Gray goes to the semifinal-round from the No. 11 qualifying position
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/j_gray.jpg" alt="j_gray" align="left"borders="0"/>
RICHMOND, Sunday: Johnny Gray enjoyed one of his best races in his Pro Stock career this weekend at the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. He has been waiting all year for things to fall together and it appears that has finally happened. Gray’s beautiful Dodge Stratus ran well, the team did a good job and even the driver contributed to make for a great outing for this first year team.
In qualifying Gray made four strong runs, improving with each one. He ran a 6.630, 6.607, 6.587, and saved the best for last, his career quickest and fastest, a 6.573 at 209.14 mph. This Pro Stock career best for the former Funny Driver put him in the No. 11 qualifying spot.
“We had a good weekend,” said Gray. “We did well in qualifying. Our 6.57 was the quickest and fastest I’ve ever gone in a Pro Stock. We ran 209 mph and somebody asked me if I knew how fast it was. You know I couldn’t tell you because once you go 325 mph in a Funny Car, everything else is slow. It was kind of comical because my wife Terry isn’t her and when I called her to tell her she was all excited, and then I told her it was only good for 11th.”
Gray had an equally good race day, going to the semi-final round. In the first-round Gray took out V. Gaines on a holeshot win of 6.590 against a 6.582. Gray’s margin of victory was .0168 seconds. In the next round he took out the guy he is partnering with next year, Allen Johnson, again on a holeshot. Here Gray ran 6.587 to a losing 6.575. This time Gray’s margin of victory was .0293 seconds. In the semi’s Gray faced Jeg Coughlin, but this time the outcome was not in his favor. On a troublesome run, Gray’s 6.651 was no match for Coughlin’s 6.586.
“We’re certainly getting better as time goes on,” expressed Gray. “We won some good races today. The track was awesome, the conditions were great, our motor ran good. Craig (Hankinson, crew chief) called good shots, the guys did a good job and even the driver did okay. Craig felt the clutch was a little soft in the second round so he left it alone for the semi’s thinking the track would come around to it, but the track got slippery. When I shifted into first gear it started to spin and when I got to third it was still spinning, so I got out of it. We thought the track would be better than it was, but that’s the way it goes. We made good runs all weekend and have nothing to hang our heads about.”
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/j_gray.jpg" alt="j_gray" align="left"borders="0"/>
RICHMOND, Sunday: Johnny Gray enjoyed one of his best races in his Pro Stock career this weekend at the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. He has been waiting all year for things to fall together and it appears that has finally happened. Gray’s beautiful Dodge Stratus ran well, the team did a good job and even the driver contributed to make for a great outing for this first year team.
In qualifying Gray made four strong runs, improving with each one. He ran a 6.630, 6.607, 6.587, and saved the best for last, his career quickest and fastest, a 6.573 at 209.14 mph. This Pro Stock career best for the former Funny Driver put him in the No. 11 qualifying spot.
“We had a good weekend,” said Gray. “We did well in qualifying. Our 6.57 was the quickest and fastest I’ve ever gone in a Pro Stock. We ran 209 mph and somebody asked me if I knew how fast it was. You know I couldn’t tell you because once you go 325 mph in a Funny Car, everything else is slow. It was kind of comical because my wife Terry isn’t her and when I called her to tell her she was all excited, and then I told her it was only good for 11th.”
Gray had an equally good race day, going to the semi-final round. In the first-round Gray took out V. Gaines on a holeshot win of 6.590 against a 6.582. Gray’s margin of victory was .0168 seconds. In the next round he took out the guy he is partnering with next year, Allen Johnson, again on a holeshot. Here Gray ran 6.587 to a losing 6.575. This time Gray’s margin of victory was .0293 seconds. In the semi’s Gray faced Jeg Coughlin, but this time the outcome was not in his favor. On a troublesome run, Gray’s 6.651 was no match for Coughlin’s 6.586.
“We’re certainly getting better as time goes on,” expressed Gray. “We won some good races today. The track was awesome, the conditions were great, our motor ran good. Craig (Hankinson, crew chief) called good shots, the guys did a good job and even the driver did okay. Craig felt the clutch was a little soft in the second round so he left it alone for the semi’s thinking the track would come around to it, but the track got slippery. When I shifted into first gear it started to spin and when I got to third it was still spinning, so I got out of it. We thought the track would be better than it was, but that’s the way it goes. We made good runs all weekend and have nothing to hang our heads about.”
