Fresh off a commanding victory at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, J.R. Gray is riding the wave of a spectacular start to his 2025 campaign. Gray, piloting the screw-blown Camaro backed by Al-Anabi Racing, not only captured the hardware but did so in dominating fashion, consistently setting low ET and top speed throughout the event.
“We bypassed all expectations,” Gray said on The Wes Buck Show. “Honestly, it’s kind of like a dream. I just set realistic expectations because we couldn’t really get it going the last couple of years. I was just planning on saying, ‘Let’s qualify,’ and then build from there in Phoenix and hopefully cook with some steam by Charlotte. But we blew past all of that and just went straight into the frying pan. To be at this level, setting low ET round after round, it’s surreal. We have 15 low round ETs in professional racing right now, and between me and Mike Stavrinos, one of us was low ET for 15 rounds in a row. It’s incredible.”
Gray credited much of his team’s success to the potent pairing of crew chiefs Mark Savage and Todd Tutterow. Savage oversees Gray’s screw-blown Camaro, while Tutterow manages the roots-blown entry driven by teammate Mike Stavrinos. The collaboration between these two renowned tuners has become a significant strength for the Al-Anabi Racing team.
“Mark’s on my car, Todd’s on Mike’s car, but they work side-by-side on every adjustment,” Gray explained. “They also come from different realms. I mean, it’s all drag racing, but Todd has his own approach, his own way he likes to run his program. Then you have Mark, who has his setups and his ways of doing things. When you forge both of them together, you truly come out with something unique. I believe that’s why our performance has shown—both of them colliding and coming together, forging one sword.”
Central to their momentum is Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani—known simply as “KH”—who Gray described as deeply involved and pivotal in the team’s formation and success. “KH has the recipe for championships,” Gray emphasized. “He pulled everyone together, got everyone on the same team to move forward. KH and Todd decided to leave the roots on Mike’s car, and me, Mark, and the rest of us wanted the screw blower on my car. It was just the perfect way to go about it.”
Gray also shared experiences from spending time this past winter in Doha, Qatar, where he enjoyed hanging out with KH and taking in the high-level racing at the Qatar Racing Club. “It was just an incredible experience,” Gray said. “Seeing racing over there, spending time with KH, it just reinforced our bond as a team.”
Al-Anabi’s choice to field both screw and roots supercharged cars underscores their innovative approach to competition. Gray noted the uniqueness of their success across two different power setups. “We got a roots and a screw that have split low ETs almost evenly,” he said. “There’s not just one power combination dominating.”
Reflecting on his journey from grassroots grudge racing to standing victorious at the highest level of NHRA competition, Gray expressed genuine gratitude. “This is every drag racer’s dream,” he said candidly. “From bumper pulling and stacking trailers full of parts like a game of Tetris to rolling in with 56-foot race haulers—it’s an unbelievable journey.”
Yet Gray is quick to point out that this is just the beginning. “We’re just getting started,” he said. “When we roll through the gates, we’re ready to win.”
Looking ahead, Gray mentioned that Al-Anabi Racing might shift their focus to the Drag Illustrated Winter Series once the NHRA season concludes. However, he’s clear they’ll only compete if their outlaw Pro Mod is fully prepared and competitive.
“If we aren’t ready, we won’t show up,” Gray stated firmly. “We represent KH, Qatar, and Al-Anabi Racing. When we come through the gates, everyone will know we’re ready to win.”
With momentum firmly on their side and unwavering commitment to excellence, Gray and the Al-Anabi Racing team continue to set a high standard in Pro Mod drag racing.
This story was originally published on May 5, 2025. 
