Connect with us

Local Racing

David Gravel Wins World Of Outlaws Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup At Lernerville

Published

on

World Of Outlaws

SARVER, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – David Gravel beat Kyle Larson to win Tuesday night’s Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup World of Outlaws Sprint Car feature at Lernerville Speedway.

Gravel, who started 4th, passed leader James McFadden on the backstretch on lap 15 and never looked back en route to the checkered flag and the $25,000-grand prize.

The victory was the third for Gravel at The Action Track and fifth victory of the 2019 season.

“In turns 1 & 2 I was really good, and I was able to carry a lot of speed down the back stretch,” said Gravel, who come into the race third in the championship points standings.  “I just didn’t have to rely on the top.  I thought we had the best car below it.”

Larson, the defending Don Martin Memorial Cup winner, started sixth and was up to fourth after the first lap and was up to third place by Lap 7 and was in 2ndplace by Lap 20 of the 40-Lap feature.

Larson started running down Gravel and cut his lead to 1.9-seconds on lap 23 and to 1.1-seconds with 15-laps to go.  Larson kept digging, cutting the margin to .9-seconds with 12-laps to go.

Larson started encountering heavier traffic at that point and Gravel was able to maneuver though it quickly and build his lead back to 2.9-seconds with 9-laps-to-go and extended the lead to 4.8-seconds with 4-laps to go.

“I thought I had a shot but once we got to heavier traffic, he got through it really fast,” said Larson. “I just needed a little more.  All in all a good night.  Every time I’ve ran here, I’ve either been first or second, just wish I could’ve been one spot better.”

McFadden wound up third, his fourth Top 5 finish in 2019 and said Gravel’s momentum down the backstretch was the difference.

“The 9 car has got a lot of speed,” said McFadden.  “We struggled a little bit off (turn) two but I couldn’t keep up with the 41 (Gravel).”

Brad Sweet finished fourth and Donny Schatz rounded out the Top 5 with Aliquippa native Tim Shaffer finishing sixth after running as high as fourth.

Logan Schuchart came home seventh followed by Shane Stewart in eighth and Daryn Pittman in ninth. Sheldon Haudenschild rounded out the Top 10.

Lernerville points leader A.J. Flick finished 19thwith Lernerville regulars Sye Lunch 22ndand Carl Bowser 25th.

Dirt Racing

Gravel Grabs the Morgan Cup

Published

on

Photo: Paul Arch

MECHANICSBURG, PA (May 9, 2026):  David Gravel, the two-time World of Outlaws champion and current points leader, dominated the finale in the fifteenth running of the Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway. Gravel’s win, the tenth of his career at the venerable speedway, secured possession of the perpetual trophy for the World of Outlaws for the eighth time. Moreover, the win gave the touring stars a two-to-one edge in the win column for the three-race Pennsylvania swing.

Gravel seized control of the race on the opening lap and he was never challenged during the course of the thirty lapper. The only threat to Gravel during the non-stop affair was a bumping incident when he was lapping Brent Shearer. Shearer’s right rear wheel contacted Gravel’s left rear. Fortunately, the two cars quickly separated and both drivers maintained control as they rocketed toward turn one. Gravel expressed concern that he might have gotten a flat tire from such contact, but he said that the double bead locks on the left rear of his car probably saved the day.

“From the rain this morning, that grip up high was there. They patted it down with the push trucks and water trucks. It just launched really good, and actually my motor was really cold. It didn’t run good for the first five or six laps, but it had enough horsepower to beat him (Kasey Kahne) going into (turn) one. He didn’t try to slide me. It looked like he backpedaled and tried to run the bottom, but that was obviously the winning move of the race.”

Gravel added that it was important for him to control the pace of the race. “You just don’t know, this could’ve been ten cautions or green-to-checkered. Luckily, it went green-to-checkered. Maybe I was getting a little complacent down here in (turns) three and four. Maybe should have moved up. Those guys said the 67 (Justin Whittall) was coming, so. It’s just so hard to lead these races. Lincoln, here, it doesn’t matter where it is. When you’re up front, you know, the track changes and people can judge you, behind you. I feel like I got through the lapped cars pretty good.”

Justin Whittall was making just his second start in his new joint venture with Rod Gross Motorsports. The first outing was a disappointing seventeen in the preliminary night program. He gave props to his crew for working late on Friday night and early on this race day to get more speed in the car. He was able to close in on the leader in the closing laps, but was several car lengths behind him when the checkers waved. “I saw David (Gravel) struggling with the lapped car. He finally got him. That was when I really started to catch him.”

