NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES: NEXTERA ENERGY 250

February 17, 2023

Tanner Gray

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We've now been joined by Tanner Gray, who finished in the runner-up position in tonight's race. A little bit of a unique race with the rain and battling kind of the mist and the drying and trying to get back started, but overall a strong night for your team. Tell us a little bit about how you feel about tonight's race and going into this season.

TANNER GRAY: Yeah, so tonight's race was obviously a little bit chaotic for us. Got caught up in a couple wrecks there and got some damage early, and at one point was a lap down. Just really had to focus on getting it fixed, then trying to get our lap back.

Overall with the rain, going back green there, I was a little bit nervous just because I didn't feel like I was going to be able to push as well as what I probably needed to to be in contention to win, but with that being said, these speedway races, there's a lot of things that happen, and everything kind of gets wild at the end.

You never know what can happen, but yeah, just kind of a hectic race for us, but yeah.

Q. Two for you, and I'll start with the big picture first. Good night for you, but I feel like great night for the whole team overall as the first race as TRICON. What has this process been like from your perspective through the off-season with all the change, getting everything moved back to Toyota, expanding to five trucks and then coming down here and running as well as you did there towards the end tonight?

TANNER GRAY: Yeah, it's been about as smooth as you could ask for with how much stuff we have going on. Everybody from Toyota has been great. It's been awesome to get back and work with them. From my side, just being able to use the tools and the resources that they have, everything from TPC to GT12, their sim in Salisbury. It's been absolutely incredible to get back and work with them, and then along with that, having Jerame Donley come on board as well as Coleman Pressley up top, I've just been trying to get on the same page as them, and then obviously everybody back at TRICON has done a really good job getting everything ready to get here, because like I said, there's a lot of stuff going on. It's still a work in progress, but we're getting there, and to show up and be as good as we were is amazing.

A lot of props back to them and everybody at Toyota.

Q. I know it's a speedway race and everybody is going to go, well, it's the draft, this, that and the other, but last year was really up and down for you. Is this the kind of shot in the arm you need to really stabilize the ship, so to speak, and get yourself off to a good start this year?

TANNER GRAY: I would like to say yes, but last year I finished fourth and was second in points through the first handful of races and ended up having the season that we had.

These seasons are long, and there's so many highs and lows, you've just got to learn to manage that and make the lows not so low.

I need to do a better job on my end doing that, but obviously to come here and run good is awesome. You want to start off well, and especially working with new people, with a new manufacturer, new team, so to speak, it's nice to come here and get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Q. Tanner, if this race had resumed, did you feel like you had something to beat Zane Smith?

TANNER GRAY: Not really. Not unless something big happened and I was able to get a big push from behind. Someone that had been pretty dedicated to me. Yeah, most of our splitter was gone, had a hole in the right front, door was caved in from the left rear. Just a lot of damage that I felt like even being behind Zane made it tough for me to really get to him and push him as well as what I felt like I needed to.

But like I said, you never know. Like I said, I'm happy to finish second with how our truck looked after, but at the same time, I'm a competitor, and I want to race, and a win locks you into the playoffs. Can kind of go back and forth.

Q. You said you're happy to finish second. This is the best finish of your career, so how are you feeling after this achievement, even the way you got it?

TANNER GRAY: Yeah, I mean, like I said, it's nice to come here and run good and get the ball rolling in the right direction. I think my best before this was third. Second and third don't really do a whole lot for you.

We want to win, and I feel like it's time for me to step up and win.

Yeah, just got to figure out how to do that.

Q. Last year you started the season with three top 10 finishes in a row, so you're kind of off on a similar start to the season on a high note, but you're going back to Las Vegas in two weeks which was the site of your last top-5 finish. Las Vegas has been a solid track for you, so how do you feel about going there knowing the work the TRICON team has put in?

TANNER GRAY: Yeah, I feel really confident going to Las Vegas. From the time I started in the Truck Series until now, that's been one of my best tracks, a place that I feel we've been able to show up to and still have speed even if our balance wasn't quite right.

Obviously with Kyle being in the field and everybody else, it's going to be a tough race, but yeah, I definitely have that one circled on our calendar of ones that I feel like I expect a lot out of myself and expect a good finish from.

I'm excited and just got to go back to the shop and study film, figure out how we can get better and show up there ready to go.