The memories of the time spent growing up with them at the dragstrip – particularly at Orlando Speed World Dragway – came flooding back to Gray , who honored them in spectacular fashion

by winning his debut RvW with an unbelievable showing in Valdosta .

Gray was remarkable on the starting line , beating David Reese on a holeshot in the final round , running 3.542-seconds at 207.18 in his Reese Brothers Racecars-built , Musi-powered nitrous Camaro to claim the $ 70,000 prize .

“ I used to watch this kind of racing on the fence , and I never thought I would have anything like

this and an opportunity to race a car like this . To pull this off and get a win , it ’ s just amazing . I ’ m never going to forget it ,” Gray says . “ I grew up at the drag races and I was always at the track with him and my grandpa . I was definitely thinking of them and it was really emotional . It ’ s hard to think that it ’ s even real .”

Gray , who remains one of the biggest names in the no-time and grudge racing scene , may be liv-

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS SEARS