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Shane Gray will make his first Pro Stock start from the No. 14 position
POMONA, Saturday: Life is moving very fast for Shane Gray. It was just one week ago, that he earned his Pro Stock license and now he is preparing to make his first professional start. He will join his father, veteran driver, Johnny Gray as the two take their new Pontiac GXP’s equipped with their newly developed Gray Motorsports power plants and try their hand against the competition at the 50th annual NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals. Gray joined his dad in building a new program for themselves in the off-season and weren’t sure what to expect when they rolled in to the famed Auto Club Raceway at Pomona complex a few days ago. But the two determined racers showed everyone what they were able to accomplish as they put both cars into the field.
"I think it’s pretty amazing all that we’ve accomplished over the off season and are here qualified for the Winternationals,” expressed Gray. “The first of October we had an empty shop building, cars were just being built, there were no machines in our shop, no blocks, no heads, no nothing and here we are February 13 and we’ve got both cars qualified. One in the middle of the field and one lower down, and they both get to race tomorrow. So, I think it’s an amazing feat.” Gray made four strong consistent runs in qualifying this weekend, each time looking like a seasoned pro instead of the rookie that he is. Today in the first session, he ran 6.646 at 207.82 mph and then followed it up with a 6.644 at 208.20. He made three 6.64 runs out of his four attempts. Having a strong, consistent car is an accomplishment for even the most seasoned team and it’s even more astonishing coming from a team that is literally starting from scratch. Gray ended up qualified in the No. 14 spot and will face Ron Krisher in the first-round of eliminations. “Mentally I’m ready to have a good time tomorrow,” said Gray. “But experience wise, not yet but in the near future I will be. Every time I get to get in the car and strap up and make a run, it’s just better for me. The car is a lot better than I am at this point. But hopefully, tomorrow I’ll be good enough to go a round or two.”
Johnny Gray has a positive outlook
POMONA, Friday: After two qualifying sessions at the 50th annual NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Johnny Gray has a positive outlook for his Gray Motorsports Pro Stock.
On yesterday’s qualifying attempt, Gray had extreme tire shake when he hit the throttle, which ruined the run, but he managed to squeak out a 9.483 at 163.57 mph. Today’s attempt turned out much better for Gray. The beautiful Pontiac GXP left the line the way it’s suppose and made it straight down the track. He posted a 6.681 at 208.14 mph. Although this was a great improvement, it was not enough to get him in the show.
“We had some severe carburetor issues yesterday,” explained Gray, “we think a float was stuck. We got them all cleaned up for today. And, then the car was way too aggressive, blew the tires off in low gear, and continued spinning them in second. At least now, we have something to work with. So we’ll try and get it figured out for tomorrow and see if we can make a decent run.
“But all in all, for where we were three months ago to where we are now, knock on wood, we have a couple motors that still have the rods in them. And that’s all good. So, we’ll go out tomorrow and see if we can sneak into the show and if we do, I’d say we knocked a home run.”
Tomorrow, Gray will have two more chances to qualify and if he does, he will be in the program and get to play on Sunday.
Shane Gray qualified No. 11 after two sessions
POMONA, Friday: After two qualifying sessions at the 50th annual NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona newly licensed Pro Stock driver, Shane Gray, looks more like a seasoned pro than a newcomer as he handles the Gray Motorsports Pontiac GXP down the quarter-mile.
In the first session yesterday, Gray was the first car out on a single run. He impressed everyone watching as he made a clean, straight run at 6.642 at 208.23 mph. This run put him in the No. 9 qualifying position.
“I was glad to get that first run over with yesterday,” said Gray. “It allowed me to be more relaxed today. But it was a great experience and as soon as I climbed out of the car, I was ready to do it again.
“We were in the bad lane, the right lane, and we thought there were probably three to four hundreds left in the car. We looked at the computer and made adjustments where we thought they needed to be adjusted and we looked to pick up a little bit. And if I did a decent job driving it; we hoped to speed up.”
On today’s run, Gray again made a clean, straight run but slowed a bit to a 6.673 at 207.91. This was still an impressive run for a new car and driver, but it left Gray a little disappointed. He is still qualified but now he’s in the No. 11 spot.
“We certainly weren’t looking to slow down today,” said Gray. “The racetrack was not as good as yesterday and the air was not as good. Plus, we missed the tune-up on the car as well. Now we have to wait and see what we can do tomorrow.
“Our first run is a noon and the conditions should be a little cooler and then our second at is about the same time as today. I think if anyone is going to improve, it will be at noontime instead of in the afternoon. So, now we’ll wait see if we can be one of the cars to improve and with a little luck we’ll qualify and get to race on Sunday.”
