Tanner Gray, A NHRA Champion, Sets High Goals In Nascar

Tanner Gray has always loved stock car racing. But as a teenager, he also developed a passion for roaring down a drag strip at excessive speeds.

Eventually, Gray became the youngest ever NHRA champion at the age of 19. In 2018, the New Mexico native captured the NHRA Pro Stock title. He won 13 of 48 races in the NHRA, with eight of those victories coming in his championship season.

But Gray wanted to compete in Nascar, and he departed the comfortable world of drag racing for a challenge unlike any other.

“The biggest thing is they’re 180 degrees different,” Gray said. “The mental aspect of it is, too. You’re going from racing six seconds in drag racing and racing one other guy to two hours against 40 other guys. More so than anything, it’s been the mental aspect.

“I didn’t do much stock car racing before I switched, so I had to learn the cars, how they drive and everything that comes with it.”

Gray, now 22, is in his third full-time season competing in the Nascar Camping World Truck Series for David Gilliland Racing. He’s off to his best start yet, earning three top 10s in the first four races this year.

“We have Jerry Baxter and he’s made a lot of pretty strong gains on all of our trucks,” Gray said. “We’re turning the program around. We have a lot of good people at DGR. It’s where our strong runs have come from. When you surround yourself with people who are better and have been in the sport a long time, it makes me have to step up and be better. Hopefully, we keep getting better throughout the season.”

Gray is supported by Ford Performance, as is his DGR teammate Hailie Deegan. The partnership enables Gray to utilize Ford’s simulator, as well as learn from some of the blue oval’s top drivers.

The experience of working with Ford also translates to the track. Ford Performance is often on Gray’s No. 15 truck, serving as his primary sponsor since he first started competing in Nascar, though Black’s Tire did join the No. 15 truck at Daytona this year.

“Ford has been absolutely incredible to work with,” he said. “They have opened their arms to not only me, but everyone who has come to DGR. Their main focus is, ‘What can we do to help you be better?’

“From a manufacturer, that’s the right mentality. We go to the simulator every Monday and they’re in our competition meetings after the weekend to go over how it went. They’ve been really involved with myself and with my brother. They’ve been awesome to work with.”

Until the start of the 2022 season, Gray admittedly has struggled in Nascar. He scored four top fives and eight top 10s in his rookie season two years ago. But 2021 was worse than expected, with only one top five and a pair of top 10s, totaling an average finish of 22.3.

As Gray attempts to win his first Truck Series race, the pressure is on. He believes he can get the job done, and 2022 is the year for him to prove himself.

“I have a bad tendency to beat my confidence down and then, I get in a rut, and it’s hard to get out of. When I came from drag racing, I just won a championship and I was winning races. I won 33% of the races I ran, which is fairly high in racing.

“To turn around and do something I felt was much more challenging and you’re not winning, it makes things tough. When you run well, it helps. It’s an up and down sport. When I made the switch, I knew it would be tough.”

With a playoff spot on the line, Gray is geared up for the rest of the year. Momentum is on the No. 15 team’s side, and he believes this is his year.

Through four races, Gray sits fifth in the regular season championship battle. The series returns to Martinsville Speedway on Thursday, site of his best finish from 2021.