Shane Gray pumped for race day after extending impressive qualifying streak
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact: Rob Geiger (832) 971-9345 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shane Gray pumped for race day after extending impressive qualifying streak ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SONOMA, Calif. (July 30) -- For the ninth race in a row and the 11th time this season, soft-spoken Pro Stock driver Shane Gray will begin his quest for another NHRA Wally trophy from the favored side of the elimination ladder. This time the title of the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals is at stake, with eliminations taking place live on the main FOX network. Gray's current streak of nine top-half qualifying berths have come under the guidance of crew chief Dave Connolly, who took over the Valvoline/Nova Services Chevrolet Camaro in early May at the Atlanta race. Prior to that, Connolly was driving a Top Fuel dragster for the now-defunct Vandergriff Racing operation. "Dave has certainly brought a lot to the team," Gray said. "He raced for a long time in the class, both as a driver and a crew chief, and he knows these cars very well. There's a reason so many of these races are decided by thousandths of a second -- because everyone out here is really good, so to have a guy join your team and put you on this upward path we've been on is impressive. "He's put us in position to win rounds and win races, and that's exciting. We really want to show Mom and Dad our appreciation for all of their support, and giving them another Wally trophy would be a big step in that direction." Gray's father Johnny Gray was a very popular and successful drag racer in his own right, winning races in Funny Car and running his own Pro Stock car for a number of seasons. He now stays involved in racing by supporting his son Shane's Pro Stock operation and his grandson Tanner's Late Model race car. The elimination ladder shows Gray's 6.573-second pass at 210.54 mph placing him a lofty third overall, which pits him against No. 14 qualifier Deric Kramer in the first round of eliminations Sunday. Kramer had a best pass of 6.640 at 208.68 mph in qualifying. "I think we have a shot tomorrow, and that's all you can ask for going into race day," Shane Gray said. "Qualifying went really well, and we are within range of the top cars, so if everyone does their job, including the guy behind the wheel, and the racing gods smile on us with a little luck, we just might have a Sunday to remember. "It would be extra special to win one of these races that are live on network TV. FOX has really taken the sport to new heights this year, and giving us some of these live slots on the network is gigantic for all of us in the pits and the fans, too." Pro Stock eliminations start at noon, Sunday, with FOX carrying all the action live from 1 to 4 p.m. PT, Sunday. For the ninth race in a row and the 11th time this season, Pro Stock driver Shane Gray will begin his quest for a win from the favored side of the elimination ladder at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --30-- Visit GrayMotorsports.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00132RobWIlnZiCSlBw7nbMKHygy3ECNWjMuDrANz7A4h6l1cqF8GlZRvydEgnNZEHuKVdP8gFfKT3DljMAo5JhDpoJkYj_r9twxPIDnAvRfHimetG7uTBtAl7A4ZKbpRPNszN4mHoJhSgjewVgx_eyr8yi4NNAn8JcCuyjioZd6DiR2504owhPGw==&c=Q_ESKE_8qBs9fYFz-UpUpQB0ACfjekyKtVHjCJiLYIuFZ6ifkP1jHQ==&ch=gWo02aaxM4jUKsdsk5s0WavmxUD7bMSzYoPc8esH9oA_N9H7my7XVQ==], Valvoline.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00132RobWIlnZiCSlBw7nbMKHygy3ECNWjMuDrANz7A4h6l1cqF8GlZRrpBBftHTvMAmPM5n5Av1hfmCk3PwsqgRPZLVC7XSeySW0dn0DNLF5DnFc-RCwlGmH1b1gg4OCl-WXJIc2C8Wv-OE3-ewMoCxWQJJY7G6Fq9f3rcKcqb0vA=&c=Q_ESKE_8qBs9fYFz-UpUpQB0ACfjekyKtVHjCJiLYIuFZ6ifkP1jHQ==&ch=gWo02aaxM4jUKsdsk5s0WavmxUD7bMSzYoPc8esH9oA_N9H7my7XVQ==], NovaMud.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00132RobWIlnZiCSlBw7nbMKHygy3ECNWjMuDrANz7A4h6l1cqF8GlZRrpBBftHTvMASZWDgtjxafU5oJmeCxg6XECZ4kYWDpHgJ1VEPUQhCEar6WWKSL5qnmZe6nGh5-d9mVVjGd3VN_8hdAvYEfVni06bDJz4as3HPOYp8YTJ0Q4=&c=Q_ESKE_8qBs9fYFz-UpUpQB0ACfjekyKtVHjCJiLYIuFZ6ifkP1jHQ==&ch=gWo02aaxM4jUKsdsk5s0WavmxUD7bMSzYoPc8esH9oA_N9H7my7XVQ==], and GeigerMediaGlobal.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00132RobWIlnZiCSlBw7nbMKHygy3ECNWjMuDrANz7A4h6l1cqF8GlZRsUQuixYkuwku4TxKTRvnbpXNsOaBq9moMQxEgRTvY8dMfvVjNcyRilYTuOQppGnD1uxhP4JnKd183yoHKUnunOhnSLgAKe3-tilqY3xxr_cJS5V-EmTrd5SDRhcx6KwCA==&c=Q_ESKE_8qBs9fYFz-UpUpQB0ACfjekyKtVHjCJiLYIuFZ6ifkP1jHQ==&ch=gWo02aaxM4jUKsdsk5s0WavmxUD7bMSzYoPc8esH9oA_N9H7my7XVQ==] for more info. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward this email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=uiezvfkab&m=1110439661844&ea=$submit@theautochannel.com$&a=1125436356673 This email was sent to submit@theautochannel.com by rob@geigermediaglobal.com. 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