David Gravel started off his Knoxville Nationals week by taking the Capitani Classic on Sunday.
He continued the winning ways during Night 1 of the event, passing Justin Henderson late in the race to earn a feature victory on Wednesday.
“I knew the race was coming to an end there,” Gravel said of his pass to get by Henderson. “He slid that lapped car and I felt like there was an opening there. If he had clean air, he would have won that race, but that’s why we do this.”
Gravel captured the win on the evening, but Gio Scelzi will leave as the top man in points.
After the night ended, Scelzi finished 10 points in front of Donny Schatz and 12 in front of Gravel – that’s essentially six spots on track between the feature and qualifying.
Scelzi has a very realistic, and likely, shot to be starting on the front row of the 60th Knoxville Nationals on Saturday night.
That’s a couple of years removed from becoming the youngest starter in Nationals history.
“I feel like I’m 10 times the racer (that I was then) now,” Scelzi said. “Back then I thought making the show was an accomplishment. Now, hopefully making the podium or winning it (is the goal).”
Schatz rounded out the podium and finished out the night second in points – a spot that wasn’t suspected of the No. 15 after the season the Tony Stewart Racing team has had.
“Getting qualified out second tonight was pretty rewarding,” Schatz said. “The heat race is always harder on Wednesday night than it is on Thursday with the track widening out. We’re in a lot better spot than we’ve been in the last 12 months. Hopefully we can be racing for a win.”
It’s hard to put a measurement on the night for each driver that hasn’t won the event 10 times in their career, but Logan Schuchart snuck up into the top 5 in the night’s points after a charge to the front that mirrored his 2019 Nationals.
Schuchart came from the B-Main and raced his way to P7 in the 25-lap main event on Wednesday. In 2019, he did the same thing, ending up in the runner-up spot in 50 laps when it all evened out.
He talked to us in the infield about it, and will have clinched his best starting spot in the race
Logan Schuchart (@LSchuchart1s) talks going from the B Main to P7.
He did the same during the 2019 Nationals, making it to 2nd in 50 laps. He's guaranteed his best career Nationals starting spot. pic.twitter.com/AFAPZDEWTo
— Always Race Day (@AlwaysRaceDay) August 12, 2021
The action continues on Thursday, with a separate 49-car field set to take the grid at Knoxville in hopes of one-upping the top points getters from tonight’s race.
As always, the action kicks off at 6:45 p.m. with hot laps and can be seen live through the DirtVision broadcast.
Knoxville Nationals Night 1 Results
1. David Gravel
2. Gio Scelzi
3. Donny Schatz
4. Justin Henderson
5. Justin Peck
6. Sheldon Haudenschild
7. Logan Schuchart
8. James McFadden
9. Cory Eliason
10. Spencer Bayston
11. Josh Baughman
12. Brooke Tatnell
13. Ayrton Gennetten
14. Davey Heskin
15. Clint Garner
16. Danny Dietrich
17. Josh Schneiderman
18. Jason Sides
19. Skylar Gee
20. Jake Bubak
21. Kyle Reinhardt
22. Don Droud Jr.
23. Zeb Wise
24. Riley Goodno
Knoxville Nationals Points Standings
After Night 1
1. Gio Scelzi 487
2. Donny Schatz 477
3. David Gravel 475
4. Logan Schuchart 472
5. Brooke Tatnell 460
6. James McFadden 459
7. Justin Henderson 458
8. Justin Peck 458
9. Danny Dietrich 449
10. Josh Baughman 447
11. Spencer Bayston 435
12. Cory Eliason 433
13. Sheldon Haudenschild 428
14. Don Droud Jr. 426
15. Roger Crockett 422
16. Ayrton Gennetten 418
17. Clint Garner 414
18. Zeb Wise 409
19. Josh Schneiderman 408
20. Davey Heskin 405
21. Kyle Reinhardt 398
22. Skylar Gee 394
23. Wayne Johnson 394
24. Jason Sides 393
25. Anthony Macri 392
26. McKenna Haase 387
27. Jake Bubak 386
28. Terry McCarl 386
29. Riley Goodno 382
30. Tim Shaffer 379
31. Lucas Wolfe 379
32. Tanner Carrick 374
33. Scott Bogucki 370
34. Carson McCarl 365
35. AJ Moeller 364
36. Mark Dobmeier 359
37. Chad Kemenah 359
38. Austin Miller 323
39. Ryan Roberts 320
40. Tasker Phillips 315
41. Robbie Kendall 315
42. Jordan Goldsberry 310
43. Derek Hagar 303
44. John Carney II 298
45. Matt Moro 284
46. Tori Knutson 281
47. Ryan Giles 270
48. Joe Simbro 267
49. Hunter Schuerenberg 261
