Showdown.
The Morgan Cup concludes Saturday night with the Morgan Cup and $17,000
going to the winner and the Morgan Cup trophy either staying at Williams
Grove or Outlaws headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.
Sprint Car Feature (25 laps): 1. David Gravel. 2. Donny Schatz. 3.
Freddie Rahmer 4. Brad Sweet. 5. Greg Hodnett. 6. Daryn Pittman. 7.
Brian Montieth. 8. Lance Dewease. 9. Sheldon Haudenschild. 10. Brent
Marks. 11. Logan Schuchart 12. Kraig Kinser. 13. Shane Stewart. 14.
Jason Johnson. 15. Paul McMahan. 16. Dale Blaney. 17. Steve Buckwalter.
18. TJ Stutts. 19. Danny Dietrich .20. Trey Starks. 21. Jason Sides. 22.
Lucas Wolfe. 23. Dave Blaney. 24. Joey Saldana.
Did Not Qualify: Tim Shaffer, Cory Haas, Brandon Rahmer, Ryan Taylor,
Matt Campbell, Doug Esh, Brock Zearfoss, Jacob Allen, Greg Wilson,
Anthony Macri, Rodney Westhafer, Frankie Herr, Daryl Stimeling, Troy
Fraker, Clyde Knipp, Alan Krimes, Aaron Ott.