Education
He went on to race seven more times in the series between 1974 and 1976. His best finish came at Talladega later in 1974, when he finished 22nd.
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Johnny Ray
Edit ProfileNational Association of Stock Car Auto Racing team owner
Career
Father of Kevin Ray, he is a former competitor in the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing Winston Cup Series. In 1975, Ray, a trucker by profession, set a world speed record for eighteen-wheeler tractor-trailers, 92 miles per hour (148 km/h), at Talladega. Competing in the 1976 Daytona 500, the second race of the season, Ray crashed on the 112th lap, skidding in oil before being hit by Skip Manning.
Extricated from his wrecked Chevrolet, Ray was taken to Halifax Medical Center, where he was found to have no vital signs and was initially declared dead.
Last-ditch resuscitation efforts managed to revive Ray. While he survived the accident, and competed in some local events in Alabama over the next few years, he never participated in National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing competition as a driver again.
Achievements
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Ray began his career at the top level of National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing competition, the Winston Cup Series (now the Sprint Cup Series) in 1974, making his debut at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway). He finished 41st of 50 cars in the event. Ray entered the 1976 season planning to compete for Rookie of the Year honors in the Winston Cup Series.
