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Nobody loves cashing in a Kubota High Limit Racing payday more than a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series driver, and they did it again in Thursday’s Joker’s Jackpot at Eldora Speedway.
The $100,000-to-win, 40-lap Feature was chaotic from start-to-finish with drama and misfortune coming at frontrunners from green-to-checkered.
Tyler Courtney had a flat tire running second, James McFadden suffered another flat inside the top-five, then Jacob Allen’s ignition box failed while in fifth-from-21st, then Giovanni Scelzi flipped while leading with seven to go, and the final domino was Kyle Larson’s #57 slowing while in second in the last laps.
Officially, Giovanni Scelzi led the opening 33 laps and David Gravel controlled the final seven circuits – holding off Larson, then Donny Schatz on a green-white-checkered to earn his biggest payday ever at Eldora Speedway with his seventh win at “The Big E.”
It’s his second-career win with Kubota High Limit Racing, previously cashing $50,000 at Lernerville Speedway last fall and now $100,000 tonight at Eldora – which is the highest-paying race in all of Sprint Car Racing this year, to date.
For the Big Game Motorsports #2 team, Thursday’s triumph is their 11th victory of the 2024 season and they become the 11th different winners with Kubota High Limit Racing this year.
For the second-straight night, Donny Schatz finished runner-up in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15. This time, his second-place finish netted a $25,000 payday.
Brad Sweet rounded out the podium and led the High Rollers contingent with a third-place run worth $15,000 aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49.
Closing out the top-five was Justin Peck and Buch Motorsports with a $12,500 check in fourth-place, and hard-charging Rico Abreu into fifth-from-20th to earn $10,000 for the #24 team.
Finishing out the top-10 on Thursday night was Brent Marks, Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo, and James McFadden.
THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (7/18/24)
Eldora Speedway (Rossburg, Ohio)
TJ Forged Heat One Winner – Donny Schatz
DMI Heat Two Winner – Kyle Larson
BR Motorsports Heat Three Winner – Tyler Courtney
Winters Performance Heat Four Winner – David Gravel
Capitol Customs Trailer Heat Five Winner – Giovanni Scelzi
FK Rod Ends Heat Six Winner – Brad Sweet
C-Main Winner – Daison Pursley
B-Main Winner – Jacob Allen
Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap Award – Giovanni Scelzi (14.197)
Hard Charger – Rico Abreu +15, 20th-to-5th
Lap Leaders – Giovanni Scelzi 1-33; David Gravel 34-40.
Kubota A Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[4]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz[5]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[6]; 4. 13-Justin Peck[9]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu[20]; 6. 19-Brent Marks[18]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[8]; 8. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[10]; 9. 41-Carson Macedo[12]; 10. 83-James McFadden[7]; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen[21]; 12. 5-Spencer Bayston[14]; 13. 8-Cory Eliason[23]; 14. 39M-Anthony Macri[13]; 15. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]; 16. 9P-Parker Price Miller[17]; 17. 101-Kalib Henry[15]; 18. 23-Garet Williamson[22]; 19. 42-Sye Lynch[19]; 20. 57-Kyle Larson[2]; 21. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[1]; 22. 87-Aaron Reutzel[11]; 23. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[16]; 24. 55V-Kerry Madsen[24]
UP NEXT: All of the High Rollers will stick around at Eldora Speedway this weekend as the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series sanction the Kings Royal, paying $175,000-to-win. For the series itself, action will resume next Tuesday, July 23 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA for the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at $25,000-to-win.
Article Credit: Brian Walker
