KNOXVILLE, Iowa — For the second time in his career, David Gravel topped the Fatheadz Eyewear Capitani Classic Presented by Great Southern Bank Sunday night at Knoxville Raceway.
The Connecticut native earned $8,000 aboard the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 in the last test before next week’s Knoxville Nationals. Gravel last won the Capitani Classic in 2019 and followed that up with a win at the “Granddaddy of them all” the following week.
Before a lap could be completed in the 25-lap main event, Hunter Schuerenberg slowed with ignition issues. Once green, Cory Eliason led the field ahead of Donny Schatz, Gravel, Justin Henderson and Sheldon Haudenschild.
Schatz reeled in the leader and briefly challenged Eliason for the lead on lap eight, but soon Gravel was in pursuit of the runner-up spot and took that from Schatz as traffic entered the picture on lap 12.
As the lapped car of Kasey Kahne emerged, Eliason chose the cushion, while Gravel chose the low side. The split of Kahne resulted in Gravel taking the lead to complete lap 13.
Behind the leaders, Schatz and Henderson were in pursuit, with Haudenschild taking the fourth spot with just five laps to go. The race changed greatly back in the pack when Carson Macedo did a 360 spin while running eighth with four laps to go.
Gravel led Eliason, Schatz, Haudenschild and Henderson back to green. Kerry Madsen was a big mover, gaining fifth on the restart, and taking fourth from Haudenschild on the white-flag lap.
Gravel was never headed in the bottom groove and earned his ninth career win here. Eliason, Schatz, Madsen and Haudenschild trailed.
Brian Brown, Davey Heskin, Henderson, James McFadden and Macedo rounded out the top 10.
Eliason and Schatz set quick time in their respective groups, and Heskin, Roger Crockett, Brad Sweet, Brown, McFadden and Gio Scelzi won heat races. Spencer Bayston and Parker Price-Miller won B mains.
Eliason was paid $2,000 for topping the T-Mobile Pole Shuffle, a series of seven two-car two-lap match races.
“We felt good here,” said Gravel. “I feel like I’m pretty good around the bottom, and that was the best groove tonight. I kind of screwed up in that Pole Shuffle, but I knew if I started up front, I was going to have a chance. It felt good passing Donny, and Cory was really fast. Once I was able to get by (lapped car) Paul McMahan there, and kind of get some clear track. I just thought the bottom was the dominant place, and I felt if I went high, I was leaving the door open for someone else.”
The finish:
Feature (25 laps): 1. David Gravel (5); 2. Cory Eliason (1); 3. Donny Schatz (2); 4. Kerry Madsen (8); 5. Sheldon Haudenschild (4); 6. Brian Brown (7); 7. Davey Heskin (9); 8. Justin Henderson (3); 9. James McFadden (10); 10. Carson Macedo (16); 11. Brad Sweet (13); 12. Justin Peck (18); 13. Shane Stewart (23); 14. Spencer Bayston (19); 15. Brent Marks (24); 16. Shane Golobic (15); 17. Tyler Courtney (17); 18. Roger Crockett (11); 19. Parker Price-Miller (20); 20. Kasey Kahne (21); 21. Paul McMahan (22); 22. Josh Baughman (14); 23. Gio Scelzi (6); 24. Hunter Schuerenberg (12). Lap Leaders: Eliason 1-12, Gravel 13-25. Hard-charger: Stewart.