Johnny Gray to start seventh on Sunday

August 20

Johnny Gray, behind the wheel of his Service Central Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, will come out of the seventh-starting position for Sunday’s 30th-annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals here at Brainerd International Raceway.

The 58-year-old Don Schumacher Racing driver banked a 4.166-second lap at 301.07 miles per hour in Friday’s second qualifying session to earn his first-round match with 10th-qualifier Jeff Arend. It will be the fourth meeting of the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season between the two, with Arend holding a 2-1 advantage.

“The Service Central Funny Car has been running well this weekend,” said the Artesia, N.M. native. “We had the solid run in Friday’s second round after a mechanical issue stopped us in the first one. This allowed us to try some new things today, which resulted in some tire shake on one run and a dropped cylinder slowed us down on the other one.

“We’re still on a learning curve with this car, but Rob (Wendland, crew chief) has been making steady improvements. If we can keep it up on the tires and keep the tires round, it’s a fast car!”

Gray enters this weekend’s contest 11th in the Funny Car standings, one spot – and just over five race-round wins – out of the upcoming Countdown playoffs (which begin after the next race on the schedule, Indianapolis Labor Day weekend).

“We’ve got a mathematical chance to make the playoffs, but it will be an uphill fight,” he said. “Even if we don’t get into the Countdown, this car will be a force to be reckoned with by those who do. Like I’ve said for several weeks, we’re getting better and better with each run down the track and we’ll surprise some folks who might take us for granted.

“We’re now having fun and it’s all good!”