The Connecticut driver, who ran out of fuel at Tuesday’s Ohio Sprint Speedweek event on the last corner of the last lap while leading, held off a last lap charge by Brad Sweet, to claim his first O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Circuit of Champions victory during night #8 of Speedweek on Elwer Fence Night at Limaland Motorsports Park.

The win moves Gravel into the lead for the Ohio Sprint Speedweek title and solidifies him into the top three in the overall All Star championship hunt. It comes just two days after his 18^th birthday.

“I wasn’t going to run out of fuel tonight…I leaned it out on cautions and kept an eye on it. I saw Brad (Sweet) on the bottom and I knew if I held my line I’d be alright. I wasn’t going to let this one get away from me,” said Gravel beside his DDR Motorsports, P&M Transportation backed #89G.

On Tuesday at Hilltop Speedway, Gravel was on his way to victory when he began running low on fuel, allowing Rob Chaney to sneak by on the outside of the fourth turn coming to the checkered. Gravel had to settle for second.

“I have to thank my crew and my dad…they have continued to work hard. We brought Rob Hart onto the team a couple of months ago and he has us going in the right direction,” added Gravel, who became the sixth different winner in eight Speedweek races.

For Sweet, the past three days have been fantastic as he has recorded a win at Waynesfield Motorsports Park and a fifth place run at Sharon Speedway on Thursday.

“I could have tried to slide up in front of him, but he was going for his first win and he probably wouldn’t have lifted and we both would have been flipping,” said Sweet beside his Kasey Kahne Racing, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Sage backed #49. “I tried to scare him, but he was too good to let that happen.

Byron Reed, who opened the 28^th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek a week ago with a win at Attica Raceway Park, would settle for third.

“I always like coming here…it seems we always end up on the front stretch at the end of the night. I wish I could have been better in turn two.. I was as good as any of them in three and four,” said Reed beside his Reebar Diecasting backed #5.

Gravel would jump into the early lead from his pole staring spot with Tim Shaffer, Reed, Sweet, Dale Blaney and Chaney in tow. A caution on lap 9 would bunch up the field, with Shaffer racing to Gravel’s outside to challenge for the lead. Gravel hit lapped traffic by the 16^th circuit on the fast quarter-mile with Shaffer, Reed, Sweet and Dale Blaney following. Traffic would hold Gravel up, allowing Shaffer to close. Reed was in his own battle for third with Sweet, surrendering the position on lap 18.

Just when things were heating up for the lead between Gravel, Shaffer, Sweet, Reed, and Dale Blaney, a caution with fly on lap 24. With a lapped machine between himself and Shaffer, Gravel would take advantage of the clear track to pull away slightly on the restart, leaving Shaffer to battle Sweet, Reed and Blaney for second. Fans were now watching the #97 of Dean Jacobs who got upside down in his heat, only to come back and race from 14^th to sixth.

Disaster struck for Shaffer on lap 29, as he stopped on the track to avoid a spin, sending him to the tail and handing second to Sweet. Again on the restart Gravel was able to pull away slightly with Sweet comfortably in second and Reed battling with Blaney, Jacobs and Brian Paulus. With four laps to go, Gravel had caught the back of the field and struggled to get through, allowing Sweet to close. As Gravel took the white flag, Sweet was right on his rear bumper. Gravel chose his high line in turns three and four with lapped cars right in front of him while Sweet ducked low as they raced side-by-side for the win. Gravel was not going to be denied and blasted down the front stretch for the victory. Sweet, Reed, Paulus and Jacobs would round out the top five.

For more information go to www.allstarsprint.com.

Qualifying - Kistler Engines

Heat 1 - MSD Ignition (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)

1. O-Brandon Wimmer; 2. 2-Dale Blaney; 3. W20-Greg Wilson; 4. 312-Mike Linder; 5. 9X-Rob Chaney; 6. 4K-Kody Kinser; 7. V92-Matthew Reed; 8. X-Mark Keegan; 9. 45-Brian Lay

Heat 2 - Kear's Speed Shop (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)

1. 7K-Kyle Sauder; 2. 98-Phil Gressman; 3. 49-Brad Sweet; 4. O4-Cap Henry; 5. 24H-Lee Jacobs; 6. 34-Luke Hall; 7. 5M-Jamie Miller; 8. 3J-Kevin Lee; 9. 5T-Travis Philo

Heat 3 - All Pro Heads (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)

1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild; 2. 83-Tim Shaffer; 3. 28-Shawn Valenti; 4. 89G-David Gravel; 5. 12-Jared Ridge; 6. 5I-Caleb Griffith; 7. 97-Dean Jacobs; 8. 35-Ronnie Blair; 9. 6-Bill Rose

Heat 4 - Outerwear's Performance Products (10 Laps - Top 5 Transfer)

1. 11M-Brandon Martin; 2. 5R-Byron Reed; 3. 11B-Brock Mayes; 4. 8H-Brian Paulus; 5. 3C-Cale Conley; 6. 1-Stevie Smith; 7. 6Z-Zack Ames; 8. 78-Todd Kane; 9. 39-Alec Martin

Dash - Rubbn' Repair (6 Laps)

1. 89G-David Gravel; 2. 3C-Cale Conley; 3. 83-Tim Shaffer; 4. 49-Brad Sweet

B-Main -

University of Northwestern Ohio (12 Laps - Top 4 Transfer)

1. 1-Stevie Smith; 2. 97-Dean Jacobs; 3. 5T-Travis Philo; 4. X-Mark Keegan; 5. 6-Bill Rose; 6. 4K-Kody Kinser; 7. 35-Ronnie Blair; 8. 39-Alec Martin; 9. 5M-Jamie Miller; 10. 6Z-Zack Ames; 11. 34-Luke Hall; 12. V92-Matthew Reed; 13. 45-Brian Lay; 14. 3J-Kevin Lee(DNS)

A-Main - O’Reilly Auto Parts (40 Laps) [#]-Starting Position