CONCORD, N.C. — On-track World of Outlaws World Finals action got underway on Wednesday with point leader David Gravel setting the pace on Sea Foam Qualifying Night.
Forty-five World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars ripped through a pair of Qualifying sessions to set heat race lineups for Thursday and Friday’s racing programs.
The first of two delivered no surprise atop the charts. If Gravel is feeling any pressure as he aims to secure his first championship with The Greatest Show on Dirt, he didn’t show it.
GRAVEL COMMITS TO WOO FOR 2025
The Watertown, Conn., native took the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 around The Dirt Track at Charlotte in 12.626 seconds. That time netted him his 11th Simpson Quick Time of 2024 and the 121st of his career. He’ll line up on the pole of Thursday’s opening NOS Energy Drink Heat Race.
Brian Brown and Sheldon Haudenschild snagged the second and third positions of Flight A.
“It’s always important here at Charlotte,” Gravel said. “Stout fields. You just don’t want to start the week off badly. If you can start on the front row both nights, it makes the week so much easier. It’s just a big part of the World of Outlaws format and the night. So far, so good.”
Logan Schuchart and the Shark Racing crew paced the second flight of Thursday’s qualifying session with a 12.782 with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Emerson Axsom right behind him.
A notable name in the top five of Flight B was Ricky Thornton Jr. as the Late Model ace drove Bernie Stuebgen’s ride to a 12.920, good enough for fifth quick.
Unfortunately for Gravel’s closest championship rival, Carson Macedo, he could only put together the 13th fastest time in Flight B. That’ll put him and the Jason Johnson Racing crew behind the eight ball for Thursday’s program.
It was déjà vu when Friday’s qualifying session rolled out. Gravel laid down a 12.983 to sweep the Simpson Quick Time Awards for the night. In doing so, he equaled Macedo for the most this season with a dozen, and they’ll end the year tied.
Gravel is set to start from the pole of heat one on Friday. A pair of Californians in Buddy Kofoid and Giovanni Scelzi timed in second and third quickest.
Macedo rebounded in a big way after his subpar first session by sitting atop the charts of Flight B in the second with a 13.144. He’ll lead the field to green in heat three on Friday.
Right behind Macedo, Justin Peck put down an impressive lap in his first night aboard the Rudeen Racing No. 26. The driver-team combo recently linked, and Peck’s 13.170 slotted him in second and on the pole of heat four.
Another new pairing in the form of Daison Pursley and Buch Motorsports claimed the third spot on the charts.
Thursday Qualifying Results
Qualifying A – Thursday Night (2 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel, 00:12.626[1]; 2. 21-Brian Brown, 00:12.741[7]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:12.757[20]; 4. 10-Ryan Timms, 00:12.774[17]; 5. 7S-Landon Crawley, 00:12.778[2]; 6. 23W-Justin Whittall, 00:12.827[3]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:12.838[8]; 8. 69K-Logan Wagner, 00:12.856[9]; 9. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:12.878[12]; 10. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:12.904[14]; 11. 13-Daison Pursley, 00:12.910[16]; 12. 23-Garet Williamson, 00:12.918[18]; 13. 1-Sammy Swindell, 00:12.925[11]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:12.948[10]; 15. 70-Kraig Kinser, 00:12.990[5]; 16. 6-Dylan Cisney, 00:13.010[15]; 17. 2KS-Cory Eliason, 00:13.023[23]; 18. 6X-Tim Shaffer, 00:13.099[19]; 19. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:13.115[4]; 20. 7NY-Matt Farnham, 00:13.197[21]; 21. 17GP-Hank Davis, 00:13.217[13]; 22. 97UK-Ryan Harrison, 00:13.421[22]; 23. 1B-Keith Baxter, 00:13.782[6]
Qualifying B – Thursday Night (2 Laps): 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:12.782[9]; 2. 83-Michael Kofoid, 00:12.836[12]; 3. 27-Emerson Axsom, 00:12.905[16]; 4. 55-CJ Leary, 00:12.919[3]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr, 00:12.920[6]; 6. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:12.929[4]; 7. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:12.962[18]; 8. 26-Justin Peck, 00:12.973[22]; 9. 14-Spencer Bayston, 00:12.982[17]; 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:12.997[20]; 11. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:13.029[13]; 12. 91-Kyle Reinhardt, 00:13.045[8]; 13. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:13.051[7]; 14. 77-Geoff Dodge, 00:13.106[1]; 15. G5-Gage Pulkrabek, 00:13.126[2]; 16. 99-Skylar Gee, 00:13.177[11]; 17. 7N-Darin Naida, 00:13.226[15]; 18. 6K-Kaleb Johnson, 00:13.272[19]; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 00:13.289[10]; 20. 0-Glenn Styres, 00:13.509[5]; 21. 5K-Adam Kekich, 00:13.521[21]; 22. 9-Kasey Kahne, 01:00.000[14]
Friday Qualifying Results
Qualifying A – Friday Night (2 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel, 00:12.983[4]; 2. 83-Michael Kofoid, 00:13.132[1]; 3. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:13.133[12]; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:13.150[17]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:13.166[23]; 6. 23-Garet Williamson, 00:13.166[21]; 7. 21-Brian Brown, 00:13.187[6]; 8. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:13.212[20]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:13.228[13]; 10. 14-Spencer Bayston, 00:13.247[2]; 11. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.284[10]; 12. 23W-Justin Whittall, 00:13.293[15]; 13. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:13.304[19]; 14. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:13.322[14]; 15. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr, 00:13.343[5]; 16. 2KS-Cory Eliason, 00:13.354[16]; 17. 77-Geoff Dodge, 00:13.435[7]; 18. 17GP-Hank Davis, 00:13.442[8]; 19. 6-Dylan Cisney, 00:13.458[9]; 20. 1-Sammy Swindell, 00:13.604[18]; 21. 6X-Tim Shaffer, 00:13.656[3]; 22. 7NY-Matt Farnham, 00:13.819[22]; 23. 5K-Adam Kekich, 00:13.940[11]
Qualifying B – Friday Night (2 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:13.144[11]; 2. 26-Justin Peck, 00:13.170[4]; 3. 13-Daison Pursley, 00:13.197[15]; 4. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:13.217[19]; 5. 7S-Landon Crawley, 00:13.220[9]; 6. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:13.248[14]; 7. 91-Kyle Reinhardt, 00:13.272[22]; 8. 69K-Logan Wagner, 00:13.288[5]; 9. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:13.290[8]; 10. 7N-Darin Naida, 00:13.348[7]; 11. W20-Greg Wilson, 00:13.376[13]; 12. 99-Skylar Gee, 00:13.391[10]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:13.411[3]; 14. 10-Ryan Timms, 00:13.482[21]; 15. 70-Kraig Kinser, 00:13.484[12]; 16. 55-CJ Leary, 00:13.490[6]; 17. G5-Gage Pulkrabek, 00:13.494[2]; 18. 6K-Kaleb Johnson, 00:13.597[17]; 19. 27-Emerson Axsom, 00:13.669[20]; 20. 97UK-Ryan Harrison, 00:13.733[1]; 21. 0-Glenn Styres, 00:14.003[16]; 22. 1B-Keith Baxter, 00:14.289[18]