David Gravel staged a dramatic final-lap pass, diving low to slip past Bill Balog when Balog clipped the wall and lost momentum to win the 35-lap World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink feature that opened the Cowtown Classic at Kennedale Speedway Park.

The victory, piloted in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 car by the defending World of Outlaws champion, was Gravel’s 121st World of Outlaws win and his 56th different track victory, moving him within one win of equaling Danny Lasoski for sixth on the World of Outlaws all-time wins list. It also made him the sixth different winner across the seven World of Outlaws races contested so far this season.

The finish capped a race with several late-race lead changes and on-track incidents: Michael “Buddy” Kofoid executed a slider to take the lead on Lap 30 but hit the fence on Lap 31, which returned the lead to Balog; Gravel steadily closed the gap before his decisive low dive. Balog’s runner-up was his best result of the season; Carson Macedo finished third, Logan Schuchart fourth and Sheldon Haudenschild fifth.

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