TANNER SEAN GRAY - 04/15/1999
Tanner was born April 15, 1999, to professional drag racer and national event champion Shane Gray and his wife Amber of Artesia, New Mexico. He is the grandson of funny car and pro stock champion Johnny Gray, making Tanner a third-generation Gray to race in the NHRA. The Gray family moved from New Mexico to Mooresville, North Carolina in 2010 so that Shane Gray could pursue a career as a professional drag racer in the NHRA. Tanner's younger brother, Taylor Gray, is also a NASCAR driver. 2017 marked the first year for Gray racing in the Pro Stock class within the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series alongside his Father Shane Gray. Gray made NHRA history 13 days before his 18th birthday at the 18th Annual Denso Spark Plug Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on April 2, 2017, by winning the final round against Bo Butner. He was 17 years, 11 months, and 18 days which was younger than 40-year record holder Jeb Allen, who was 18 years, 1 month, and 8 days. He won the 2017 Auto Club Road to the Future Award. The award is given to the top rookie from all of the sport's pro categories, including Pro Stock Motorcycle,
Top Fuel and Funny Car. In 2018, Gray won 8 times en route to the Pro Stock title, becoming the youngest ever NHRA season champion. In September, 2018 Gray announced he would race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for DGR in 2019. The move came after Gray had met team owner David Gilliland in summer 2018. In the 12 race series; Gray never had a finish worse than 15th. He picked up his first win in the third race of the season; when he won at South Boston Speedway, beating out Sam Mayer. He almost won the final two races of the season; as he finished second at Loudon NH and Dover DE. He ended
Tanner Gray racing his father NHRA 2017
First K&N win - 2019 South Boston
with six top five finishes and nine top tens as he finished third in season points. 2019 also saw him make his first starts in the ARCA Series and the NASCAR Truck Series. In the ARCA Series he ran eight of 20 races, with a best finish of fifth at Michigan. He had six top ten finishes; and had a worst finish of 17 when he had issues with handling. His first truck series start came at Martinsville, where he started 20th; finished on the lead lap and finished 15th. He made two more starts where he finished 16th and 17th. In October, Gilliland announced that Gray would run full-time and for rookie of the year in the Truck Series in 2020, driving the team's #15 truck. He got caught up in a late race accident at the season opening event of Daytona, and finished 23rd. He got his first top ten the next race as he finished eighth at Las Vegas. More good runs followed, and he got his first top five finish when he came home fourth at Kansas. The next week he posted his season's best finish, coming at the big fast track of Michigan. He added two more third place finishes on the season. They would come at Bristol and Las Vegas; showing he could adapt to any of the various NASCAR tracks. He finished 14th in season points. He also made six starts in the ARCA in 2020, and had two top five finishes. He would share the car with his younger brother Taylor Gray who was too young to drive the tracks that Tanner raced at. 2021 saw Gray back with Gilliland and in the Truck series. This year had it's issues. His had six of 20 events he either crashed or had mechanical issues. The truck wasn't as fast as it
was in2020,and most finishes that Gray posted come in the low to mid teens. He had a best finish of third at Martinsville, which was his only top five. He finished ninth at Texas for his only other top ten. He had 11 top 20 finishes and finished 18th in points. 2022 saw some improvement over the previous year. He had his best finish of the season at Daytona, when he finished fourth. Things looked good the next race as he came home in fifth. But that was the best he'd do on the season. He would have six top tens on the year and he would finish 15th in the years points. David Gilliland Racing swapped from using Ford's to racing Toyota's for 2023, and changed it's name to TRICON Garage. Tanner returned to David Gilliland’s
First Truck Series start - Martinsville 2019
Daytona 2023
race team for his fourth full time season in 2023. He almost kicked off the year winning the truck race at Daytona. He finished second behind Zane Smith. He continued to run well as the early part of the season progressed. He finished eighth at COTA; and again at Bristol on the dirt. He came home fifth at Martinsville and at Darlington placed third. Things tailed off after that however. He only had one more Top 10 finish the rest of the year; that coming at the season ending race at Phoenix where he finished ninth. He missed being able to compete for the Championship and finished 13th in the season points. He’ll be back with TRICON Garage in 2024, along with his brother Taylor Gray.
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