Johnny Gray begins a new chapter at the Winternationals POMONA, Prerace: The off-season is a very busy time for all the teams. There are cars to prep, parts to be stocked, items to be certified, uniforms to be designed and the list goes on. For Pro stock racer and team owner, Johnny Gray, this usual routine was the easiest part of his off time. With his oldest son and newly licensed Pro Stock driver, Shane, by his side the New Mexico businessman took on a massive task. Gray expanded to a two-car team, moved his Gray Motorsports race headquarters to Denver, N.C., took delivery of two beautiful new Jerry Haas Pontiac GXP’s and the toughest feat of all, began his own engine program. With this huge undertaking put into play, Gray is ready to begin an exciting new chapter at the 50th annual NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. And to prepare for the new season, the father and son duo spent several days at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway getting Shane licensed and testing their new equipment. “We’re very pleased with the new Jerry Haas cars we have,” explained Gray. “We we’re working out issues and tried different set-ups on Shane’s car than on mine. In the beginning it appeared that we had the better set-up on his car so we started changing mine over closer to his, but still tried some different directions and some different things. “Because we were behind the eight ball in testing we were throwing everything we had at them trying to find somewhere they were happy and where we think we can adjust from to actually race in Pomona. We plan to run them pretty close to the same in Pomona. We’re going to turn them loose and run them out the other end of the track and see if we’ve got any power. And right now we’re cautiously optimistic that if we can make decent runs, we can get both cars in the field.” There is another important thing that Gray is pleased with, and that is how well his son did during testing. “Shane is doing a real good job,” Gray said with a smile. “I’m real proud of him. He’s driving the car well and he’s paying attention to what everybody is telling him. It’s an awful lot for someone that’s never done this, to absorb, especially in a short period of time. We really weren’t fair to him. Over the winter we planned to do a lot of testing and having a lot of laps under his belt before we took him to a national event. But he’ll handle it fine, I don’t have any qualms with it. He will be just fine. “I’m looking forward to this year. I know we have a lot of work ahead of us and we have a lot to learn but the best part will be getting out there and running as a family organization and having some fun.” Shane Gray ready to begin his Pro Stock career POMONA, Prerace: The newest member of NHRA’s Pro Stock ranks is ready to begin a new chapter in his young career. Shane Gray will make his professional racing debut at the upcoming 50th annual NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The 38-year old son of well known racer, Johnny Gray has stepped up from the Competition Eliminator class where he earned a win in Division Four in the Lucas Oil Series and finished 15 in the national point standings last year, both while running a limited schedule. Gray upgraded his license to Pro stock during the Pro Stock Showdown at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past weekend. And the team stayed a few more days to fine-tune the new Jerry Haas Pontiac GXP and to give the new driver more experience and confidence before he faces the competition for the first time while millions of eyes watch. “Getting in my car for the first time felt good,” described Gray. “Making runs was a little scary the first day; I was really nervous and actually did a terrible job. But the second day was much better. And now that we’ve made a bunch of runs, I’m feeling more comfortable with every one we make. So, hopefully we’ll be okay when we get on the track in Pomona. “I’m really looking forward to beginning my Pro Stock career at the 50th Winternationals. It’s a milestone race and it will be exciting to be a part of it. Plus the Pro Stock field is the toughest field of classes I know of in any form of motorsports and I will be honored just to get to race with them. If I can pull up and race one of the guys that are in the class on Sunday it will be a special honor for me.” The second-generation racer knows that joining the professional ranks is a big step not only financially, but that it’s a lifestyle change that takes extreme commitment and support. He is grateful for having that support from everyone in his life. “I really appreciate the opportunity I have been given,” expressed Gray. “My mother and father have put me in this position because they believe in me. And I’m blessed by God that I have a wonderful wife, Amber, that is my best friend and allows me to do this. She supports me 100 percent and is kind of my mentor in the deal, poking me along with a sharp stick to keep up my confidence and keep things rolling. My wife and my children have to put up with a lot when it comes to my racing, from moving away from the only home they’ve ever known to my being absent from games, school activities, birthdays, quality time and everything else. It’s a very selfish sport that I choose, but luckily I have wonderful parents and wife that allow me to be selfish and do this.” The Gray Motorsports car and driver are not the only things that are new. The crew is also new. Each is experienced, but the newness lies in their working together as one. Under the watchful eye of dad’s crew chief, Craig Hankinson, things will run smoothly and safely. Mike Earle was promoted from dad’s team to be his car chief. “I have good faith in all of my guys,” said Gray. “Craig oversees both cars and both teams. Mike is a very smart individual and I think he’ll do great. He came from my dad’s car and knows how our deal works. And everything has been running smooth so far. But we know we need to take baby steps and hopefully we’ll be right in the midst of things in no time.” The time of being in the midst of things is at hand and Thursday afternoon all the preparation and anticipation will be set into motion as NHRA announcer, Bob Frey will direct all eyes to the Pomona starting line to watch the debut of the newest Pro Stock driver.
