WINDOM, Minn. – Big Game Motorsports has signed sprint car star David Gravel to pilot the Killer Instinct Crossbows backed No. 2 next year.

The team plans on competing full time with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and will debut together next February in Florida.

“I’ve been able to work with Tod (Quiring) when I was at CJB Motorsports,” Gravel said. “He was a big sponsor there. We seemed to get along good. They’ve always fielded a well-funded team and first-class operation. It was just a matter of time before we were going to link up together. It seems to be the right timing.”

Gravel is one of the sport’s rising stars. He has earned six feature victories this year and will finish in the top 10 in the World of Outlaws championship standings for the seventh straight season. Gravel has 57 career wins with the series, which ranks 16th best all time.

He has earned at least five Outlaws triumphs during six of the last seven years, including a career-best 18 victories in 2017 and a dozen last year.

It has been several seasons since Big Game Motorsports has fielded a full-time World of Outlaws car, but the Tod Quiring owned organization has enjoyed numerous successful seasons running with ‘The Greatest Show on Dirt’ throughout its storied career.

Now, Gravel has an opportunity to vie for a new feat – a World of Outlaws championship for the first time.

“I think that they’ve fielded a competitive car the last several years,” he said. “They have a strong engine program and run the same chassis I’ve run the last two seasons with Jason Johnson Racing. (Crew chief) Cody (Jacobs) has shown that he can win big races. When everything is right that combination could win. You add me to the team and I feel like we should have chances to win races.

“As far as a championship, that’s something really hard to do. You have to take it race by race, month by month. We have the potential to compete night in and night out. We have to gel, learn each other’s languages and continue to grow.”

Gravel replaces Kerry Madsen, who spent the last four seasons with the No. 2 team.

Madsen earned 19 feature triumphs behind the wheel of the Killer Instinct Crossbows-sponsored sprint car during that time.

“We are grateful for four great years with Kerry and we wish him well in his future endeavors,” Big Game Motorsports Owner Tod Quiring said. “We really like Kerry and it was a tough decision to make a change. David is one of sprint car racing’s top drivers and has been an elite competitor in every car he’s driven for several years.

“We’re excited about him joining our team and we look forward to a successful 2021 campaign with the World of Outlaws.”