Gravel Over Brown In Cappy Classic Thriller

Last year Brad Sweet used the Sunday night Bell Helmets Capitani Classic to serve notice that he was poised to challenge for the Knoxville Nationals Championship in the week ahead, a race that he then won six nights later. Did David Gravel do the same thing last night? Using an unusual move here at Knoxville, Gravel swept around Brian Brown with five laps remaining, the final lead change in a back and forth battle resulting in a win for the World of Outlaws regular from Connecticut in the race that honors the late legendary promoter Ralph Capitani.

Brown would start from the pole position in the twenty-five lap headliner with Gravel, behind the wheel of the Jason Johnson Motorsports #41, right behind him in third and they would immediately set a quick pace as the lead duo. A near disaster for Brock Zearfoss and Brad Sweet on lap four would allow Brown and Gravel to get away even further from the rest of the field. Racing for third Sweet threw a big slider into turn one and as he came up the track in turn two Zearfoss did not yield on the cushion. Contact would send both drivers scrambling to maintain control and those behind them to hesitate as well with Gio Scelzi the prime benefactor moving from fifth to third.

Back and forth for the lead - Barry Johnson photo

The race for the lead was heating up as Gravel took the lead on lap eight just before Kerry Madsen got into the fence coming down the front stretch ending up sideways in front of oncoming traffic. Tim Shaffer barely clipped the front of Madsen's car with his right rear tire and he would spin to a halt as well with both drivers returning to the race after a visit to the work area.



On the restart Brown came charging back taking the lead on lap ten only to have Gravel return the favor on lap twelve as they thrilled the crowd changing lanes and swapping the point. To add to the intrigue Scelzi was lurking in third, close enough to pounce on a mistake, but not able to mount a challenge of his own.

Brown would return to the lead on lap fifteen now firmly committed to the bottom so on lap twenty Gravel made the winning pass in a manner that you don't often see here at Knoxville. Entering turn one just one car width higher than the berm hugging Brown, Gravel would drive right around the leader at the apex of the corner and rocket away from Brown down the back stretch. It was reminiscent of an old fashioned slingshot move in the draft from Daytona or Talladega and when Scelzi also sailed past Brown on the cushion it looked like Gravel's pass had also momentarily stalled the momentum for Brown.

David Gravel sweeps around Brian Brown for the lead - Barry Johnson photo

Now it was Gravel leading down low and Scelzi chasing up high and with lapped traffic ahead in that lower groove it looked like Gio had a chance. After lap twenty-three was scored though, Scelzi jumped the cushion in one and two allowing Gravel to close out the win in style and for Brown to return to second at the checkers. Scelzi would join the two warriors on the podium in third with Sweet in fourth and the ninth starting Daryn Pittman in fifth.

Keep your eye on Tim Kaeding this week as the California native drove a team car to Jason Sides from twelfth to win the first B-Main in just twelve laps and then came from twentieth to finish sixth in the feature. Ian Madsen was seventh, reigning 360 Nationals Champion James McFadden was eighth, Sheldon Haudenschild charged  from eighteenth to ninth and Aaron Reutzel moved from nineteenth to tenth, but that finish would have been even better for the Texas driver had he not jumped the cushion in turn four late in the race giving back a couple of positions.

Victory lane left to right Brian Brown, David Gravel, Jaxx Johnson, Gio Scelzi and Hall of Fame Starter Doug Clark - Barry Johnson photo

The event drew 77 entries and was completed in a timely fashion as we were on the road home by 10:20. If you are wondering why there was not a story here in the Back Stretch from McFadden's win in the 360 Nationals on Saturday night, I skipped that night of racing to attend a retirement party for my good friend Kurt Moon. The man that I have always considered to be my "Sprint Car Guru", I traveled to the Nationals for many, many years with him until he took on greater responsibilities not only in his extremely well run business, the Brown's Shoe Fit store in Mount Pleasant, but also as the head golf coach at Iowa Wesleyan University and his most cherished role as grandfather to two wonderful kids. It was an easy decision for me to make as there will be another 360 Nationals Saturday night in 2020 and years beyond, but there will never be another night where friends, family and former employees would come from near and far to tell stories about how much this man has meant to us all.

Best of all, I was able to get him to agree to join me once again for a trip to Knoxville on Sunday night, his first visit to the track that he in essence grew up at in eight years, and after witnessing a race like this you can bet that Kurt will be back at Knoxville again soon!

Next up are the Sage Fruit Osky Challenges with Monday's Front Row Challenge featuring the 410's with Kyle Larson and Tony Stewart among the entries as well as the Racesaver 305 Winged Sprints, while Tuesday's Ultimate Challenge will include the Lucas Oil ASCS National 360's and the POWRi WAR non wing Sprint Cars. Following that it will be on to Knoxville for the 59th Annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's General Stores.

Hope to see you there!