Third place went to defending track champion and current points leader, Troy Wagaman, Jr. Wagaman’s podium finish stretched his points lead over Lance Dewease, who failed to qualify because he was plagued by mechanical problems all night long. Wagaman explained that he put together a complete night. “I felt good. I timed good, I had a good heat race, and a good dash. I had speed in the feature.”

For the second night in a row, Kasey Kahne started on the front row for the A Main. This time, he had the pole as a result of his dash victory. But the difference in lanes may have been his undoing. David Gravel had the outside position, which was clearly superior for the start of the event. Freddy Rahmer lined up third, with Whittall as his running mate. Wagaman and Sheldon Haudenschild were in row three. The last pair of preferred starters were Ashton Torgerson, aboard Kyle Moody’s machine, and Chad Trout. Then came Carson Macedo and Bill Balog, followed by Emerson Axsom and Danny Dietrich.

Gravel and Kahne raced wheel to wheel into turn one, but Gravel had the better line through the corner. He emerged from turn two with the lead and never looked back. Kahne followed closely in the early going, but, with each successive lap, Gravel added to his lead. Whittall, Wagaman, Rahmer, Haudenshild, , Torgerson, Trout, Carson Macedo, and Balog made up the balance of the top ten during the opening laps.

The first five–consisting of Gravel, Kahne, Whittall, Wagaman, and Haudenschild–raced in order through the first half of the event.

Soon after the midway signal, Whittall begal to stalk Kahne. On lap nineteen, Whittall rode the rin in turns three and four to reach second spot. Wagaman and Haudenschild soon followed suit.

Whittall trimmed Gravel’s lead in the closing laps. As he was doing so, Haudenschild was applying some pressure to Wagaman for third. A few spots back in the running order, Rahmer and Carson Macedo were battling for sixth.

At the checkers, it was Gravel over Whittall, Wagaman, Haudenschild, and Kahne. Carson Macedo was sixth, with Rahmer, Torgerson, Dietrich, and Balog completing the top ten.

Carson Macedo was named the hard charger, advancing three positions. Several others also passed as many cars but they were all behind him in the finishing order.

The four heat wins went to Gravel, Kahne, Whittall, and Trout. Daryn Pittman won the B Main. Gravel set the fast time, at 16.431, to top Group A. Whittall was the best in Group B with a time of 16.897.

Williams Grove Speedway will be back in action on Friday, May 15, with a Sprint Car doubleheader. The 410s and 358 Sprints will do battle on York County Racing Club Night. There will be no racing on May 22 , but the American Flat Track Motorcycles will compete on May 23.

Continue Reading

Dirt Racing

Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway cancels Saturday night program

Published

on

IMPERIAL, PA (May 9, 2026) – Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (PPMS) is cancelling their Saturday night program after heavy overnight rains and cloudy skies throughout the morning forced track officials to make the difficult decision.

“After evaluating conditions throughout the property Saturday morning, speedway officials determined that the amount of water absorbed overnight created conditions that would not allow for a practical or enjoyable event experience for fans, teams, and staff” the Speedway announced in a statement.

Fans who purchased advanced tickets for tonight’s event have already had their refunds processed automatically..

Next Saturday PPMS will host a ‘Night of Champions’, which will honor 2025 track Champions and those who finished in the top 10 in points in the respective divisions.

“We’re ready to get this season rolling in a big way and hopefully Mother Nature starts working with us soon,” said Tyler Harris, PPMS Operations Manager. “We know fans, racers, and teams are anxious to get back to the speedway, and we appreciate everyone continuing to stick with us through a difficult start to the year.”

Continue Reading

Dirt Racing

Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park hoping to get seasons started Friday night

Published

on

File Photo courtesy of Lernerville Speedway

Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park are hoping Mother Nature cooperates so they can get their 2026 seasons started on Friday night.

Lernerville is planning on Fab 4 Racing with the McConnell Memorial on top.  Sprint Cars, Late Models, Modifieds and Pro Stocks are on the card this evening.

Pits open at 4 p.m. with spectator gates opening at 5 p.m.  Hot Laps begin at 6:15 p.m. followed by racing at 7:30 p.m.

Four weather-related postponements have delayed opening night at Tri-City Raceway Park, who are preparing to drop the green flag Friday night with their regular 4 Star Racing show on its half-mile oval.

410 Sprint Cars will be competing for a $3,000 winner’s purse.  Joining the 410’s on tonight’s card will be the Pro Stocks, with the winner taking home $700!

The RUSH Sprint Cars are set to compete in their 40th race at the Venango County speedway. Tonight’s winning will get $600 for taking home the checkered flag.

The RUSH Stock Cars round out the evening as they return for their second season. Tonight’s winner will take home a $300 top prize.  The racing starts at 7 p.m.

Continue Reading

Discover more from Pittsburgh Racing Now

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading