Race 5 of 33: Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway
Track Details: 2-mile oval / 150 laps
No. 08: Gray Gaulding Result: 16th
No. 07: Ray Black Jr. Result: 17th

Team 08 Flywheel Taxi Chevrolet Camaro: 

Gray Gaudling and his No. 08 Flywheel Taxi team came into California coming off a strong 16th place finish last week in Phoenix. Gaulding would roll off from the 17th position for the 300 mile event.

Overall the No. 08 Flywheel Taxi looked pretty sporty early in the first stage of the race, but the team struggled with grip on the slick 2-mile speedway. Stage one was rather uneventful for Gaulding as the 08 finished the stage in 16th.
Crew Chief Patrick Donahue made some adjustments to give his young driver some comfortability especially on the long runs. The 08 team was strong as they ran in the top fifteen during the course of the second stage. After stage two, Gaudling was 14th. The 08 team continued to make gains throughout the final stage, working their way to as high as 11th. After a couple late restarts the team was unable to take full advantage of their fresh tires.  When it was all said and done Gaulding finished in the 16th position. This was the 08 team’s fourth top twenty finish in a row.

Gray Gaulding: 

“Another solid day for us finishing P16. We are really chipping away at it every week. Thanks so much to my SS GreenLight Racing guys for all their hard work over the weekend. We have some great momentum heading into the off week. Another solid west coast swing in the books.” 

Bobby Dotter Thoughts on the 08 Team:

“The 08 team had another solid weekend. Gray, Patrick, and our entire 08 team is really starting to click. I couldn’t be happier with how the West Coast swing went. Excited to use the off week to re-group and continue all of this positive momentum moving forward.”

Team 07 Isokern Fireplaces & Chimneys Chevrolet Camaro: 

Ray Black Jr came into California off the heels of an 18th place finish in Phoenix with his No. 07 Isokern Fireplaces & Chimneys Chevrolet Camaro. Black qualified in the 21st position for the Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway.

The 07 team struggled out of the gate, as Black fought the handling of his No. 07 Isokern Fireplaces & Chimneys Chevy. Black said his car was extremely tight and he had a ton of wheel in it. At the end of stage one Black was 23rd and very frustrated.

Crew Chief Jason Miller made whole sale changes to the 07 Chevy. Miller stated he had never made so many changes during the course of a race. The 07 car slowly came back to life as they finished stage two 21st. Miller made one more huge swing with adjustments and hit on something. Black ran his fastest lap on lap 89. Black piloted his No. 07 machine up to the 17th position, which is where he would finish. Despite a tough day the 07 team rallied for their third top twenty finish in a row.

Ray Black Jr: 

“Our day was a roller coaster! We were terrible at the beginning of the race and it looked like it was going to be a long day. Jason made some really big swings and we hit on something late. I think we could’ve had a really strong showing if we started where we finished, but we never gave up and salvaged a good finish. Proud of my guys and all their hard work.” 

Bobby Dotter Thoughts on the 07 Team: 

“The 07 looked to be good on short runs, but struggled as the tires wore. After the team made some pretty big swings at the car, they seemed to find some more speed. The team never gave up and were able to have another great result.” 

Looking Ahead: 

After a very successful West Coast Swing, SS Green Light Racing drivers Gray Gaulding and Ray Black Jr. move up to 15th and 17th respectively in the NASCAR Xfinity Series points standings. The teams will enjoy their first “off weekend” of the season this upcoming week. SS Green Light Racing will resume racing action in two weeks time at Texas Motor Speedway. Coverage of the My Bariatric Solutions 300 from Texas will begin Saturday March 30th at 1:00 PM ET on FS1.