Newsmaker of the Week // David Gravel

David Gravel did it! The New Englander was the story of the 2019 Knoxville Nationals, earning his first title in Sprint Car racing’s most famous event. And he did with the team that the late Jason Johnson had put together so well and had, himself won a ‘Nationals’ with.

Gravel ascended to Sprint Car racing’s premier stage the hard way. He raced in northeastern 360 Sprint classes before finding his way into 410s and it wasn’t always smooth sailing. He once pulled off the World Of Outlaws Sprint Tour because of fatigue. Yet through the setbacks, Gravel emerged stronger, more committed, less bowed by the fates of racing.

And now he’s at the pinnacle of Sprint Car racing, the first true northeasterner Knoxville champion since Bobby Allen.
Knoxville Nationals winner David Gravel, AARN’s Newsmaker for the week of Tuesday, August 13, 2019