When the pressure was at its peak, J. R. Gray delivered the performance of his career. In a winner-take-all final at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Gray drove his Al-Anabi Performance Camaro to victory over Billy Banaka, securing both the NHRA Nevada Nationals event win and his first Congruity NHRA Pro Mod world championship. The South Carolina native qualified third and battled through a gauntlet of top names – Alex Laughlin, Kevin Rivenbark, and former world champ Mike Castellana – before sealing the deal with a 5.749-second pass at 250.04 mph in the final. After an early stumble in the playoffs, Gray rebounded with grit and focus, taking it one round at a time until the ultimate payoff in Vegas. Backed by Al-Anabi with a team that includes 2015 DI 30 Under 30 honoree Mark Savage, Todd Tutterow, and 2016 DI 30 Under 30 honoree Ty Tutterow, Gray’ s ability to balance composure and aggression under championship pressure earned him this issue’ s PEAK Performer honors.

Photographs by Tom Macht