LAS VEGAS, Nev – While there have been only two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races so far, one driver is already having a sneaky good start.

Tanner Gray kicked off his year by finishing fourth at Daytona International Speedway and backed it up Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 17 David Gilliland Racing Ford managed to score points in both of the stages, before placing fifth in the Victoria’s Voice 200 presented by Westgate Resorts.

“It means a lot, especially with the year last year,” Gray told News From The Pits. “Jerry Baxter (crew chief), and everybody at DGR has been doing a really good job putting together and bringing fast trucks. It is nice to start the year so well and, I am hoping we can go to Atlanta and keep rolling in that direction. I just got to manage the races from here on out and try to be upfront more and minimize my mistakes more. If I do that, we will have a better shot of winning. Right now, it is like I am making too many mistakes to be in contention.”

What really makes this start for Gray more impressive is when you compare it to his 2021 campaign. Already, Gray has tied the amount of top-ten’s (two) he had last season and exceeded the number of top-five’s his team had (two vs. one).

While it may be too early to focus on points, the strong start has put Gray near the top of the board at second, 27 markers  over the playoff cutoff.

“It is a big confidence boost not only for me but, everyone back at the shop,” Gray said. “When you have bad years, I feel like everybody kind of gets down and starts to doubt it. It is awesome to have momentum rolling and I think you will start to see everything pay off.”