Event statistics following the 12th race of the 2018 World of Outlaws season, the 35-lap feature Thursday, April 26, at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas. The race was postponed twice, from its original date in February and make-up date on Wednesday, April 25.
David Gravel led all 35 laps from the pole for his first victory of the 2018, and became the second driver this season to lead from green to checkered flag. Gravel made it a clean sweep, as he also set the fastest qualifying time and won his heat race. Brad Sweet was second, with Jason Johnson, Cory Eliason and Daryn Pittman completing the top five.
Cotton Bowl Speedway – Paige, Texas
- A-Main Winner (starting position): David Gravel (1st)
- Top Five: David Gravel, Brad Sweet, Jason Johnson, Cory Eliason, Daryn Pittman
- Full Results: David Gravel, Brad Sweet, Jason Johnson, Cory Eliason, Daryn Pittman, Shane Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Logan Schuchart, Kraig Kinser, Paul McMahan, Ian Madsen, Jason Sides, Greg Wilson, Dane Lorenc, Channin Tankersley, Jacob Allen, Brent Marks, Clyde Knipp
- Laps Completed: 35
- Laps Led: David Gravel (35)
- Lead Changes: 0
- Fast Qualifier: David Gravel (13.832 seconds)
- Dash Winner: David Gravel
- Heat Winners: David Gravel, Brad Sweet
- Hard Charger: Logan Schuchart (+3; 13th to 10th)
- Margin of Victory: 1.453 seconds
- Cars to Finish on Lead Lap: 10 (out of 20)
- Car Count/Cars in A-Main: 20/20
Notes of Interest – Race Recap (Cotton Bowl Speedway)
- This is David Gravel’s first World of Outlaws A-Main feature victory of the season and the 35th of his career. It also marked his first career victory at Cotton Bowl Speedway, which had hosted the World of Outlaws only once before (2016).
- Gravel is the first driver this season to make it a clean sweep of the night – setting fast qualifying time, winning the preliminary heat and dash and winning the A-Main, in which he led all 35 laps. Gravel is the second driver this season to lead every lap of a race, joining Cory Eliason, who led all 30 laps in his victory March 17 at Stockton Dirt Track in California.
- Gravel also joins Eliason as the only other driver to win an A-Main feature from the pole position.
- Gravel is the sixth driver this season to win in World of Outlaws competition. He joins multiple-race Donny Schatz (four wins), Sheldon Haudenschild (three) and Daryn Pittman (two) and single-race winners Eliason and Aaron Reutzel.
- This marked Gravel’s third consecutive top-five finish and his fourth straight top 10. He now has six top fives and nine top 10s in 12 races this season. Gravel is one of eight drivers to compete in all 12 A-Mains in 2018.
- This was the first A-Main feature Gravel has led in 2018. His 35 laps led were the second most of a driver to win a race this year, only trailing Daryn Pittman’s 39 laps led in his victory April 20 at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas.
- Gravel is one of six drivers to win three or more heats this season. Gravel also earned the fastest qualifier award for the first time this season as well as his first dash victory.
- Gravel remained sixth in points, but is two points behind Jason Johnson for fifth and 12 points behind Shane Stewart. Both Stewart and Johnson are looking for their first A-Main wins of 2018.
- Brad Sweet finished a season-best second for the third time this season, including second time in three races. That leapt Sweet ahead of Sheldon Haudenschild for second in the points standings, 66 behind leader Donny Schatz. Following a three-race stretch of finishes outside the top 10, Sweet – who also won his heat – has finished in the top five in three straight races.
- Jason Johnson finished third, his best finish since coming home third March 24 at Bakersfield Speedway. Johnson has nine top 10s this season.
- Cory Eliason was fourth, his best finish since his victory at Stockton and fourth top-five finish in the last seven races.
- Daryn Pittman continued his recent strong performance with his third consecutive top-five result, following a pair of victories last weekend in Arkansas and Missouri.
- Shane Stewart finished sixth, and is tied for second with three other drivers (Johnson, Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild) in top 10s with nine.
- Kasey Kahne, in his first races since the season-opening two races at Volusia Speedway Park, claimed a season-best seventh.
- Sheldon Haudenschild was eighth. This marked only the third A-Main feature of the season Haudenschild failed to lead – two of those have been races in which the winner led every lap. Haudenschild dropped to third in the points standings, four points behind Brad Sweet.
- Points leader Donny Schatz finished ninth, the second-worst finish for him of 2018 (was 14th at Stockton). His worst two finishes of the season have coincidentally been in A-Mains where the winner led every lap.
- Logan Schuchart finished 10th, advancing a race-high three positions for his third Hard Charger Award of the season (tied for most with Brent Marks).
- All eight drivers whom have competed in all 12 A-Main features this season finished in the top 10. The lone exceptions were Cory Eliason and Kasey Kahne.
- Channin Tankersley was the lone driver making his season debut; he finished 17th.
- A season-low 10 drivers finished the race on the lead lap.
- Three drivers have completed all 395 A-Main feature laps this season: Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart.
- The next race will be Friday, April 27, with the first night of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas.
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