Kyle Larson won't stop trolling him. Hunter Schuerenberg spun his recent comments humorously. Sammy Swindell declared "if we switched cars, I'd kick his ass."

Oh, and the fans? They keep fueling the fire with receipts they've kept — and keep bringing up — from David Gravel's clash with Larson at last month's Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway where Gravel called Larson out on numerous fronts. Since then, majority of fans, at least in relation to how other drivers are received, have turned Gravel into the most polarizing driver in Sprint Car racing at this week's 64th annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's.

And the boo-birds, noise, comments on social media, and other drivers seemingly wanting their shot at Gravel all don't seem to be going away anytime soon. So is Gravel embracing this role as the sport's newest villain? Take his victory lane comments for what it's worth, a celebration he taunted fans by blowing a kiss and making the cry-baby gesture.

I CAN’T HEAR YOU @knoxvilleraces !! 😉😉 #DG2 #Knoxville #VictoryLane pic.twitter.com/zqI21HtYlH

— David Gravel (@DavidGravel) August 9, 2025

"These guys are going to run out of breath, I'm telling you," Gravel told Wade Aunger on the DIRTVision broadcast in Friday's Hard Knox Night victory lane, obviously referencing the fans that boo him. "I'm only 33 years old. I'm going to be here for a long time, so get ready, get your oxygen tanks."

It all started three weeks ago when Gravel called out Larson for how he's been racing him of late, particuarly taking issue with Larson's last-corner slide job for second at the Kings Royal. Gravel proceeded to make retaliatory contact with Larson after the checkers and air his displeasure in numerous interviews and on social media.

Gravel's taken more swings at Larson this week, calling him "the golden boy" in certain interviews. In Friday's press conference, Gravel made comments implying that "the big screen" — the video boards placed around select racetracks showing the broadcast in real time — aids Larson's driving too much.

Larson's been more of the instigator through all this, turning Gravel's comments about how he "doesn't do this for a living and he's gotta remember that" into T-shirts that read "PART-TIME EFFORT" on the front and "FULL-TIME PROBLEM" on the back. After Thursday's prelim win, Larson trolled Gravel some more by saying "I don't do this for a living" while shrugging his shoulders.

"Fans kinda enjoy the drama," Larson said on the High Limit Room podcast earlier this week. "I feel like I teed up David perfectly in that tweet to play along, but I think he was still in his feelings a little bit and too sensitive. He's done a good job playing the role of the villain lately. Obviously the crowds have been booing him wherever he goes. I even gotten a lot of boos at Eldora. I think it's good, fans get into it."

Gravel seems more indifferent toward Larson — and everyone else — fueling the rivalry narrative. On Wednesday, he understands him vs. Larson is "the most talked about thing in the sport by far" and that "it's created a lot of good," but also "a lot of bad," which Gravel left at that before concluding with "it's created a lot of talk, that's for sure."

When asked if he feels there's a misperception about him, Gravel was less reserved in sharing.

"I think so. I feel like I'm a down-to-earth guy, I'm the most successful guy in Sprint Car racing," Gravel told FloRacing. "I'm at the T-shirt trailer longer than anybody. I feel like I'm pretty level-headed and I don't scream and yell and swear and throw punches at people. They can treat me however they want to treat me. I know at the end of the day, I'm a good person and a good race car driver. We're just going to try and win races."

This week at the Knoxville Nationals has escalated beyond the Gravel vs. Larson spat-turned-rivalry. Now it's more like, Gravel vs. The World, perhaps a similar narrative that NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin fuels whenever he wins. When Gravel crashed on his prelim night Wednesday, he called out Hunter Schuerenberg for "driving with his eyes closed."

A day later, Schuerenberg posted on his X that "I'll be signing autographs with my eyes closed." On Friday, the 69-year-old Sammy Swindell battled Gravel briefly in his heat race, which set up for his semi-viral comment that "if we switched cars, I'd kick his ass." 

How can you not love Slammin’ Sammy 😂 pic.twitter.com/Kk12UYwAxq

— World of Outlaws (@WorldofOutlaws) August 9, 2025

So how does Gravel handle being the most targeted driver — and perhaps the villain — in the sport moving forward? Dirt Late Model driver Gordy Gundaker had a suggestion.

"He’s asking me if I’m taking on the role of a villain," Gravel told Gundaker as the Dirt Late Model driver intervened FloRacing's interview Friday with Gravel to talk with the Big Game Motorsports driver.

“You should, you might as well," Gundaker said. "What else are you going to do?”

Gravel nodded his head before saying "they’re giving me the freaking plate here.”

"I feel like Sammy Swindell," Gravel quipped, referencing the Germantown, Tenn., who was the most polarizing Sprint Car driver of his era. 

"I'm just going with the flow. I can say anything and people will twist it however the hell they want," Gravel said. "I'm just going to keep doing me and keep putting ourselves to win races. They can choose how they want to treat me."

Mid interview with @DavidGravel and @GordyGundaker11 swoops in.

“He’s asking me if I’m taking on the role of a villain.”
“You should, you might as well. What else are you going to do?”
“They’re giving me the freaking plate here.” pic.twitter.com/zXDE3ccORP

— Kyle McFadden (@ByKyleMcFadden) August 9, 2025

I’ll be signing autographs with my eyes closed today at 4:30! pic.twitter.com/b84EFhy6Jv

— Hunter Schuerenberg (@HunterPercent) August 7, 2025