4/11/2026
I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park
Kofoid Tops Gravel in I-55 Thriller for Weekend Sweep
DUEL BETWEEN THE BEST: Kofoid Tops Gravel in I-55 Thriller for Weekend Sweep
Two of the premier names in the sport throw haymakers all the way to the checkered flag as Kofoid completes the weekend sweep and collects his third straight win
PEVELY, MO (April 11, 2026) - The best want to beat the best.
That’s how any competitor in any sport rises to the highest level. They don’t settle. They summon every ounce of talent they have and leave no question of whether they gave it their all.
That’s exactly what World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series fans were treated to on Saturday night at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park. Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and David Gravel, two of the top names in Sprint Car racing, waged war in the 40-lap Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic finale.
Series rookie Kasey Jedrzejek led the opening seven laps before Gravel took command. It looked as if Carson Macedo and Sheldon Haudenschild may be the ones to give Gravel a run for his money but contact between the two sent them both to the Federated Car Care Work Zone with flat tires. That gifted Kofoid second, and the battle was on.
The fun began when Kofoid launched a Lap 21 slide job that cleared but Gravel managed to counter with a crossover. The two did the same the following lap and continued to slice it up in traffic over the next several circuits. The opportunity Kofoid needed came on the 27th lap as Gravel got mired in traffic. He stuck the Roth Motorsports No. 83 on the cushion and narrowly snuck around Gravel’s outside in Turns 3 and 4.
Kofoid put some distance between himself and the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 after taking over, but a late red flag set up a wild five-lap shootout to the checkered. Gravel kept the Penngrove, CA native within his sights as time ticked away. On the last lap, Kofoid had to slide a lapped car in the final set of corners. Gravel opted to roll a few lanes lower and grab the grip on exit. The two-time champion pulled alongside Kofoid as they motored off Turn 4, but Kofoid barely held him off to complete the weekend sweep in a finish that brought the fans to their feet.
“It starts with an excellent car,” Kofoid said. “I feel like every time I get into it I know it’s going to be damn near perfect and up to me to drive the s**t out of it, and that’s what this place demands. It’s funny, after we went back green those last five laps I didn’t feel near as good as when we were logging laps on the long runs. I feel like on the long runs my car was excellent. On the short runs, I just found myself getting tighter and tighter and missing (Turn) 2 more than I was chasing David.
“It was a tough race. I started sixth, got to fourth, and then started not making a lot of = smart moves and put myself back to sixth or seventh. I just started driving the heck out of it and staying true to the top and not pulling off it unless I absolutely had to. I got behind David and felt better chasing someone definitely in traffic. My car has been great in traffic, and I feel like that allowed me to get to him and pass him.”
It was a historic night in multiple ways for Kofoid and the Roth crew. First, it’s Kofoid’s first ever three-race win streak with the World of Outlaws as he also picked off 81 Speedway two weeks ago before the Easter break and Friday’s I-55 opener. The 24-year-old also became the first driver ever to top three consecutive races with The Greatest Show on Dirt at I-55. To go along with the Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic sweep, he hoisted last year’s Ironman 55 dumbbell. It’s also Roth Motorsports’ first three-race win streak with the World of Outlaws since Danny Lasoski topped a trio straight in March of 2000.
Gravel came home runner-up, a nice recovery for he and the Big Game crew after a Friday crash forced them to settle for ninth.
Donny Schatz wheeled the CJB Motorsports No. 15 from 11th to third for his third podium of the season and third consecutive top five finish.
Bill Balog and Spencer Bayston completed the top five.
NIGHTLY NOTES
David Gravel picked up his fifth Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night this season.
Will Armitage clocked his first career Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.
Heat Races belonged to Will Armitage (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), David Gravel (DIRTVision Heat Two), Sheldon Haudenschild (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Rees Moran (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).
The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Kasey Jedrzejek.
Jedrzejek also topped the Toyota Dash.
Landon Crawley won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.
Logan Schuchart roared from 25th to seventh to take the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.
That also made Schuchart the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.
Kasey Jedrzejek finished 13th, earning the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.
Jedrzejek also laid down the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.
The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Garet Williamson.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series continues a stretch through the Midwest with stops at Illinois’ Jacksonville Speedway on Friday, April 17 and Haubstadt, IN’s Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, April 18. For Jacksonville tickets, CLICK HERE. For Tri-State tickets, call 812-768-6025.
Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.
Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 83-Michael Kofoid[6]; 2. 2-David Gravel[2]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[11]; 4. 17B-Bill Balog[18]; 5. 17-Spencer Bayston[20]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo[9]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[25]; 8. 10-Ryan Timms[23]; 9. 7S-Chris Windom[7]; 10. 45X-Rees Moran[4]; 11. 2C-Cole Macedo[17]; 12. 21-Brian Brown[16]; 13. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[1]; 14. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]; 15. 88-Austin McCarl[15]; 16. 37-Bryce Norris[8]; 17. 23-Garet Williamson[26]; 18. 28M-Conner Morrell[13]; 19. 71-Parker Price Miller[24]; 20. 51-Scott Bogucki[27]; 21. 16C-Scotty Thiel[12]; 22. 7A-Will Armitage[3]; 23. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[22]; 24. 17GP-Hank Davis[10]; 25. 85J-Logan Julien[14]; 26. 12X-Landon Crawley[21]; 27. 19-Kaleb Johnson[19]
Submitted By: Jimmy Dearing
Article Media
