Despite Xfinity Career Best, Gray Just Wants To Win

Taylor Gray (Rusty Jarrett/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

FORT WORTH, Texas — It was a day to remember for Taylor Gray in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series duel at Texas Motor Speedway, ultimately finishing runner-up to Kyle Larson in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300.

Larson, who was filling in for the injured Connor Zilisch, emerged from double overtime victorious over Gray’s No. 54 Toyota. For the young Artesia, N.M., native, however, it was still a career-best finish.

Sam Mayer, the winner of last year’s running of the event in a photo finish over Xfinity Series veteran Ryan Sieg, lined up on the inside lane next to Gray for the final overtime restart.

Mayer had previously assumed the lead during the final restart of regulation with seven laps remaining, then defended it during the first overtime attempt as Gray worked his way back forward from adversity.

Gray had a quiet but sneakily good day, swiping a lone stage point from the first stage to add to his 34 points for finishing second in the Lone Star State.

It nearly ended in disaster midway through, though, as Gray copped a severe left-front tire rub during a 12-car melee on the lap-98 restart that kicked off the final stage.

After pitting for repairs, he had to fight through traffic to have a shot late in the race, and caught a break when a yellow flew with 45 to go in the middle of a green-flag pit cycle.

That salvaged Gray’s track position and he was able to keep himself well inside the top 10 after that.

“I can’t thank all of my Joe Gibbs Racing guys enough for bringing me a fast Toyota Supra,” said the Sunoco rookie-of-the-year contender. “I tried to ruin our day a few times for us, just with dumb mistakes, towards the beginning and middle of the race, but it just shows how tough this No. 54 group is, being able to fight back and get a good finish.”

Gray's best previous finish was third at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in 2024, while he was running a part-time schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing.

After getting the nod to run full-time this year in NASCAR’s second-tier division, Gray has flexed his muscle so far, with two fifth-place runs this season at both Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway and Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, along with a pole position at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

Gray currently ranks 14th in Xfinity Series points, just 19 markers below the current playoff cut line.

The 20-year-old Toyota Gazoo Racing prospect didn’t think there was any more he could’ve done on the final restart, even after rallying from his earlier struggles. It didn’t mean he didn’t want more, though.

“I don’t think [I had any more in the car],” Gray noted. “First of all, I’m proud of my guys. I tried to ruin our day in the first half of the race, just making dumb mistakes, and being able to come back from those mistakes and be able to have a good finish out of it.

“It sucks to finish second; I want to go win.”

Gray gets two weeks of rest before the Xfinity Series gears up for the BetMGM 300 at Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 24 during Memorial Day weekend.

Broadcast coverage from Charlotte airs at 4:30 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.