Taylor Gray (racing Driver)

Taylor James Gray (born March 25, 2005) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 54 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. He previously competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West.

Racing career

Early career

Gray made his debut in a late model in March 2018 at age 12, driving for Lee Faulk Racing and Development at Hickory Motor Speedway in the Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Model Series. He had an impressive showing, finishing sixth in the race. Two months later, he returned to Hickory in the same series and won his first late model race after running in either first or second place for the entire race.

Both Gray and his brother Tanner were signed by DGR-Crosley in 2019, with Tanner driving full-time in the K&N Pro Series East and Taylor driving full-time in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour since he was under the age of 15 and therefore not eligible to compete in a NASCAR series at that time.

In his season racing in CARS, Gray picked up a win at Hickory Motor Speedway in just his second start, which meant he now had two wins at the track. Gray ended the year ninth in points, competing in all but two races which he skipped mid-season. Additionally, he entered the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race at Martinsville, where he flipped and his car came to a halt upside down, but he was uninjured in the crash. Just a few weeks later, he was already back in action, again at Hickory, where he ran the Whelen All-American Series' Fall Brawl event. Gray would have an outstanding performance, leading all 200 laps in the race en route to the win, and this put him with a total of three wins there at only age 14.

ARCA Series

2020: DGR-Crosley

On December 18, 2019, it was announced that Gray would drive all races in the ARCA Menards Series East (formerly the K&N Pro Series East) in 2020 with DGR in their No. 17 Ford (the team switched manufacturers from Toyota) once turning 15 on March 25 of that year. In addition, he will run the nine races of the 10-race ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown that he will be able to compete in after he becomes eligible to race in the series. His older brother subbed for him at the season-opener at New Smyrna, and Bubba Pollard was announced to fill in at the following race at Five Flags. However, the Five Flags race along with all others through May was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, which means Gray would be 15 when the rescheduled race is run and eligible to compete in it after all. DGR has yet to announce who will drive the No. 17 car at that one race as a result of this, but since Gray is running full-time for the championship, they presumably would move Pollard to a second car for the team, which has been announced to be fielded in select races sometime in the season for Tanner Gray.

Gray also returned to the CARS Series part-time in 2020, winning their season-opener at Southern National Motorsports Park.

2021–2022: David Gilliland Racing

On January 15, 2021, Gray was penalized for recording a video on his cell phone while on the track for an official ARCA test session at Daytona, a violation of the series rulebook's Section 20C – 6.7 (restriction of onboard devices, including cell phones). occurred during an official ARCA Menards Series test session at Daytona International Speedway. Gray was placed on probation for the rest of the season and fined $1,000.

Gray returned for another full-time season in the East Series in the No. 17 for the renamed David Gilliland Racing. He finished third in the season-opening race at New Smyrna Speedway in a photo finish with race winner Max Gutiérrez and second-place finisher Sammy Smith.

After being involved in a single-car accident in Statesville, North Carolina, on April 8, he was officially cleared to return on July 6, allowing him to run the weekend's ARCA race at Elko Speedway.

After ARCA West Rookie Jake Drew was penalized in the Portland 112 along with Eric Nascimento, Gray won his second ARCA West race. He later won at the Star Nursery 150.

On March 8, 2022, a hauler carrying Gray's car on its way to Phoenix Raceway collided with a Honda Passport near Longview, Texas, killing hauler driver Steven C. Stotts. Two passengers in the hauler and the driver of the SUV survived the accident. Three days later on March 11, Gray won the General Tire 150 after starting second and leading 43 laps, dedicating the win to Stotts. He also won the ARCA East race at Dover with the new Ford Mustang body. He also scored wins at Mid-Ohio and Pocono throughout the season, along with another ARCA West win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring.

2023: Joe Gibbs Racing and Tricon Garage

Gray returned to the ARCA Series in 2023, driving the No. 18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing at Talladega, and the newly renamed Tricon Garage No. 17 car at Kansas and Charlotte.

Craftsman Truck Series

2021–2022: David Gilliland Racing

In 2021, Gray was originally scheduled to make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Richmond Raceway in April for David Gilliland Racing, but on April 8, he suffered a fractured L4 vertebra, left foot, and ankle in a single-car accident in Statesville, North Carolina, forcing him to miss his debut. He later made his Truck debut at Watkins Glen International, finishing in 35th. He ran five races that season and earned the best finish of 8th at Martinsville.

