Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – In all, an impressive week for Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, not only activating their May agenda with an impressive Hard Charge at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 1, but ultimately concluding their recent stretch with back-to-back podium performances at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio – the second of which concluding in an epic battle with championship contender, David Gravel.
Schatz, ace of the Carquest, Advance Auto Parts, Ford Performance, Curb Records, Sage Fruit, Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts, Mobil 1, No. 15 sprint car, finished third then second in Eldora Speedway’s #LetRaceTwo doubleheader, concluding Friday’s main event from the same position as he started. It was the following evening that concluded in epic fashion with the ten-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion exchanging the lead on multiple occasions, only to lose his chance for victory in the final corner.
A red flag incident with two-to-go set up the eventual tango. Schatz led the field back to green with Gravel hot on his heels. The pair exchanged the lead twice with Schatz maintaining control coming to the white flag. It was a final corner dive and stick that sealed Gravel’s fate, shutting the door on the Fargo, North Dakota, native and securing the $12,000 payday.
As noted, Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing opened their May slate with a hard charging performance at Jacksonville Speedway, battling ahead 12 positions after starting 23rd on the evening grid. Schatz was forced to compete in the evening’s B-Main after missing a heat race transfer position.