Tanner Gray Bio
Tanner Sean Gray (born April 15, 1999) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 15 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Tricon Garage. Gray is the youngest professional driver to win a national event in NHRA history, and the youngest driver to win a solo NHRA season championship.
Early Life and Background
Tanner Sean Gray was born on April 15, 1999, in Artesia, New Mexico, to professional drag racer Shane Gray and his wife Amber. He is the grandson of funny car and pro stock champion Johnny Gray, making Tanner a third-generation racer in the NHRA. In addition to his racing career, Johnny Gray served as the president of Marbob Energy, a New Mexico oil producer that he and his father co-founded. Tanner and his sister sold the company in 2010 for $1.7 billion in proceeds.
Gray grew up around drag racing and developed an early passion for motorsports. The Gray family moved from New Mexico to Mooresville, North Carolina, in 2010 so that Shane could pursue a professional drag racing career in the NHRA. Beyond drag racing, Gray also tested himself in a wide range of vehicles, including late models, modifieds, midget cars, and stock cars. He raced on oval dirt tracks around Mooresville, including competing in the Mini Outlaw Karts category alongside Kyle Larson and Rico Abreu on Wednesday nights at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury.
Path to NASCAR
Gray began his professional career in drag racing. In 2017, he moved into the Pro Stock class of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, racing alongside his father Shane. He made NHRA history thirteen days before his eighteenth birthday at the Denso Spark Plug Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on April 2, 2017, winning the final round against Bo Butner. At 17 years, 11 months, and 18 days old, he broke the 40-year-old record held by Jeb Allen. Gray also won the 2017 Auto Club Road to the Future Award, given to the top NHRA rookie across all professional categories.
In 2018, Gray won eight times and captured the Pro Stock championship, becoming the youngest NHRA season champion in series history. On September 25, 2018, he announced a transition to stock car racing and signed with DGR-Crosley to compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2019. He earned his first stock car win at South Boston Speedway in early May, meeting team owner David Gilliland in the summer of 2018.
Tanner Gray Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
Gray’s professional career began in 2017 when he joined the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock class alongside his father Shane Gray. Racing for Gray Motorsports, he delivered one of the most remarkable debut seasons in NHRA history. At the Denso Spark Plug Nationals in Las Vegas, he defeated Bo Butner in the final round to become the youngest professional driver ever to win a national event in NHRA history. He followed that performance with the 2017 Auto Club Road to the Future Award, recognizing him as the top rookie across the NHRA’s professional categories.
In 2018, Gray elevated his performance further, winning eight races on his way to the Pro Stock championship. The title made him the youngest driver ever to win a solo NHRA season championship, capping a two-year run that established him as one of the brightest young talents in American motorsports. The success set the stage for his move into NASCAR’s development ladder.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East / ARCA Menards Series (2019–2021)
Gray’s stock car debut came in 2019 with DGR-Crosley in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He earned his first victory at South Boston Speedway in early May and built momentum throughout the year. In December 2019, the team announced he would continue in the East Series, rebranded as the ARCA Menards Series East, on a part-time schedule in 2020, while also sharing the full-time No. 17 car in the ARCA Menards Series with his younger brother Taylor and Anthony Alfredo.
Gray returned to the ARCA Menards Series in 2021, contesting the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and finishing seventh. On December 13, 2023, it was announced that he would return to the ARCA Menards Series for six races in 2024, driving the No. 18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing at tracks 1.5 miles and longer, where the original driver was ineligible due to age.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2019–2022)
Gray made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in October 2019 with DGR-Crosley at Martinsville Speedway in the No. 15 Toyota Tundra. He ran a three-race schedule that season, also competing at ISM Raceway and Homestead–Miami Speedway in the No. 7. On December 16, 2019, DGR-Crosley announced Gray would run full-time in 2020 in pursuit of Rookie of the Year honors, with the team now campaigning Ford F-150s after switching from Toyota. He posted eight top tens and four top fives, finishing 14th in points and fifth in the rookie battle.
He returned to the team in 2021, now competing as David Gilliland Racing, but struggled to a 18th-place points finish with only two top tens. In 2022, Gray rebounded with three consecutive top-ten finishes to open the season, finishing with six top tens and two top fives for a 15th-place points result. On October 27, 2022, David Gilliland Racing announced a switch to Toyota Racing Development and a rebrand to Tricon Garage, with Gray retained as a driver.
