By DDR Motorsports PR
WATERTOWN, Conn. | Oct. 31, 2013— The number of tracks that David Gravel has visited for the first time this year continues to grow. He’ll add another venue to the list this weekend as he competes at Southern New Mexico Speedway, while he’ll also return to a track that he made his debut at in the spring and had a very strong performance at, with that being El Paso Speedway Park in Texas. Both events are part of the National Tour for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) presented by MAVTV American Real.
The weekend opens for Gravel aboard the Buffalo Wild Wings machine for Blazin Racing at El Paso Speedway Park on for Friday, Nov. 1. He’ll wrap up the pair of events on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces.
Gravel finished fourth in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series inaugural event at El Paso Speedway Park back in April. He opened the night by setting fast time at the three-eighths-mile to earn his first quick time award of the year. Gravel finished powered his way from the fourth starting spot to finish second in the first heat race, which put him in the dash, where he came home fourth. He would both start and finish fourth in the 30-lap main event.
“I know the surface at El Paso (Speedway Park) from racing there earlier this year, but it will be a bit different than when we were there in the spring, so we’ll treat it like a new track,” said Gravel. “I feel pretty good going into the weekend, knowing we were fast at Little Rock (I-30 Speedway) the first time out in the (No.) 82 car.”
Southern New Mexico Speedway in a high-banked 5/16th-mile. That will mark the first track that size that the native of Watertown, Conn., has raced on this season. Gravel has made a number of starts on smaller tracks this season, with runner-up finishes at Tri-State (Ind.) Speedway with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series and Thunderbowl (Calif.) Raceway during the Trophy Cup, the best of the lot.
“I’ve had the benefit of going to quite a few new tracks this year and have been able to adapt to most of them pretty quick,” he shared. “That’s something we’ll look for again this weekend. I got to race in Arizona, earlier this year and now to add New Mexico, to the list will be pretty cool. I learn every time I go to a place for the first time and having that knowledge definitely comes in handy.”
Gravel has made three ASCS starts this season, with all of those coming last weekend at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., during the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals. He finished sixth on the second preliminary night of that blockbuster event.
“The biggest adjustment racing in ASCS events is the format, since everything is based on passing points,” explained the East Coast driver. “You have to be really aggressive in the heat races and hope you have enough passing points to be in the main event. It’s tough and you have to race hard every lap and get every spot that you can.”
The 21-year-old is the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series this season. He has picked up a pair of wins with the series, including on the opening night of the Knoxville Nationals at the legendary Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. Gravel also made a trip to the winner’s circle at I-94 Speedway in Minnesota, in the spring.
“We’re looking to get a couple of solid finishes this weekend,” said Gravel. “We were fast last weekend and just had some bad luck, so hopefully we can make up for that. There will be a good field of cars again and we’ll just have to keep with the track each night and adapt accordingly.”
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