BEN BRAY TESTS AT ST. LOUIS

A second generation professional class drag racer you may not have heard of, Ben Bray, who will join the likes of Brandon Bernstein and Tony Schumacher at the 51st annual U.S. Nationals was testing Tuesday night at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis. Bray, son of six-time Australian Top Doorslammer (the Australian equivalent of the U.S. Pro Mod class) Champion Victor Bray has gone as quick as 6.01/245 in Australia was sorting out the AMS 'Vette under the guidance of dad Victor Bray and Troy Critchley's crew chief Darren Mayer.

ADVERTISEMENT

The team was trying a tune-up that was a combination of the elder Bray's Australian screw-blower tune-up and Mayer's U.S. rules tune-up. The car did go a respectable 4.08 to the eighth-mile on one lap but never made a full lap under power, recording a best of 6.70 with Ben stepping off the throttle at half-track when the tires spun hard and the car went left. (Jeff Burk photo) [8-31-2005]