CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA NATIONALS
SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT MOTORSPORTS PARK IN NORWALK, OHIO
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2018
An interview with Pro Stock winner TANNER GRAY, GRAY MOTORSPORTS, VALVOLINE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 6 qualifier; earned class-high third victory of season and eighth in 36 starts; takes over points lead):
DID YOU IMAGINE YOURSELF AS THE POINTS LEADER AT THE HALFWAY POINT OF SEASON?
“Definitely not the way it started out. All the guys who work on this car dug down deep and have pulled out a very good race car for me. I couldn’t be more proud of them. This is all them. We’ve tested and they’ve worked their butts off to get us where we’re at. I can’t be more thankful for the opportunity to race. My grandma and grandpa, Valvoline and Chevy, it’s a dream come true.”
THAT WAS A GREAT FINAL ROUND
“We (Erica Enders and I) bring the best out of each other. My guys have given me a really good race car. It’s a testament to them to have only one (qualifying) run and dominate out here like this.”
YOU’RE THE FIRST TO GET THREE WINS IN SUCH A COMPETITIVE CLASS. TALK ABOUT THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT
“It’s definitely a huge accomplishment, but we struggled a lot at the beginning of the season. We did a lot of testing and I think we couldn’t see where that hard work was. The results weren’t showing. It feels good to finally turn the corner and be able to see how all the hard work has paid off. It’s finally making good, consistent runs and it’s showing us the same things every run, so it definitely feels good.”
TOP FUEL:
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 2 qualifier; fell in first round): “It was tough. We only got two qualifying passes instead of the normal four. We ran consistent with 3.77s down each lane qualifying, but that was on a cool track. Today, we came out on a 104-degree track in the first round and it blew the tires right off of it. Our plan is we’re going to do some testing tomorrow and get this thing figured out. Hopefully it’ll be warmer because we need to figure out this car in the heat, that’s where we’ve been struggling.”
FUNNY CAR:
COURTNEY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier; fell in final): “We made some great strides this weekend after failing to qualify for this race a year ago. We got the No. 1 spot but we only had two qualifying runs struggled to get down both lanes. We were really hoping to have lane choice all day but we lost it on the run where I beat my dad in the semifinals. We were actually out ahead of (Matt) Hagan on a good run in the final when it lost traction and he drove around me to get the win. It was still a great race for the Advance Auto Parts Chevy Camaro and my team did another phenomenal job. Great end to the weekend with the fact that we were able to extend our point lead. And coming from a DNQ last year, I think this was a great comeback.”
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier; fell in second round): “We were running bigger cylinder heads, a different camshaft and a different supercharger to start the year because we were trying to go faster and set records. (Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) decided to go back to what we ran last year, the same stuff Courtney’s running right now, because with the NHRA’s new track prep, we just can’t run as hard as we want to. We dropped a cylinder against John and it slowed down a little. But it won’t take long for Jimmy and Chris (Cunningham) to figure it out. We’ll be ready when we get to Epping (for the July 6-8 New England Nationals).”
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK COOLANT & MOTOR OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 4 qualifier; fell in semifinals): “The car is starting to go rounds. We only got two qualifying rounds but this ol’ PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevy is starting to go down the racetrack. That’s what we’ve been working for. We moved up a little in points. It’s still tight, but we’re moving forward. (Crew chief) Jon Schafer, these young kids, Ronny Thompson, they’re starting to prove themselves. After we crashed (at Chicago, in the first race of a four-in-a-row stretch that ended Sunday), we came back and went to the finals at Richmond and the semifinals today and both times I get beat by my daughter. Finally, we got the steering right. Finally, we got the throttle right. And, finally, I can drive it like I used to. I can steer it. I got my helmet (squared away) so I have visual. There were a lot of things I let someone else take care of but at the end of the day, it’s the driver’s job. They ain’t rid of me yet.”
