Gravel Sweeps Night For First Round Of Williams Grove National Open Action

Danny Dietrich Is The 2019 Track Champion

Mechanicsburg – David Gravel scored a clean sweep of Friday night’s Williams Grove Speedway National Open racing action by setting quick time, scoring his heat race and then leading flag to flag to pick up the $10,000 win in the World of Outlaws sprint car feature event.

The win was the second of the year at the track for Gravel.

Gravel and Cory Eliason started on the front row of the 25-lap main event and Gravel took command at the drop of the green while Eliason made a few mistakes in the early going by jumping the fourth and first turn cushions, causing himself to fall backwards.

Third starter Donny Schatz got by Eliason for second when he first hopped up over in turn four on the second lap.

The first of two caution flags unfurled moments later when Kerry Madsen slowed with failed brakes.

Gravel out-gunned Schatz on the restart while sixth starter Lance Dewease took advantage of another slip by Eliason in the first turn and motored into the third spot.

Gravel’s pace was slowed for the final time with five laps recorded, this time for oil on the racetrack.

Dewease ran Schatz up to the wall in the fourth turn as the pair headed for the completion of lap six but Schatz maintained the second spot while Gravel jetted away.

After losing a little ground after his move failed, Dewease was back for another try, this time completing the pass in the fourth corner only to see Schatz drop off of the cushion and reclaim the spot at the line.

The front trio then settled in as the laps began clicking off with Gravel entering the rear of the field just as Dewease began mounting more pressure on the 18th lap.

With Schatz now trying the low side through the third and fourth turns, Dewease went to the middle groove and drew to Schatz's outside in the turns to no avail.

But then when Schatz went high through the turns again with three laps to go, Dewease seized on the moment and drove off of the bottom to take over the position.

But by then, Gravel had amassed a more than comfortable margin that didn’t allow Dewease to get close although he did cut down the advantage by the finish.

Gravel took the win by 2.377 seconds.

Dewease, Schatz, last year’s Friday winner Giovanni Scelzi and Aaron Reutzel followed Gravel to the finish line.

Sixth through 10th went to Danny Dietrich, Brian Brown, Daryn Pittman, Matt Campbell and Brad Sweet.

Dietrich locked up the 2019 track title with his run in the main event.

It is the first Williams Grove track championship for the Gettysburg driver and his car owner, Gary Kauffman.

Heats for the 53-car field went to Gravel, Pittman, Brown, Dewease, Reutzel and Scelzi.

Twin dashes went to Gravel and Eliason.

Trey Starks scored the D Main, Dylan Cisney won the C Main and Tim Shaffer took the B Main.

Gravel set fast time with a lap of 16.206 seconds, shy of the pre-weight rule lap record of 16.140.

Williams Grove Speedway will close its season on Saturday night with the running of the 57th annual, $65,000 to win, 40-lap National Open, at 7 pm.

Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval’s official website located at www.williamsgrove.com or by following the click on Twitter and Facebook.


Feature Finishes

410 sprints, 25 laps: 1. David Gravel, 2. Lance Dewease, 3. Donny Schatz, 4. Giovanni Scelzi, 5. Aaron Reutzel, 6. Danny Dietrich, 7. Brian Brown, 8. Daryn Pittman, 9. Matt Campbell, 10. Brad Sweet, 11. Ryan Smith, 12. Cory Eliason, 13. Logan Schuchart, 14. Brian Montieth, 15. Ian Madsen, 16. Freddie Rahmer, 17. TJ Stutts, 18. Chad Trout, 19. Carson Macedo, 20. Bill Balog, 21. Brent Marks, 22. Shane Stewart, 23. Sheldon Haudenschild, 24. Jacob Allen, 25. Kraig Kinser, 26. Tim Shaffer, 27. Cory Haas, 28. Jeff Halligan, 29. Landon Myers, 30. Kerry Madsen

DNQ: Troy Fraker, Brett Michalski, Chase Dietz, Barry Shearer, Brad Howard, Kyle Moody, Nicole Bower, Steve Buckwalter, Mason Daniel, Trey Starks, Brock Zearfoss, Lucas Wolfe, Justin Whittal, Wayne Johnson, Tim WAgaman, JAred Esh, Paul McMahan, Dylan Cisney, Logan WAgner, Robbie Kendall, Alan Krimes, Jason Sides, Anthony Macri



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