Tricon Garage Era (2023–Present)
Gray opened the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with a career-best second-place finish at Daytona, trailing only race winner Zane Smith. In May, he captured his first career pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a lap of 29.936 seconds at 180.385 mph, finishing the year 14th in points. The team rebranded from DGR-Crosley to Tricon Garage ahead of the 2023 season, and Gray continued to develop as one of the team’s veteran leaders. On November 18, 2024, Tricon Garage announced it had renewed Gray’s contract for the 2025 season, locking in his continued role behind the wheel of the No. 15 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gray brings a unique blend of drag racing instincts and stock car craft to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His quarter-mile background sharpened his reaction time, while his progression through K&N Pro Series, ARCA Menards, and the Truck Series has produced a well-rounded driver comfortable on a variety of track types. Working with Tricon Garage has given him continuity and the chance to refine his race craft and qualifying speed, as evidenced by his first career Truck Series pole at Charlotte.
Notable Races and Milestones
Gray’s most celebrated career moments include his 2017 NHRA Pro Stock victory in Las Vegas, his 2018 NHRA Pro Stock championship, and his second-place finish in the 2023 Truck Series opener at Daytona. His first career Truck Series pole at Charlotte in May 2023 and his 2025 contract renewal with Tricon Garage stand as major milestones in his stock car career.
Tanner Gray Career Wins
Tanner Gray has compiled an impressive and varied racing resume that spans NHRA drag racing and NASCAR’s national series. He is a multi-time NHRA Pro Stock race winner, a 2017 NHRA Rookie of the Year, the 2018 NHRA Pro Stock champion, and a winner in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He has also recorded a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole and multiple top-five and top-ten finishes.
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Highlights
Gray’s first NHRA Pro Stock win came at the 2017 Denso Spark Plug Nationals in Las Vegas, where he defeated Bo Butner in the final round to become the youngest national event winner in NHRA history. He added the 2017 Auto Club Road to the Future Award as the top NHRA rookie, and then dominated the 2018 Pro Stock season with eight victories on his way to the championship, making him the youngest NHRA season champion.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Highlights
Gray’s first NASCAR national series victory came at South Boston Speedway in early May 2019 with DGR-Crosley. The win signaled a smooth transition from drag racing to stock cars and helped him earn a full-time Truck Series ride for 2020.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond his national-level victories, Gray has built experience in a wide range of vehicles, including late models, modifieds, midget cars, and stock cars. He has also competed in the ARCA Menards Series, including a seventh-place finish in the 2021 Daytona opener and a six-race schedule with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024, while racing on dirt ovals in Mooresville during his formative years.
Tanner Gray Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Gray comes from one of the most accomplished racing families in American motorsports. His father, Shane Gray, is a professional drag racer and national event champion, while his grandfather, Johnny Gray, is a funny car and pro stock champion who served as the president of Marbob Energy. Tanner is a third-generation racer in the NHRA. Since 2021, Johnny Gray has co-owned Tricon Garage, further connecting the family’s business and racing interests.
Personal Life
Gray resides in Mooresville, North Carolina, the same town the Gray family moved to in 2010 to support Shane’s NHRA career. His younger brother, Taylor Gray, is also a NASCAR driver and currently competes full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the No. 54 car.
2025 Season Performance
Tanner Gray is set to return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2025 for another full-time season with Tricon Garage. The team announced his contract renewal on November 18, 2024, keeping him in the No. 15 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Entering the season, Gray has built strong continuity with the Tricon Garage organization, which switched to Toyota Racing Development ahead of 2023 and has steadily expanded its competitive presence in the series.
Gray’s 2025 outlook is built on the foundation of his 2023 career-best Daytona runner-up finish and his first career Truck Series pole at Charlotte. With Toyota’s manufacturer support and the stability of his Tricon Garage team, he is positioned to chase his first Truck Series victory and a deeper run into the playoffs. His blend of drag racing reflexes and stock car race craft makes him a threat at superspeedways, intermediate tracks, and short tracks alike.
As the season unfolds, Gray’s primary goals are clear: convert strong qualifying speed into race wins, advance through the playoff rounds, and help Tricon Garage compete for the Truck Series manufacturer’s championship. With his contract secured and a familiar team around him, the 2025 season represents a major opportunity for Gray to add to his already diverse racing resume.
