Adam Gray Ready to Defend Late Model Championship at Stafford Speedway Armed with New Sponsor
Stafford Springs, CT — After a banner season that saw him claim the 2013 Late Model championship at Stafford Motor Speedway, Adam Gray is ready to defend his championship with a new sponsor on the side of his #97 machine. Along with returning sponsors Meadows Motor Cars, Leon’s Auto Repair, Hawley’s Autobody and Repair, Barrco Automotive, OJS Landscape and Construction, Trackside Motors, Perry’s Autoparts, Gregg Orlen Construction, Pizza Shoppe, Billy the Kid Engines, Distance Race Chassis, Buzzy Transmissions, and Magnus, Gray will welcome Statewide Auto Auctions of Meriden to his list of sponsors as he prepares to tackle another season of Late Model racing.
“We keep talking about it and I hate to say it, but I don’t think it will be quite the same this year as it was last year,” said Gray. “Obviously we’re going to start the season with the same mentality as we always have, go out there and have fun and win races. If the season starts rough, the perspective changes a little bit. We were 18th in the first race last year and we just kept our momentum from then on in with a podium every week right up to the Fall Final where we finished 5th. We’ve gone through the car and refreshed the motor. We replaced a few things that needed replacing but nothing major. Just a typical off-season, tear the car down, clean it up, and put it back together. Our main focus is to try to be as consistent as we can and get top-5 finishes and some wins.”
The 2013 season was a combination of consistency and dominance by the #97 team. After a miserable start to the season with an 18th place finish in the season opening NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler, Gray’s team rattled off 16 consecutive podium finishes, including 6 wins, to clinch the championship with one race left on the schedule. Gray just missed a podium by finishing fifth in the NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final and although he doesn’t think he can match his performance of one year ago, his confidence is riding high.
“Last year definitely helps with a confidence boost before the start of the season,” said Gray. “But being short track racing, it’s one of those things where just about anything can and will happen. Obviously we’d love to have another year like last season but there are so many great guys in the division. Basically there’s 3/4ths of the field that can win on any given night. I don’t think there are 1 or 2 guys that you have to worry about, it’s 10 or 12 guys that you have to worry about. The biggest thing will be the luck factor. All the cards fell right for us last year and some of the really good guys had some bad luck and we didn’t. We do the same thing if we have a good night or a bad night. We go back to the shop Saturday morning and if my father isn’t racing we work on the car and we’ll go 3 or 4 nights a week working on the car if we have to. It’s all about dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s and making sure we’re as fast as we can be. I feel as a driver with the crew I have, the only thing that isn’t in our control is the luck factor. We do everything right and we work on our stuff right to get the equipment as good as we can get it. But it comes down to someone could blow up in front of us, we could get wrecked, or get a flat tire. Anything can happen and you have to prepare for the other things and see where the luck brings you. Like the old saying goes, better to be lucky than good.”
Gray will have his first shot at matching his 2013 performance in the 43rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler on April 25-27. 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 43rd 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