NHRA WINTERNATIONALS RACE REPORT:

JOHNNY GRAY TAKES PROVISIONAL POLE

AFTER FIRST DAY OF QUALIFYING

Johnny Gray’s first national-event Funny Car run in five years propelled him to the top spot after today’s first-qualifying round of the NHRA Winternationals here, initial stop in the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

According to the driver of the Service Central Racing® Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, the key to today’s 4.079-second pass at 306.33 miles per hour was the equipment, team work and car preparation.

“Don [Schumacher, team owner] gave Lee [Beard, crew chief] the freedom to put together this great Service Central team and provided us with great equipment,” said the 57-year-old Artesia, N.M., native. “All I had to do was get in the car and pull the trigger!

“I did and the car went right down Broadway!”

Gray, drag racing since 1969, drove Funny Cars from 1999-2004 and again in 2006 (six races for Don Schumacher Racing) for a total of 78 national races. In 2008 he formed Gray Motorsports, fielding a Pro Stock team with himself and, beginning in 2010, his son Shane, driving. His Pro Stock career has spanned 81 NHRA national events since first driving door slammers on a limited schedule in 1993 and 1994. (Off-track responsibilities curtailed driving during several years between 1993 and 2006.)

Last season the veteran racer drove a Pro Stock Car for Service Central into the NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoff. For this season, Service Central, the automotive service offered exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant's Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®, wanted the added exposure a Funny Car would bring, establishing a partnership with DSR.

“Thanks to Service Central’s support for Don’s efforts, we’ve got a hot rod and team which should compete for the Funny Car championship,” Gray said.  “I just have to perform and do my job.”