NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

With only two races remaining in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season there is a sense of urgency for drivers, especially for those seeking their first win of 2016; and a win is at the top of the list for Pro Stock’s Shane Gray.

Gray has posted a solid season in the new era of Pro Stock, currently sitting fourth in points with nine semifinal finishes. But the class veteran is hopeful for a win and is eying this weekend’s 16th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the place to break through in his Valvoline/Nova Service Chevrolet Camaro. It is also the second-to-last race before Gray’s son, Tanner, takes over the driver’s seat in 2017, meaning Shane Gray wants to finish his current Pro Stock tenure in style.

"Tanner's nipping at my heels now so I better bear down these last few events and try to get another Wally before they put me out to pasture," said Gray, who has four career wins. "The reality is, we win as a team and lose as a team and I can tell you I will be just as happy and satisfied when Tanner wins next year. It'll be fun either way.

“Certainly, we'd like to win these last two races. The car has been fantastic and we seem to be in the semifinals every race now, which puts us right there in the mix to win. We just need to punch through and get it done."

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event that will for the first time be aired on FOX Sports 1 this October. On Sunday, FS1 will televise three hours of live finals coverage starting at 4 p.m. (ET).

It is the fifth of sixth races in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship and the penultimate event in 2016, and a victory would be a perfect capper to finish off Gray’s strong late-season push. He advanced to the semifinals at the last three Countdown to the Championship races, and also watched Gray Motorsports teammates Drew Skillman and Alex Laughlin garner victories in the process. Skillman won the most recent race in Dallas, while Laughlin’s first career victory came in St. Louis.

"We're all coming to life at the right time," Gray said. "And certainly it's a big help when you can look at the data from three different cars each round versus going out there and doing it by yourself. Drew and Alex are great drivers and we're very proud of what they've been able to do this year with our engines."

Tracking down points leader Jason Line, who has eight wins this year, and Greg Anderson, who has seven victories and is 26 points back of Line, is a longshot, but Gray, who trails Line by 134 points, has plenty on the line to close out 2016.

Of course there’s the first victory of the season, but Gray, who started the Countdown to the Championship in seventh, is just 20 points behind third-place Vincent Nobile. Moving into that spot would give Gray a career-best points finish and would be an impressive send-off before Tanner starts driving.

"We'll just take it one run at a time, like always," Shane Gray said. "We've been knocking on the door of a win for quite a while now and if we remain persistent and vigilant, we will break through, hopefully before the year is up."

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying feature two rounds at 11:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, and two final rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 11:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-644-4444 or 702-644-4444. Tickets are available online at www.lvms.com.  Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas with a paid adult.