Taylor Gray (racing driver)

Gray made his debut in a late model in March 2018 at age 12, driving for Lee Faulk Racing and Development at Hickory Motor Speedway in the Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Model Series. He had an impressive showing, finishing sixth in the race.[1] Two months later, he returned to Hickory in the same series and won his first late model race after running in either first or second place for the entire race.[2]

Both Gray and his brother Tanner were signed by DGR-Crosley in 2019, with Tanner driving full-time in the K&N Pro Series East and Taylor driving full-time in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour since he was under the age of 15 and therefore not eligible to compete in a NASCAR series at that time.

In his season racing in CARS, Gray picked up a win at Hickory Motor Speedway in just his second start,[3] which meant he now had two wins at the track. Gray ended the year ninth in points, competing in all but two races which he skipped mid-season. Additionally, he entered the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race at Martinsville, where he flipped and his car came to a halt upside down, but he was uninjured in the crash.[4] Just a few weeks later, he was already back in action, again at Hickory, where he ran the Whelen All-American Series' Fall Brawl event. Gray would have an outstanding performance, leading all 200 laps in the race en route to the win,[5] and this put him with a total of three wins there at only age 14.

On December 18, 2019, it was announced that Gray would drive all races in the ARCA Menards Series East (formerly the K&N Pro Series East) in 2020 with DGR in their No. 17 Ford (the team switched manufacturers from Toyota) once turning 15 on March 25 of that year. In addition, he will run the nine races of the 10-race ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown that he will be able to compete in after he becomes eligible to race in the series.[6] His older brother subbed for him at the season-opener at New Smyrna, and Bubba Pollard was announced to fill in at the following race at Five Flags. However, the Five Flags race along with all others through May were postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, which means Gray would be 15 when the rescheduled race is run and eligible to compete in it after all. DGR has yet to announce who will drive the No. 17 car at that one race as a result of this, but since Gray is running full-time for the championship, they presumably would move Pollard to a second car for the team, which has been announced to be fielded in select races sometime in the season for Tanner Gray.[7]

Gray also returned to the CARS Series part-time in 2020, winning their season-opener at Southern National Motorsports Park.[8]

On January 15, 2021, Gray was penalized for recording a video on his cell phone while on the track for an official ARCA test session at Daytona, a violation of the series rulebook's Section 20C – 6.7 (restriction of onboard devices, including cell phones). occurred during an official ARCA Menards Series test session at Daytona International Speedway. Gray was placed on probation for the rest of the season and fined $1,000.[9]

Gray returned for another full-time season in the East Series in the No. 17 for the renamed David Gilliland Racing. He finished third in the season-opening race at New Smyrna Speedway in a photo finish with race winner Max Gutiérrez and second-place finisher Sammy Smith.[10] On April 8, Gray suffered a fractured L4 vertebra, left foot, and ankle in a single-car accident in Statesville, North Carolina, forcing him to miss his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Richmond Raceway.[11] He is due to make his Truck debut at Watkins Glen International.

He was cleared to return on July 6, allowing him to run the weekend's ARCA race at Elko Speedway.[12]

After ARCA West Rookie Jake Drew was penalized in the Portland 112 along with Eric Nascimento, he would win his 2nd ARCA West race. He later won at the Star Nursery 150.

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

^* Season still in progress