MECHANICSBURG - David Gravel scored the biggest win of his career during the 52nd annual National Open Saturday night at Williams Grove Speedway.
However, the $50,000 win - Gravel's first at Williams Grove - didn't come without some controversy.
While racing Stevie Smith for the lead with seven laps to go, Gravel made contact with Smith's car as they raced into the first turn, sending Smith spinning.
"It really sucks that I got into the back of Stevie," said Gravel in victory lane amid a chorus of boos from the stands. "It does feel good to win. Obviously, people are going to boo me. I'm running right behind him, trying to get around him, just racing for an inch there, and I feel really, really bad for him. It really takes away from the win for me. I'm happy I won, but it just doesn't feel right."
Smith ended up salvaging a ninth place finish, but was far from happy afterwards.
"It's really, really unfortunate to lose that $50,000," said Smith. "We've had a really good year, and to lose it that way, somebody running into us, leading the race, that's a tough one to take. We raced everybody else clean the whole night. No use sitting here balling about it - he got the $50,000."
Smith's Fred Rahmer- and Dave Pritchard-owned No. 51 was set up for the end of the 40-lap race. Rahmer won the Open in his last attempt in 2013.
"I was racing the best I could with the way our car is," said Smith. "We're set up to run through the middle and sometimes we've got to wait for the track to come to us. We're trying to get the car good for the end and I think the last five laps, we would have been looking pretty good."
Gravel, of Watertown, Conn., a regular with the World of Outlaws, won the dash and started on the pole. He grabbed the lead over Lucas Wolfe and Dale Blaney.
Smith took fourth from Daryn Pittman with a frontstretch pass and then drove under both Blaney and Wolfe in turn two to take over the runner-up spot.
Steve Kinser slowed to a stop on the frontstretch with 15 laps completed.
Gravel picked the inside lane for the double-file restart. He stayed low into turn one as Smith stayed with him running the middle.
Smith was nearly next to Gravel off turn two the next two times around, but couldn't complete the pass.
The caution flag flew with 27 laps completed for Greg Hodnett, erasing Gravel's 1.374 second lead. This turned into a red flag for a fuel stop.
Gravel led Smith, Blaney, and four-time Open winner Donny Schatz for the double-file restart.
Smith pulled a slider on Gravel in turns three and four and took the lead as they raced off turn four. Schatz passed Blaney and was up to third.
Gravel continued to pound the top and stayed on Smith's bumper for the next several laps. Gravel made contact with Smith entering turn one on lap 33. Smith spun, but kept going as Gravel drove away. The caution flag didn't fly because Smith never stopped.
Gravel got by two lapped cars and put a little distance between himself and Schatz for the final laps to score the biggest win of his career.
"The last couple of lapped cars were just running the bottom and I rolled around the outside of them," said Gravel. "Stevie had a good car. I had a good car. I wish we could have raced it out. I thought I had a good enough car to beat him. I'm just ashamed that I hit him."
Schatz - a five time Open winner - earned $12,000 for second.
"We really wanted to win the race," said Schatz. "I gave it everything I had. IWe had a lot of open race track and we didn't get to a lot of lapped traffic. That's the best we could do, just came up a little bit short."
Pittman lost some spots early, but charged back up to third, earning $7,500.
"I feel like if we would have been better at the beginning, like we were at the end, we might have been able to contend for it," said Pittman. "Third in the National Open; it's hard to be disappointed. We've been on the frontstretch here a lot of times and we really want to win this year. It means a lot to me."
Blaney recorded his best Open finish in fourth ($4,000) and eighth starter Lance Dewease completed the top five earning $3,500.
Shane Stewart, 19th starter Danny Dietrich, Brad Sweet, Smith, and Alan Krimes, who started 26th, completed the top 10.
NOTES: Defending series champion Daryn Pittman set fast time over the 55-car field with a lap of 16. 883. Dale Blaney (16.947); Lucas Wolfe (16.947); David Gravel (16.994) and Stevie Smith (16.994) were the top five qualifiers. The eight-lap heat races were won by Shane Stewart, Lance Dewease, Donny Schatz, Craig Dollansky and Danny Holtgraver. Curt Michael won the C-main, Gravel won the Dash and Doug Esh won the B-main.