Sprint Car driver David Gravel knows he has a lot to learn.
The World of Outlaws standout successfully completed his first stock car opportunity this past weekend with a two-day ARCA Menards Series open test session at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Decked out in his new GMS Racing uniform – Gravel’s focus and attention to detail mingling with members of his KBR Development team paid off with impressive speed from his No. 28 Chevrolet SS on-track which saw the car which had plenty of assistance from NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series powerhouse GMS Racing inside the top-10 on Friday and combined had the second-fastest speed of the weekend only behind Dominique Van Wieringen.
It was really cool feeling that sensation of the banking for the first time. I haven’t been in a race car in about a month or so,” Gravel said. “It felt pretty good, it wasn’t too intense. I was kind of easy to get around there. It was fun. It doesn’t feel like you’re going that crazy fast, either. I’m sure when you get drafting and racing side-by-side it will feel a lot more real.”
Gravel has been to the World Center of Racing before, but only as a spectator for the Truck Series race and even a couple of times for the Daytona 500, but being at the track as a driver brought an immediate sense of respect and gratitude for the most recent Knoxville Nationals winner.
“It’s been pretty crazy being at Daytona as a driver,” he said. “I’ve been here a couple times for the 500 and the Truck race to watch but never got to drive anything around here. It’s pretty cool but you have a job at hand, and you have to try to do it.”
Like any rookie – one who particularly doesn’t have a whole lot of stock car experience, there’s a lot to learn in a short amount of time. Luckily for Gravel, he’s been paired with former ARCA championship crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz who diligently worked with his rookie driver through the fundamentals of negotiating the 2.5-mile speedway, but also working on simple stuff like getting on and off pit road – or following the fleet of cars off pit road, since ARCA qualifying will be done in groups compared to single-car qualifying in NASCAR.
Gravel calls it “the little things.”
“I just want to get comfortable,” he said. “I have to get used to getting on and off pit road, blending when I’m supposed to, running up towards the wall to get my runs going, stuff like that. It’s just all the little things.”
While the test on Friday was delayed starting because of overnight rain and called around 4:00 p.m. – because of a passing shower, Gravel had the confidence to carry what he learned on Friday to Saturday.
“I feel like I really adapted quick to single-car runs, got a little bit smoother, trying to do all the things to make my team happy,” Gravel spoke.
“Drafting was good. Today (Saturday), I felt like we just stayed in line with the drafting and it was fairly easy. Yesterday, I was kind of side-by-side. I feel really comfortable and confident and I’m looking forward to practice and then the race (next month).”
The Watertown, Conn. native says the two-day test allowed him to quickly get comfortable with the track and around some of his competitors, the complete opposite vision he had in the race shop just a few weeks prior.
“When I first sat in the car at the shop I was like, ‘You can’t see anything out of these things.’ But once you get out on the track they tell you to hold it wide-open,” he explained. “So, my first lap I’m wide-open and you just go right around there. I definitely feel more comfortable today. I don’t feel so out of place. I think I’m ready for Speedweeks.”
With his team packing up about two hours before the conclusion of the test session on Saturday, Gravel said he didn’t any worries – but knows the game will change significantly when he returns to the historic race track in less than a month for his ARCA Menards Series debut.
“I think everything has gone good. I really don’t have any worries right now. Obviously, when it’s going to be two-wide and 10 cars in each lane, it will be a little bit different.
“I’m just trying to get in the ballgame, trying to see where I stack up with everybody. Hopefully, I can adapt fast and be in the hunt in these races I’m running and prove to people I have what it takes.
“I’d like to finish the race first, finish on the lead-lap and see what happens. I think anything is possible. I feel if you’re up in the top 10 with a couple laps to go, you have a chance. I just want to be in the hunt. I want to run the whole race and hopefully have no drama.”
Before testing commenced on Friday, GMS Racing announced that Gravel would compete in six Truck Series races this season, including the July 30 Eldora Dirt Debry, where his No. 24 Chevrolet truck will be sponsored by Axalta.
Four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon has been a huge endorser for Gravel since the two met at the 2019 Chili Bowl Nationals. Since then, Gravel has built a relationship with the NASCAR Hall of Famer which has led to sponsorship for some of his Sprint Car races and now a chance to invade the NASCAR world.
“I guess I’m testing the waters,” Gravel explained of his NASCAR plans. “For me, I’d like to run more races this year but how’s it’s worked out, maybe it’s a good thing just to get my feet wet. We’ll see how this goes.
“We’re going to take it one race at a time. I want to win races, but I know there’s a lot of little things in the Truck races I’m going to have to learn and get better at.”
Gravel still plans to have a huge presence in the World of Outlaws this year but said he’ll be more flexible with his Sprint Car schedule if it means more races on the asphalt side.
“Whenever I’m not in the Truck, I’m going to run the sprint cars. I plan on running 85 percent of the Outlaws schedule. But I’m flexible on the Outlaws side if I get more races on the asphalt side. I’m going to be open-minded and flexible.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