Gray increased his schedule to eight races in 2022. At the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in July, Gray was in contention of earning his first career win, leading the race until he got spun by John Hunter Nemechek with two laps to go. He had a best finish of 6th at Richmond late in the year.

2023–2024: Tricon Garage

On October 27, 2022, David Gilliland Racing announced that they will be moving to Toyota Racing Development in 2023, and renaming to Tricon Garage (with Tricon styled in all-capital letters). Gray would remain with the team for a full season, and compete for Rookie of the Year. He missed the first three races of the season due to age restrictions but received a playoff waiver to stay eligible for the playoffs. He earned four top tens throughout the regular season, including a third-place run at Pocono, but failed to make the playoffs. During the playoffs, he scored two consecutive top-five finishes at Kansas and Bristol, finishing 2nd and 5th, respectively. He ended the season 15th in points.

On November 10, 2023, it was announced that Gray would return to Tricon Garage in 2024, running his first full season.

During the 2024 Truck Series opening race at Daytona, Gray was involved in a flip. On the last lap of the race, Gray was in position for the win off of turn 2 when the truck beside Gray in Jack Wood got turned by Rajah Caruth which turned Wood into Gray and Gray spun. Gray's truck hit the outside wall before he got t-boned in the driver side door by Daniel Dye at an angle which lifted Gray's truck off the ground and did a barrel roll on top of two trucks with both being Christian Eckes and his brother Tanner before the truck landed on the hood of another truck in Bayley Currey and on all four wheels on the pavement. Gray was able to walk out under his own power uninjured and also expressed his displeasure at Caruth in his interview. Due to his consistency throughout the regular season, Gray would make the Playoffs for the first time. At The Martinsville Playoff race, Gray was leading with 5 laps to go and had a shot at winning and making it into the Championship 4. However, entering turn 3, Christian Eckes would make contact with Gray which sent the latter up the track, costing him the win. Eckes would go on to win after dominating. Gray went on to finish 4th and would come up just short of making the Final 4. After the race, Gray would confront Eckes and would get into a heated argument with him.

Xfinity Series

2024: Joe Gibbs Racing

On December 13, 2023, Joe Gibbs Racing announced their driver lineup for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Gray will run 10 races in the Xfinity Series in 2024 for JGR, driving the No. 19 car, sharing the ride with Ryan Truex, Aric Almirola, Ty Gibbs, Joe Graf Jr., William Sawalich, and other drivers to be announced. Gray made his debut at Richmond Raceway, starting 27th and finishing an impressive 3rd. The next two weeks he would finish 13th at Martinsville and 11th at Texas, respectively.

2025: Full Time

On October 16, 2024, it was announced that Gray will run full-time for the 2025 season, driving the No. 54 Toyota for JGR. At the Martinsville Spring race, Gray was leading the race after an overtime restart with one lap to go and had a shot to win. However, in turn 3, the car behind Gray in Sammy Smith went deep into turn 3 and got into the back of Gray hard enough that spun Gray around. Not only it costed Gray the win, but also costed Smith the win as well as Austin Hill snuck by both Smith and Justin Allgaier in the final corner to take home the win. Smith finished 10th while Gray finished 29th. After the race, Gray confronted Smith outside the infield care center where the two had an intense altercation where both had to be held back by security and NASCAR officials.

Personal life

He is the younger brother of Tanner Gray, who drives for Tricon Garage in their No. 15 Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He is also the son of Shane Gray, an NHRA driver, and grandson of Johnny Gray, a Funny Car driver and businessman. In addition to racing, Johnny Gray was the president of Marbob Energy. Since 2021, Johnny Gray has co-owned Tricon Garage. One of Taylor's hobbies is wakeboarding.

Two high school students, Samuel Thomas and Dresden Whitney, made a documentary about Gray titled "Legacy" in May 2022.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series

Craftsman Truck Series

Season still in progress

Ineligible for series points

ARCA Menards Series

( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Menards Series East

ARCA Menards Series West

References

External links

*

Official profile at Joe Gibbs Racing

Official profile at Tricon Garage
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Taylor
2005 births
Racing drivers from New Mexico
Living people
People from Artesia, New Mexico
NASCAR drivers
ARCA Menards Series drivers
Joe Gibbs Racing drivers
21st-century American sportsmen