Column: WoO Sprint Point Leader David Gravel Reflects On Reaching Two Massive Milestones

Column By: ALEX NIETEN / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – PEVELY, MO – Confetti blasted and towers of flames rose up behind David Gravel as he climbed all the way atop his wing in front of a massive Eldora Speedway crowd.

A few minutes later Royal Sovereign Jason Sides crowned him to forever cement his status as King David XLI. In his 16th try, Gravel had finally become a Kings Royal champion.

Wearing the crown made him only the sixth driver to win the trio of the Knoxville Nationals, Kings Royal, and National Open, joining the legendary list of Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Doug Wolfgang, Mark Kinser, and Donny Schatz.

But he wasn’t done there.

Only seven days later Gravel lined up fourth at Williams Grove Speedway and made a spirited drive to top the C&D Rigging Summer Nationals, securing his 100th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victory. He became the eighth to join the triple-digit club alongside Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Donny Schatz, Mark Kinser, Doug Wolfgang, Danny Lasoski, and Joey Saldana.

Two exclusive clubs joined one week apart. The celebration from the Kings Royal had barely concluded for the 100-win began. Nearly every Sprint Car driver would love to have the chance to check either accomplishment off the list, let alone nab both in a seven-day span.

“It was just a dream week,” Gravel said. “Finally checking off the Kings Royal. I had some good runs and opportunities just never was able to capitalize and get the job done. Very rewarding to win that race. How we won it. Who we won it against. It was a great race.

“From there getting the 100th, when the season started, I knew it was possible to get to 100. But it’s not easy to win over 10 World of Outlaws races in a season. So, you just don’t know how that’s going to go. Luckily, it’s been going really, really well.”

Both victories were by no means easy. One of the best to ever wheel a Sprint Car and someone who already reached both achievements Gravel was after, Donny Schatz, made him earn it.

The 10-time Series champion drove from 20th in the Kings Royal and took the lead from Gravel with less than 10 laps remaining. But Gravel got his elbows up, went straight to the cushion, and ripped back around Schatz to claim the crown.

Then at Williams Grove Schatz started ahead of Gravel. He wheeled the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 around Schatz early, but the Fargo, ND native got back around him. Gravel then reclaimed the lead on Lap 18 and had to hold off Schatz in the closing laps.

“Battling it out, each of us leading laps, he’s a guy that’s really good in long races taking care of his stuff,” Gravel said of his duels with Schatz. “I feel like I’m good as well at taking care of my stuff. Sometimes you’ve got to be creative in how you win these races. I’ve won a couple of these races kind of uncharacteristically and just had to get out of my comfort zone and get the job done.”

The Williams Grove win had an additional layer of significance. It was a fitting place for Gravel to reach triple digits. As a native of Connecticut, Gravel isn’t a Pennsylvania Posse member, but he did spend plenty of his youth in PA. “The Grove” is also where his Sprint Car career began.

“Williams Grove was the first place I ever stepped foot in a Sprint Car,” Gravel said. “It’s been a place that I went to quite a bit early in my career with the All-Stars and would run the National Open and stuff like that. We probably went to Williams Grove six, seven, eight times a year. I ran Linda’s (Speedway) on Friday’s racing Micros when I was in high school. Yeah, I’ve just been to PA a lot in my life, and it was kind of the closest state that had a lot of Sprint Car Racing.”

It’s been an amazing season so far for Gravel and the Big Game Motorsports crew with 13 World of Outlaws wins already, but they’ve got no intentions of slowing down. More crown jewels and big paydays await, and they roll into every track as one of the clear favorites.

The Ironman 55 ($25K-to-win) is this week. The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s ($190K-to-win) the week after that. Down the road a little farther is the Weis Markets National Open presented by Sage Fruit ($75K-to-win). Could Gravel join Doug Wolfgang and Donny Schatz as the third driver to claim the triple crown (Kings Royal, Knoxville Nationals, National Open) in one season? He’s shown no reason to doubt him in 2024.

And of course, he’ll look to punctuate a dream season with his first World of Outlaws title in November at World Finals.

“It’s just been a really good year,” Gravel said. “We’re firing on all cylinders. Things are going our way, and we’re taking advantage of it most of the time. When we’re in position to win, I feel like we haven’t really let many slip away.”

Gravel and the rest of the World of Outlaws head to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 this weekend (August 2-3) for the Ironman 55.