TANNER GRAY SOAKING IN U.S. NATIONALS AS A FAN

Written by Tracy Renck    Fri, 2019-08-30 08:00

 

Tanner Gray, the 2018 NHRA Mello Series Pro Stock world champion is at the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway this weekend.

However, Gray is not competing. He left the NHRA ranks at the end of the season to pursue a career in NASCAR.

“I’m just coming to hang out,” said Gray, 20. “I had a couple of weeks off, so I figured why not come out.”

Gray is hanging out the Summit Racing pits with KB Racing drivers Greg Anderson and Jason Line. Gray is good friends with Anderson’s son, Cody.

“The last time I was at a drag race was at Pomona (last November),” Gray said. “It’s cool to be back and see everybody and hang out. I get to watch a little bit and it is definitely weird to be out here and not be running.”

Gray said he was testing (Aug. 28) at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in a truck and he figured “why not come (to Indy)?”

This season, Gray is competing in NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East and ARCA Series ranks for the first time.

“Not bad,” said Gray, when asked about how his NASCAR season is going. “I want to do better. I think we are third or fourth in points and we have some bad luck the last three races with tires going down and last week in St. Louis I got wrecked on the first lap.”

Gray, the 2018 NHRA Pro Stock world champion, won a 100-lap race as part of the Twin 100s at South Boston (Va.) Speedway May 4.

Gray is behind the wheel of the DGR-Crosley team Toyota owned by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series veteran David Gilliland and Crosley Radio CEO Bo LeMastus.

“I going to run three races in the (NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series) at Martinsville (Oct. 26), Phoenix (Nov. 8) and Homestead (Miami, Nov. 15),” he said. “The test session in Martinsville was good and I also tested in a truck in Homestead, I guess two or three weeks ago. I have had a lot of fun and enjoyed it. It is a lot different than the car. You have a lot more side force and everything else.”

Gray won 13 Pro Stock races in just 48 starts, culminating with his world title at only 19 years old.

Still, drag racing isn’t in his future.

“I’m not coming back (to Pro Stock),” Gray said. “I don’t want to do anything this weekend but hang out,” Gray said. “I’m sure I will go to (the NHRA national event) in Charlotte (N.C., Oct. 11-13 just because it is by my house.”

 

 

 

 
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