Silver Dollars for David Gravel - winner of the 25th Anniversary Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup
Sarver, PA (July 19, 2016) On a beautiful summer night in Sarver, PA, David Gravel was fast right out of the box Tuesday Night at Lernerville Speedway setting fast time for the night in his qualifying flight and then finished second in his heat to Daryn Pittman. An invert of six put Gravel on the pole for the dash and he stayed at the point the rest of the night; save for one lap in the 40-lap A-Main.
After dominating the six-lap dash, Gravel started on the pole and led the first 31 laps, but Donny Schatz meticulously reeled in Gravel as the leaders made their way through lapped traffic and drove underneath him into the lead on lap 31. But on lap 32, Schatz bobbled on the cushion as he approached a lapped car and Gravel took advantage by diving low exiting turn four and back into the lead. One last restart, (with five laps to go), stood between Gravel and a $25,000 payday as Silver Cup Champion. Schatz took one last shot at the lead following the restart, but Gravel held strong and took the checkered flag to score his second World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series A-Main in the last four races; he won the Jokers Wild A-Main last Thursday night during King’s Royal weekend at Eldora Speedway.
Coming off a $50,000 payday last weekend at the King’s Royal, Schatz was never able to get back around Gravel after jumping the cushion in turn four on lap 32 and settled for a strong, but disappointing second place finish.
Dale Blaney also scored a bittersweet podium finish; having won the Silver Cup for the first time last summer and then starting on the front row with Gravel in tonight’s 40-lap Silver Cup A-Main. Blaney ran second early in the A-Main, but got shuffled back to fourth midrace before rallying to a solid third place finish. Kraig Kinser and Joey Saldana rounded out the top five.
Brad Sweet was en route to a podium finish, but slid off the back straightaway with five laps to go; surrendering third place in the process. Sweet requested a tow to the infield work zone, but did not rejoin the race. What could have been a podium finish for Sweet, ended up as a 24th place finish in the final rundown.
Former Lernerville Track Champion and two-time Silver Cup Champion Tim Shaffer came home sixth ahead of Shane Stewart, Chad Kemenah, Sheldon Haudenschild and PA Posse star Greg Hodnett.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will set their sights east across the PA Turnpike for this weekend’s Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA.
7.19.2016
Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup XXV pres. by Classic Ink A-Main (40 Laps)
1. (5) David Gravel, Watertown, CT
2. (15) Donny Schatz, Minot ND
3. (1B) Dale Blaney, Fowler, OH
4. (11K) Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN
5. (83) Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN
6. (49X) Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa
7. (2) Shane Stewart, Bixby, OK
8. (10H) Chad Kemenah, Alveda, OH
9. (93) Sheldon Haudenshild, Wooster, OH
10. (27) Greg Hodnett, Spring Grove
11. (9) Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK
12. (1S) Logan Schuchart, Hanover
13. (18) Ian Madsen, St. Marys, NSW, AUS
14. (71) Jamie Veal, Warrnambool, Victoria, AUS
15. (22) Cole Duncan, Lockbourne, OH
16. (4) James McFadden, Alice Springs, NT
17. (17W) Bryan Clauson, Sacramento, CA
18. (29) Kerry Madsen, St. Marys, NSW, AUS
19. (33) Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO
20. (1Z) Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg
21. (2AJ) A.J. Flick, Apollo
22. (7) Paul McMahan, Elk Grove, CA
23. (41) Jason Johnson, Eunice, LA
24. (49) Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA
25. (10) Carl Bowser, Sarver
26. (59) Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH
Fast Qualifier: David Gravel – 13.176 seconds
Heat Race Winners: D.Schatz, D.Blaney, D.Pittman, K.Madsen
Last Chance Showdown Winner: Logan Schuhart
C-Main Winner: Jared Zimbardi
Dash Winner: David Gravel
Car Count Total: 48
Contact: Lernerville Speedway
Eric J. Westendorf, Public Relations Director
(724) 664-1075 / ewestendorf@tsmlernerville.com
Photos Courtesy of Cory Stivason/Stivason Photos
