HANFORD, Calif. — Nothing was going to stop David Gravel from jumping out of his car.
Out of breath with a wide grin on his face, he high-fived and hugged his crew members and became bathed in confetti while standing on the back of his car and pointing toward the sky.
Not only was he celebrating his first win of the season at Keller Auto Speedway, his 40th World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series victory and his first win with Jason Johnson Racing, he honored the man whose car he drives.
Gravel’s triumph was the first WoO victory for the team since the death of co-owner and driver Jason Johnson last June.
“It’s definitely special,” said Gravel, almost lost for words.
The start of his night did not signal a potential victory, with the luck of the draw sending him out last for qualifying. He managed a 15th-place qualifying effort on a track several drivers called “tricky” due to its slick condition.
It didn’t take long for Gravel to figure out the trick, winning his heat race.
“It really set us up for the rest of the night,” Gravel said. “I knew the bottom was going to be a factor.”
Gravel’s crew chief, Philip Dietz, said Gravel called his shot before the feature. He was going to stick to the bottom until he figured it out. And he did.
Starting from the pole, Sheldon Haudenschild shot to the early lead, riding the high side of the slick track. While he led, drivers behind him were rarely in the same lane or position lap after lap. They tried high. They tried low. Wherever there was grip, they made sure to use up every inch of it.
Closing in on halfway through the 35-lap feature, the bottom proved to be the preferred line. Shane Stewart, who faced heartbreak last race at the Stockton Dirt Track after blowing a tire while leading with five laps to go, looked to have his sight set on redemption, reeling in the Haudenschild.
Stewart took the lead on lap 20, but his hope for redemption was short lived as Gravel had been working the bottom of the track to perfection and was not far behind. He took the lead from Stewart — driving for Gravel’s former team, CJB Motorsports — two laps later.
“Honestly, I just didn’t have the patients to run the bottom in turns one and two,” said Stewart, who ended up third. “Driver instincts, you just don’t know what to do at times. Once David went by me, I tried to run the bottom again, and missed it a couple of times. I thought I should get back up to the top and then (Daryn) Pittman got me.”
Pittman, who extended his points lead over second-place Donny Schatz to 12 points by finishing second, was still all smiles after his third runner-up finish of the year.
“I would have never guessed from the beginning of that race that we would be just putting around the bottom,” Pittman said. “We were not set up for that at all. I honestly thought the top would stay dominate. It never crossed my mind that we would be running the bottom.”
Stewart finished third with Haudenschild and Brad Sweet completing the top five.
To see full results, turn to the next page.