(Tim Marshall photo)

PRO STOCK

Shane Gray and the Gray Motorsports Pro Stock team have shown unwavering fortitude in NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. In their short four seasons together they have gathered a collection of highs and lows and near misses, and for more than two seasons they have carried on with determination and weathered a winless streak that spanned 60 national events. Five times this season, the relentless team had been to the final round and come up just short.

Their luck changed when Gray ended the drought and drove his Justin Elkes-tuned Gray Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to victory.

"The team needed a day like this so bad – and sheesh, so did I," said Gray, who was the No. 4 qualifier in Las Vegas. "I've let the guys down a couple times this year in the final round, so this was a big boost of confidence. It's amazing what winning will do. It certainly lets you know that you're still capable of doing it, anyway. I'm looking forward to going to Pomona because I think I'll be a little tougher there than I was here."

Gray won two of four rounds, including the final, on a holeshot. After knocking out former ADRL champ Matt Hartford in the first round, 6.658 to 6.723, Gray launched ahead of championship hopeful Jason Line in round two with a .036 to his opponent's .068-second reaction time. The jump-start paid off at the top end when Gray got the win light with a 6.691 at 207.24 to Line's quicker but losing 6.669, 207.43.

In the semifinals, Gray easily got the nod when Kurt Johnson fell into tire shake and could not match his 6.715, 206.54. The victory set the stage for a final round with V. Gaines, a drag racer whom Gray had already squared off with four times this season with a 3-1 advantage.

In their final-round match in Las Vegas, Gray took a sizable lead and left the starting line with a .032 to Gaines' .073. The son of Funny Car driver Johnny Gray held on for a rewarding 6.699 to 6.698 win. (Tim Marshall photo)

"Anytime you can win even just a round in Pro Stock, you've done pretty well," said Gray. "These cars are getting more and more difficult to run, and it's just ultra competitive out there. It seems like when the Countdown to the Championship starts, everybody in the running elevates their program two notches. We pull to the starting line and a lot of these races are won and lost by thousandths of a second; in the race with Jason Line, it was so close that I couldn't tell who won until I saw the win light there on the wall. It's pretty tight out there, but that makes it more rewarding when you're able to win."

With the victory, Gray made a big move up in the Pro Stock standings, moving up to the No. 4 spot and positioning himself just 84 points from first place and 13 points back from the No. 2 spot. Although achieving the championship is likely just out of reach, Gray could very realistically make up the difference between fourth and second for a career finish to the 2013 season.