PRO STOCK:
ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 9 qualifier; fell in final): “(Tanner Gray) got us in Richmond just on pure performance and he got a little bit better light here to win on a holeshot. We changed a motor, were really thrashing, just before that (semifinal) run with Bo (Butner). I’m really proud of my guys; they worked their tails off.”
JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier; fell in second round): “We made some changes within the camp a handful of races ago that are working out very well. This group has stayed together, weathered some storms and it feels really nice to see the recent rewards. I’ve been fortunate enough to this point to win 79 national events in my career and I can honestly say Chicago felt like one of my first ever wins because of how special it was with the team that I’m with. Our performance is really stout right now.”
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier; fell in second round): “We didn’t have the outcome we wanted today, but there were certainly good things that came out of the weekend. We’ve been making steady progress with the blue Summit Racing Chevy Camaro lately, and we aren’t quite where we want to be yet, but we’re getting there. The season is about halfway through, and hopefully this means we’ll be peaking at the right time. We want to thank Summit Racing and Summit Motorsports Park for rolling out the red carpet for us this weekend. I was hoping to get my 50th win here to help them celebrate their 50th anniversary, and that didn’t happen – but I’m looking forward to the opportunity to put my Summit Racing Chevy in the winner’s circle again very soon.”
BO BUTNER, JIM BUTNER AUTO, JIM BUTNER AUTO GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 4 qualifier; fell in semifinals): “It felt great to go some rounds. We probably got lucky round two when Vincent (Nobile) broke, but overall we did all we could do today. We’re still fighting Sundays, but we’ll get there. I’m looking forward to having a weekend away from the racetrack and being able to get back to work after this four in a row, but I’m excited to get to Epping in a couple of weeks. I think the team is getting things sorted out for our Sunday set-up, and we should be good.”
VINCENT NOBILE, MOUNTAIN VIEW RACING, MOUNTAIN VIEW TIRE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier; fell in second round): “We’ve had a couple of bad races but nothing too serious. We’ve missed the set-up but we know what we missed and why we missed it. We made a bad tuning call in Richmond two weeks ago. We thought that the weather was going to stay cool and it didn’t stay cool. It got really hot and we weren’t ready for it. In Bristol, we got behind the eight-ball and didn’t qualify very well. We were eighth when we probably should have been third or fourth. We lost lane choice in the second round against Greg (Anderson) and that was the end of it. Lane choice was big at that race.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 7 qualifier; fell in first round on holeshot): “It was a tough way to end the day, especially a day like this when all you want is to put a Summit Racing Chevy Camaro in the winner’s circle and celebrate with the people who stand behind you all year. This is Summit Racing’s main event, this is their home track, and this race is a big one for us. We’re disappointed, but we’re going to continue working hard to make them proud, and we’re going to do everything we can to get Summit Racing the trophies that they deserve. We can’t thank them enough for all of their support, and seeing their smiles even when we don’t have the best day, that just makes us even more proud to be part of such a great organization.”
DREW SKILLMAN, RAY SKILLMAN MOTORSPORTS, RAY SKILLMAN AUTO GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 10 qualifier; fell in semifinals – red light): “We’re doing OK in points, but we need a win to stay in the top five going into the (Countdown to the Championship). We normally turn it on this time of year and we normally do well here, and we’ve got a good car. We just have to work on fundamentals and go rounds. That’s our biggest thing. I’m not obsessed with having to win every single race; I’m obsessed with doing well at each race. If you get to the third round every time, you’re going to be pretty good in points. Our goal is to just be more consistent. That’s where we’ve fallen apart the past couple years. We would win a bunch of races, but consistently we weren’t always there. We weren’t always knocking on that door. That’s just learning your car.”
DERIC KRAMER, KRAMER RACING, AMERICAN ETHANOL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 12 qualifier; fell in second round): “I think it’s something in the back of minds, knowing we have the ability to win rounds, and it’s up to us not to screw up. We’re on our way. I think it’s just getting used to it and making every run count and realizing every time we go up to the line we have a chance to win that race.”