[coverattach=1]Pomona, prerace: 2009 is drawing to a close. It is evident all around us. Trees are barren of their leaves, the fields are being harvested, the temperature is dropping all around the country, and there has even been snow in Denver. All signals of the end of the year. And nowhere is it more evident of the end than in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. It is time for the 45th annual Auto Club Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the final race of the year.
Not only does the Auto Club Finals mark the end of the season for all of drag racing but also it will be the final paragraph in the latest chapter in the racing life of Pro Stock talent, Johnny Gray.
Gray began this chapter at the start of this year when he formed an alliance with champion, Allen Johnson and took on the Mopar brand. It was a great year, as Gray enjoyed a strong qualifying effort and made two final-round appearances. Right now, he sits No. 7 in the Championship point standings.
However, when he rolls out of Pomona at the end of the weekend, this chapter will be finished. And the next chapter will be titled “New Beginnings”. Gray is forming a two-car team with his oldest son, Shane, who is moving up from Competition Eliminator. They are developing their own engine program and will be running the Pontiac GXP.
Even with all these big changes and exciting developments in the works, Gray hasn’t forgotten the task at hand for this important race. He would like to go out with a flourish and perhaps move up in the points.
“Just because we’re moving on to bigger and better things next year,” said Gray, “we haven’t thrown in the towel on this year. We still have a lot of fight left in us and we’re going to go out there and try as hard as we can.
“This is a big race, you kind of wait for it all year long. We would like to qualify real well and go a whole bunch of rounds on Sunday. My guys have been doing a great job and the driver has been working on his part, so I don’t see why we can’t have a good weekend. We certainly would like to end this year with style."
Not only does the Auto Club Finals mark the end of the season for all of drag racing but also it will be the final paragraph in the latest chapter in the racing life of Pro Stock talent, Johnny Gray.
Gray began this chapter at the start of this year when he formed an alliance with champion, Allen Johnson and took on the Mopar brand. It was a great year, as Gray enjoyed a strong qualifying effort and made two final-round appearances. Right now, he sits No. 7 in the Championship point standings.
However, when he rolls out of Pomona at the end of the weekend, this chapter will be finished. And the next chapter will be titled “New Beginnings”. Gray is forming a two-car team with his oldest son, Shane, who is moving up from Competition Eliminator. They are developing their own engine program and will be running the Pontiac GXP.
Even with all these big changes and exciting developments in the works, Gray hasn’t forgotten the task at hand for this important race. He would like to go out with a flourish and perhaps move up in the points.
“Just because we’re moving on to bigger and better things next year,” said Gray, “we haven’t thrown in the towel on this year. We still have a lot of fight left in us and we’re going to go out there and try as hard as we can.
“This is a big race, you kind of wait for it all year long. We would like to qualify real well and go a whole bunch of rounds on Sunday. My guys have been doing a great job and the driver has been working on his part, so I don’t see why we can’t have a good weekend. We certainly would like to end this year with style."
