Mechanicsburg - Connecticut's David Gravel became the winningest driver in the history of the J & S Classics National Open Preliminary at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night, scoring his tie-breaking fourth career win in the 40th running of the event sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Series.
The victory broke a four-way tie that Gravel had with Steve Kinser, Keith Kauffman and Lance Dewease entering the race.
Gravel's preliminary night checkers were worth $12,000 with his previous wins in the race coming in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Th win was also the third of the year for Gravel at Williams Grove Speedway and his first on the outlaws series tour since claiming victory in the speedway Summer National in early August.
Second starter Justin Whittall raced side by side with Gravel when action began in the 25-lap feature, holding to his inside all through the first and second turns and down the backchute before surging ahead as the pair hit the third corner.
Whittall then began opening up a lead over Gravel and was ahead by 1.070 seconds on the fifth tour.
However traffic looming ahead would prove to be the leader's undoing as he began struggling as he ran up on the rear of the field.
And when Whittall lost the handle and went wide off of the fourth corner on the ninth circuit, Gravel was there to take advantage.
As Whittall continued to struggle, Anthony Macri got by for second on the 12th tour but with 10 laps to go Gravel held a commanding lead.
Former preliminary winner Buddy Kofoid took third from Justin Peck with two laps to go and the pair would battle all the way to the finish for the position, exchanging slide jobs more than once.
In the end Peck prevailed for third followed by Kofoid and Chase Dietz.
Dietz came out of the event as the new Lawrence Chevrolet point leader at the oval with only Saturday night's 64th annual J & S Classics National Open remaining on the 2026 schedule.
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Dietz took the lead from Troy Wagaman Jr. and went up by 40 markers when Wagaman failed to qualify for the event.
Trying to secure his second Williams Grove track title in a row, Wagaman entered the night ahead of Dietz by 140 points.
Sixth through 10th in the preliminary went to Tanner Holmes, Cameron Smith, Whittall, Bill Balog and Daryn Pittman.
Heats went to Kofoid, Gravel, Dietz and Smith.
Emerson Axsom won the B Main and Steven Snyder Jr. took the C Main.
The non-qualifiers race went to Tyler Ross.
Gravel earned the pole for the feature by claiming the dash.
Fast time over the 56-car field was set by Buddy Kofoid with a lap of 16.421 seconds.
Saturday's 64th annual J & S Classics National Open, paying $75,000 to the winner of the 40-lap feature, gets underway at 7:30 pm.
Feature Finish
10/2/26
410 Sprints, 25 Laps: 1. David Gravel, 2. Anthony Macri, 3. Justin Peck, 4. Buddy Kofoid, 5. Chase Dietz, 6. Tanner Holmes, 7. Cameron Smith, 8. Justin Whittall, 9. Bill Balog, 10. Daryn Pittman, 11. Freddie Rahmer, 12. Logan Rumsey, 13. Donny Schatz, 14. Carson Macedo, 15. Sheldon Haudenschild, 16. Garet Williamson, 17. Lance Dewease, 18. Danny Dietrich, 19. Spender Bayston, 20. Dylan Norris, 21. Logan Schuchart, 22. Kasey Jedrzejek, 23. Cole Macedo, 24. Brock Zearfoss, 25. Emerson Axsom, 26. Brent Shearer
DNQ: Joey Amantea, Chad Trout, Steven Snyder Jr., Darin Naida, Ayden Hare, Dave Grube, Conner Morrell, JJ Loss, Steve Buckwalter, Samuel Miller, Dylan Cisney, Troy Fraker, Matt Campbell, Sye Lynch, Brie Hershey, Ryan Newton, Doug Hammaker, Troy Wagaman Jr., Ryan Timms, Austin Bishop, Brent Marks, Bryce Lucius, Chris Windom, Lucas Wolfe, Skylar Gee, Tyler Ross, TJ Stutts, Buddy Schweibinz, Mike Thompson, Brady Bacon
