Adam Gray Seeking Third Consecutive Late Model Track Title at Stafford
Stafford Springs, CT — When the green flag falls on the 2015 season at Stafford Motor Speedway, Belchertown, MA native Adam Gray will be looking to join some very select company. In 28 years of Late Model competition at Stafford, only two drivers have ever won three consecutive track championships. Phil Rondeau was the first driver to accomplish the feat from 1987-1989 and he was followed by Ryan Posocco in 2003-2005. Gray is the two-time defending track champion and he thinks he and his #97 Meadows Motor Car team can once again be in the thick of the championship chase.
“We just need to keep on doing what we’ve been doing,” said Gray. “It’s definitely going to be tough; I never thought we’d be champions two times over. We need to keep on the program, make sure the car is the best it can be week in and week out, and hopefully have some luck. Going into the year with 2 championships in a row, you can put a lot of pressure on yourself. My main goal is to keep on having fun. Once you stop having fun is when mistakes start happening. We’re looking to have fun and let the rest of it follow and we feel like we’re one of the cars to be a contender. I don’t think I can describe in words what that a third consecutive championship would feel like. I’d have to give Ryan Posocco a call and ask him.”
Gray’s 2013 and 2014 seasons have been an equal mix of consistency and dominance. In the 35 Late Model feature events run during those two seasons, Gray has 12 wins, 30 top-5’s, and 33 top-10’s. Of Gray’s 30 top-5 finishes, 27 of them have been podium finishes, including 16 consecutive during the 2013 season. Gray says his consistency is all down to time spent in the shop working on his #97 car.
“It all comes down to being prepared in the shop,” said Gray. “We’ve been able to stay ahead of the car with maintenance making sure we weren’t going to have any stupid breakdowns and making sure the setup is the same every week. I have a great crew, they’re here at the shop every week, and we go through the car. Once we get to the track, there’s a lot of luck involved. We have the same crew coming back, all of our sponsors from last year coming back, and we’re in the process or working on a couple of new sponsors.”
One area that may help provide Gray with an early advantage is that he has previously won a Late Model championship at Monadnock with a similar rules package to what the Stafford Late Models will be utilizing this season. Gray is also turning back the clock with his paint scheme for the 2015 season, running a scheme that both he and his father Barry have won championships with at Monadnock
“We’ve updated the car and changed a bunch of stuff that we thought would better us and we’ve changed the look of the car,” said Gray. “We went back to the paint scheme I had when I started racing 10 years ago. The car will be red and yellow and it’s the same look that my father had for his championships back in 1993. Hopefully it will be lucky for us otherwise the car will be back to black.”
Gray will begin his quest for a third consecutive Late Model championship during the 44th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler on April 24-26. Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $38.50 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $42.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available. All tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday admission. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.
For more information on the 44th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler, or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR