Valvoline/Nova Services pro Shane Gray zeroes in on Houston's Victory Circle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact: Rob Geiger (832) 971-9345 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Valvoline/Nova Services pro Shane Gray zeroes in on Houston's Victory Circle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOUSTON (April 30) -- Growing up in the oilfields around Artesia, N.M., Pro Stock driver Shane Gray feels right at home in Houston, the energy capital of the world. Now the driver of the Valvoline/Nova Services Chevrolet Camaro is hoping his familiarity with the local climes translates into a victory Sunday at this weekend's 29th annual NHRA SpringNationals. "It would be very cool to win here," Gray said. "Houston was a regular stop when we were working the family oil business. You generally get all the stuff you need here and sell a good bit of the stuff you produce here, so yes, it's a city I know well. We also have a bunch of friends and supporters in the area, so that adds a level of excitement. "Bottom line, we want to win. We need to start stringing round-wins together every race and put ourselves in position to challenge for trophies. If we can put that plan into operation tomorrow, then I'll be a happy guy." Gray will begin his quest for career win No. 5 with a very consistent race car. He posted back-to-back runs of 6.659 at 209.01 mph and 6.653 at 208.65 mph Friday and backed that up with a pass of 6.671 at 209.07 mph in Saturday's humidity. The end result is he'll start Sunday's eliminations as the No. 10 qualifier, racing fifth-best Allen Johnson (6.635 at 208.97 mph) in the first round. "You have to be ready to beat them all if you want to win, so we prepare for every race like the world champ is in the other lane," said Gray, who now calls Mooresville, N.C., home. "This has turned into a real tuner's race so far. It was hot Friday and then we got a bunch of rain overnight, which changed the racing surface. Today seemed a little cooler at first but then it got steamy. We've pretty much seen it all. "Jim (Yates) and Craig (Hankinson, crew chiefs) have their hands full, but they generally make the right calls when the pressure is on. I'm going to concentrate on my job behind the wheel and try to gain as much of an advantage as I can at the starting line." Hankinson tunes Alex Laughlin's Gas Monkey Garage Camaro, which has a Gray Motorsports engine under the hood. "We have an alliance with them and share data, and that certainly helps the guys make the tuning calls," Gray said. "It's east Texas. God knows what the weather will be like tomorrow. We need to be ready for anything." FOX Sports 1 will carry qualifying action from 11 p.m. to midnight, Saturday. Eliminations will air from 4 to 7 p.m., Sunday. Valvoline/Nova Services Pro Stock driver Shane Gray will face Allen Johnson in the first round of Sunday eliminations at the NHRA SpringNationals in Houston. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --30-- Visit GrayMotorsports.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001g3lp_GlEMnKVnhBejbuSFw43PeCa0mDBEnkZgb2FAZBQERI1HMgUH3jaqaDFPIHmGTjyZHCmJCXV6xrs9OSBn116H0S2Sz4bcsyTRVGJvh5-bGdmBRdsKbxQ4szYTTQCc__lAgI18i7arMKqSmP7bKQUgpsYCa3kiJFl7BwgMuHmg4dAChqpFg==&c=-gTKdVW9ERGhZ-awI22gkKJb08f0zPlIwyyFHVBlZaGSZujYC_H7OQ==&ch=wC5_UbFlrDnXd7by7aGZUoPOmAbUz_rxueQHViVoKFNzgMWzKHRUHg==], Valvoline.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001g3lp_GlEMnKVnhBejbuSFw43PeCa0mDBEnkZgb2FAZBQERI1HMgUH3VxbO738UhHrb_PIIARFDS61BtJSIj7LRkFwFHfFC9YxpAltFBXq5cXgFWahEmm8mVee54NkWN7PlioZuSa70KkNbgc7tOA638tC_9IGzzZupYAQzyNlPQ=&c=-gTKdVW9ERGhZ-awI22gkKJb08f0zPlIwyyFHVBlZaGSZujYC_H7OQ==&ch=wC5_UbFlrDnXd7by7aGZUoPOmAbUz_rxueQHViVoKFNzgMWzKHRUHg==], NovaMud.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001g3lp_GlEMnKVnhBejbuSFw43PeCa0mDBEnkZgb2FAZBQERI1HMgUH3VxbO738UhHiqsr7mKFxPvYosqEgBRRRCX32bpV5hZPCiAl_tITXVTv_23iAU2kgMYOPgVcLIXAYQ6RFPG1y-igLMWNaxle9jnLEDu4qvaYkXwHpi0TpBY=&c=-gTKdVW9ERGhZ-awI22gkKJb08f0zPlIwyyFHVBlZaGSZujYC_H7OQ==&ch=wC5_UbFlrDnXd7by7aGZUoPOmAbUz_rxueQHViVoKFNzgMWzKHRUHg==], and GeigerMediaGlobal.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001g3lp_GlEMnKVnhBejbuSFw43PeCa0mDBEnkZgb2FAZBQERI1HMgUH86y-zu_Z4-gJuqgU-zRVHKcZCV1txxbwZzy2u4G427FGtp_qy9TElCzpNT3BA5G1cweYQiaGNUNGzqwshpVpuYRrt3zvwyea2VAMdTI92GiaR4FVl3fFLT0HOfdsIFTgg==&c=-gTKdVW9ERGhZ-awI22gkKJb08f0zPlIwyyFHVBlZaGSZujYC_H7OQ==&ch=wC5_UbFlrDnXd7by7aGZUoPOmAbUz_rxueQHViVoKFNzgMWzKHRUHg==] for more info. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward this email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=uiezvfkab&m=1110439661844&ea=$submit@theautochannel.com$&a=1124573225656 This email was sent to submit@theautochannel.com by rob@geigermediaglobal.com. Update Profile/Email Address http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=0017re3tOebzu_OMTLdsVWgmw%3D%3D&ch=3bc2c1f0-7c89-11e3-bf33-d4ae5275b3f6&ca=76785614-a836-4201-9eea-906122274424 Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=0017re3tOebzu_OMTLdsVWgmw%3D%3D&ch=3bc2c1f0-7c89-11e3-bf33-d4ae5275b3f6&ca=76785614-a836-4201-9eea-906122274424 Privacy Policy: http://www.constantcontact.com/legal/service-provider?cc=about-service-provider Online Marketing by Constant Contact(R) www.constantcontact.com Geiger Media Global Ltd. | 526 Kingwood Drive | Suite 96 | Kingwood | TX | 77339