When Scott Ray thinks about the past, it’s hard for him to believe the present.

Back at the end of February of 2009, things seemed normal for Ray. He was at his team’s shop in Greenville, Ohio, working on his 1953 Pro Modified Corvette.

Then, Ray’s life changed in an instant as he suffered a heart attack. He was only 48 years old.

When Scott Ray thinks about the past, it’s hard for him to believe the present.

Back at the end of February of 2009, things seemed normal for Ray. He was at his team’s shop in Greenville, Ohio, working on his 1953 Pro Modified Corvette.

Then, Ray’s life changed in an instant as he suffered a heart attack. He was only 48 years old.

“Basically when the doctor tells you your heart is only capable of about 50 percent of what it should be capable of, and you have a lung collapse also while you’re laying there in the bed after your (quadruple bypass) surgery, you start seeing the light pretty fast. If you want to keep living, you better start doing something different.”

That’s exactly what Ray did.

“I changed my diet, and started an exercise program,” said Ray, who has lost 55 pounds since his heart attack. “The difference between me now and what I was like before the heart attack is night and day. I feel a lot better.”

Ray’s healthy living also has been beneficial for him while he’s competing at races.

“I feel much more comfortable in the car and the heat doesn’t bother me like it used to,” Ray exclaimed. “It’s a huge difference. I feel like I’m ready and raring to go now when I’m driving.”

Mix in Ray’s new energized outlook with an engine combination that is starting to click and the result has been some solid performances as he competes full-time on the NHRA’s Get Screened America Drag Racing Series. The series made its NHRA debut in March at the 41st annual Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

Ray’s car is owned by his parents Stan and Mary Ray. Stan also is Scott’s crew chief, and Scott’s brother, John, is also an integral part of the team’s operation. Ray’s family has run its Ohio Crankshaft business in Greenville for 40 years.

“I made it to the semifinals at Bristol (Tenn.) and I also made it to the second round at the two previous races at Atlanta and Englishtown (N.J.),” Ray said. “The key to our success is my dad’s hard work and diligence. He has been trying new things with his tune-up combination and working on getting the car and chassis right to get the car to go down the track.”

Back on Nov. 1, the Pro Mod class officially joined the NHRA as the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. The Pro Mod Series is competing at 10 NHRA Full Throttle Series events in 2010 as part of multi-year deal between the Pro Mod Series and the NHRA.

Adding the Get Screened America Drag Racing Series to the NHRA professional ranks and schedule, was made possible by funding from Pro Care Rx and its current Get Screened America initiative. The Pro Mod class isn’t new to the NHRA as it has been competing at NHRA events as an exhibition class since 2001.

“I really think the sport is going the right direction,” said Ray, who has been driving in the Pro Mod ranks on the IHRA and NHRA circuits for nearly a decade.

Ray’s most recent Get Screened America Drag Racing Series race at Norwalk, Ohio last weekend was a tough one. He red lighted in the first round against Mike Castellana, after qualifying sixth at 5.969 seconds.

“We had a little mechanical issue there in the first round, but that’s just the way it goes,” Ray said, his confidence undiminished by the first round loss.

Ray has plenty of time to regroup as he isn’t competing again until Sept. 1-6 at the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

“We kind of need the break to kind of catch up because we had three races in a row, three weeks in a row,” Ray said. “We can use a little bit of a break to catch up and take care of business. But, we will be rarin’ and ready for Indy.”

With his health in order, Scott sees a positive drag racing future for himself.

“My immediate goal is to win a race, and have fun,” said Scott, who has worked at the family business for over two decades. “As long as I’m having fun and my family is having fun, we will continue to race. I still think I can get the job done and I still enjoy doing what I’m doing. I like working on the car, and I get to do that and I like driving it.”