PHOENIX – NHRA Pro Stock rookie standout Tanner Gray made himself an early favorite for NHRA’s Road to the Future Award today with a race to the semifinals at the 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, the second of 24 events in the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

The 17-year-old third generation drag racer qualified his Gray Motorsports Valvoline Chevy Camaro factory hot rod in the No. 3 slot (6.538 seconds, 211.79 mph) for Sunday’s eliminations, the best qualifying effort of his budding career. Gray took down Alan Prusiensky in Round 1 and Bo Butner in Round 2.

In the semifinals, Gray continued to show off his already-seasoned prowess on the starting line by leaving the line first for the third consecutive time, but his competitor Greg Anderson was able to track him down and get the close win, 6.590 at 210.64 mph to 6.564 at 210.47 mph.

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PHOENIX – Budding NHRA star and Pro Stock racing rookie Tanner Gray qualified his Gray Motorsports Valvoline-clad Chevy Camaro in the lofty No. 3 slot for Sunday’s eliminations at the 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Gray’s 6.538-second, 211.79-mph mark in Friday’s first qualifying session gave the 17-year-old the best starting spot of his burgeoning career. He will race No. 14 qualifier Alan Prusiensky in the opening stanza of eliminations.

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CHANDLER, AZ – Following a steady start to the 24-race NHRA season in Pomona, Calif., where rookie Tanner Gray and his father Shane both reached the quarterfinals, the two drivers have swapped their Valvoline-backed Chevrolet Camaros for this weekend’s 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals.

“Dave (Connolly, crew chief) feels like he has a better handle on the car Dad drove in Pomona and even though the guys were spending most of their time on the car I was driving, Dad qualified better and had a slightly quicker car every round,” Tanner said. “They made the call to switch cars so I’ll be in that one this weekend and we’ll see how it goes
from there.”

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POMONA, CA – Call it youthful exuberance.  Racing in his first-ever NHRA national event, 17-year-old Tanner Gray matched up with three-time and defending world champion Jason Line in the quarterfinal round of Sunday’s 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals and damn-near put the veteran on the trailer.

Gray fashioned a massive four-hundredths of a second advantage at the starting line and led the race until well past half track before Line finally caught and passed his Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro with just inches to spare, taking the stripe by six-thousandths of a second. The final tally showed Line winning with a 6.558 at 210.97 mph to Gray’s 6.604 at 210.18 mph.

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POMONA, CA – At the conclusion of a steady two days of qualifying at the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals, 17-year-old Pro Stock rookie Tanner Gray says the nerves of his first professional start are starting to fade, allowing him to focus 100 percent on his first-ever round of sudden-death eliminations, which comes at high noon Sunday at Auto Club Raceway.

“I was actually pretty nervous for the first round of qualifying just because I’ve never been at a national event before as a driver,” Gray said. “I’ve never done anything like this before so there is definitely a learning curve. But we tested a lot and I already feel good in the car. I think I’m over 50 passes now so I’m getting there.

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POMONA, CA – Rookie Pro Stock driver Tanner Gray doesn’t even need to leave his pit to find three proven winners ready to dispense years of drag racing knowledge, a comforting fact for the 17-year-old as he preps for this weekend’s season-opening 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals.

“I’ve got grandpa (Johnny Gray), Dad (Shane Gray) and Dave (Connolly) right here and they’ve all been a huge help since we started this deal,” Tanner said. “There probably isn’t anything that could happen to me out there they haven’t experienced at one point or another. I know I can ask them anything and they’ll be there for me.

“Their support has made me very comfortable in this Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro, and that has to help me as I start my drag racing career.”

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POMONA, CA – The magic of a late-season victory in Las Vegas proved too strong for pro Shane Gray to ignore with the Gray Motorsports pilot electing to drive a second car alongside his son Tanner at NHRA national events in Pomona and Phoenix.

Shane turned the group’s primary car over to Tanner after the 2016 season, which ended well with Shane’s fifth professional title at the penultimate race at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His focus since then has been on preparing 17-year-old Tanner for action in the cutthroat Pro Stock category. But with a back-up car on the rig, Shane decided it may be beneficial to drive it at a few events.

Plus, it’s a lot of fun.

“Having a second car will give us twice as much data every round and that will only help Dave (Connolly, crew chief) and the guys prepare Tanner’s car,” Shane said. “We’ve all seen how well the multi-car teams perform and we’ve enjoyed the same advantages with teammates like Drew Skillman and Alex Laughlin.

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MOORESVILLE, NC – Tanner Gray, the newly appointed driver of the Valvoline Chevy Camaro Pro Stocker for Gray Motorsports, recently wrapped up two test sessions in preparation for the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Tanner takes over the seat of the family car from his father Shane Gray, who decided to step away from driving at the end of last season. Shane will remain an active member of the Gray Motorsports team moving forward as Tanner’s driving coach and team manager.

“We went to Bradenton (Motorsports Park) in Florida in December and then went back again this month,” said Tanner, a 17-year-old native of Mooresville, N.C. “We made about 25 runs in the Valvoline Camaro at the first test. We were just trying to get me used to the car, like getting everything comfortable for me and getting a feel for the (steering) wheel and all the controls.

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POMONA, CA – After a close quarterfinal loss to championship hopeful Greg Anderson Sunday at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, outgoing Pro Stock driver Shane Gray felt overwhelmingly thankful for his time behind the wheel of the Valvoline/Nova Services Chevrolet Camaro.

“I’m so lucky to have my mom and dad’s (Terry and Johnny Gray) support all these years and to work with a great crew of guys here at the track and back home at the engine shop,” Gray said. “I’m just so thankful for everything we’ve been able to do together and proud of our accomplishments along the way. It’s been a great run for me and I have zero regrets.”

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POMONA, CA – Shane Gray is riding high as the NHRA season comes to a close with this weekend’s 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals. The steady pro from North Carolina is coming off a big victory at the last stop in Las Vegas and his Valvoline/Nova Services Chevrolet Camaro remains one of the best in Pro Stock.

“We have ourselves a great racecar,” Gray said. “Aside from the adjustments we needed to make for the altitude differences between here and Las Vegas, we really didn’t change much on the car. It’s running strong and coming off a win, I think all of us are feeling good about what we’re doing over here.

“As a driver, it’s really cool when the car is running this well because you can focus all your attention and energy on making good passes. It helps the crew chief and crew when the driver is consistent behind the wheel so I put a lot of effort into doing the best I can when I’m in the cockpit.”

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