NASCAR Truck Series: What are expectations for Tanner Gray?

Tanner Gray will compete in the final three races of the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series season. What can we expect in his first three starts?

Tanner Gray will compete in the final three races of the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series season driving the #15 DGR-Crosley Toyota. He will make his debut in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville Speedway this Saturday, October 27.

He will also compete in the Truck Series races at ISM Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. What can we expect from the 20-year-old Gray?

Gray knows the transition from K&N Pro Series East to the Truck Series will not be easy, especially in his debut.

In a team release, he said, “I think it’s going to be challenging, but I’m ready to take the next step with my DGR-Crosley guys. Between testing and spending time in the Toyota simulator, I think I have a good feel for Martinsville and will be able to adapt quickly. We will have three practice sessions to get acclimated and get the truck where it needs to be. We just need to keep our nose clean in the race and have a solid day on pit road.”

Where will Gray finish in his Truck Series debut? Over the last three Truck Series races at Martinsville Speedway, an average of 20 drivers finished on the lead lap. For Gray, finishing on the lead lap is a goal, especially because he would gain valuable experience.

More from Camping World Truck Series

• NASCAR: New team confirmed for Kyle Busch for 2024
• NASCAR: Replacement confirmed for driver released before Talladega
• NASCAR team releases driver with three races left
• NASCAR Truck Series: Spencer Boyd speaks on Montucky, Bristol tradition
• NASCAR title-winning team shutting down after 2023

In the last three races there, a DGR-Crosley driver has finished inside the top five twice. However, the key for Gray should be to complete all the laps, stay out of trouble and compete for a top 15 finish.

ISM Raceway has a unique layout and therefore will be a daunting task for Gray. DGR-Crosley fielded two trucks in the race last season. Tyler Ankrum finished in fifth place and Riley Herbst finished in 15th.

Because Gray is a novice to Truck Series racing, better indicators of his finishing position are the finishing positions of rookies in the race. In 2017, eight rookies competed in the race. Of those eight, five finished on the lead lap and those five all finished inside the top 10. In 2018, only three rookies raced at ISM Raceway and none of them finished inside the top 10, with only one finishing on the lead lap. The primary goal for Gray then is to finish on the lead lap once again. I predict he will finish around 15th place thanks to a lucky dog to return back to the lead lap.

Lastly, Homestead-Miami Speedway will be Gray’s first race on a 1.5-mile track. While the storyline of the race will be on which driver wins the championship, Gray has some experience on 1.5-mile tracks in the ARCA Menards Series. He competed at three 1.5-mile tracks and took one pole position and two top 10 finishes. However, Homestead-Miami Speedway will be a learning curve for him.

Learning the aerodynamics of racing there and the intensity of the last race of the season will likely result in Gray’s worst finish of the season at the track. Over the last two seasons, an average of 12 drivers finished on the lead lap, but an average of 26.5 finished the race.

Gray probably will lose a few laps. A top 20 finish for him would be a solid finish. He will have his work cut out for him, and if teammate Tyler Ankrum qualifies for the Championship 4, the sole focus for DGR-Crosley will rightly be on helping Ankrum win the championship.

Fortunately for Gray, his NASCAR K&N Pro Series crew chief, Seth Smith, will be atop his pit box for these three Truck Series races. Despite Gray’s inexperience, Smith has high hopes for his driver.

“I’m really looking forward to Tanner’s Truck debut after the building season that he’s had. He’s learned a lot from where he started at the beginning of the season to where he’s at now. I’m looking forward to racing there [at Martinsville Speedway], as well as Phoenix and Homestead to finish out the year.”

Tanner Gray is set to make his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 this Saturday, October 26. The race is scheduled to get underway at 1:30 p.m. ET with live TV coverage provided by Fox Sports 1.