[coverattach=1]Joliet, Sunday: The 13th annual United Association Route 66 Nationals was filled with long rain delays but rookie Shane Gray didn’t let the rain dampen the best weekend of his young Pro Stock career. Gray had a great time as he took his beautiful Tire Kingdom Pontiac GXP to the semifinal round, for the first time this season.
Gray’s Tire Kingdom GXP was a hot car this weekend and made great passes on every run. In the first-round of eliminations today, Gray easily put away Warren Johnson. Gray left on Johnson and never looked back, posting an impressive 6.630 at 208.46 mph against Johnson’s 6.642. In the next round, the second-generation driver faced another veteran, V. Gaines. Gray stepped up and posted an even more impressive 6.623 at 208.23 mph. Gaines had a red light start and only ran 6.654.
After a lengthy rain delay, Gray went out for the semifinals under the lights and faced Jason Line. The track was tough and Gray slowed to a 6.628 at 193.63 mph as Line got the win with his 6.601. Gray pulled his foot at the 1,000-foot mark because of the track conditions and it showed in his mph.
“We had a great weekend,” expressed Gray. “We’ve got a fast car and a great crew and our engine department is coming along. We had a great day today. We didn’t expect to go to the semifinals so early in the year but we have the equipment to do it. We’re happy and proud for all our friends at Tire Kingdom.
“We wish we could have done better in the semis. It was on a good run. The car flew through third and fourth gear but it was like driving on ice. The track was not good on the top end at all. I shut it off at 1000 feet and it only went 6.62 at 193 mph. If it would have been a better track, I think it would have gone between a .58 and a .60. But we’re going to stay and test tomorrow and we’ll be ready for next week.”
The great effort this weekend by Gray and his Tire Kingdom team moved him up into the No. 9 position in the Full Throttle Championship point standings.
Gray’s Tire Kingdom GXP was a hot car this weekend and made great passes on every run. In the first-round of eliminations today, Gray easily put away Warren Johnson. Gray left on Johnson and never looked back, posting an impressive 6.630 at 208.46 mph against Johnson’s 6.642. In the next round, the second-generation driver faced another veteran, V. Gaines. Gray stepped up and posted an even more impressive 6.623 at 208.23 mph. Gaines had a red light start and only ran 6.654.
After a lengthy rain delay, Gray went out for the semifinals under the lights and faced Jason Line. The track was tough and Gray slowed to a 6.628 at 193.63 mph as Line got the win with his 6.601. Gray pulled his foot at the 1,000-foot mark because of the track conditions and it showed in his mph.
“We had a great weekend,” expressed Gray. “We’ve got a fast car and a great crew and our engine department is coming along. We had a great day today. We didn’t expect to go to the semifinals so early in the year but we have the equipment to do it. We’re happy and proud for all our friends at Tire Kingdom.
“We wish we could have done better in the semis. It was on a good run. The car flew through third and fourth gear but it was like driving on ice. The track was not good on the top end at all. I shut it off at 1000 feet and it only went 6.62 at 193 mph. If it would have been a better track, I think it would have gone between a .58 and a .60. But we’re going to stay and test tomorrow and we’ll be ready for next week.”
The great effort this weekend by Gray and his Tire Kingdom team moved him up into the No. 9 position in the Full Throttle Championship point standings.
