Qualifying was rained out and the field was lined up by practice speeds, thus slotting the No. 17 in the fourth starting position.
Gray held steady in fourth for the opening 57 laps before caution flag waved.
Friday night will mark Gray's second career start at Phoenix Raceway. He qualified seventh and finished third in ARCA Menards Series West action on November 7 of last year.
Gray earned the second starting position by virtue of his fastest lap time from practice. He led the opening seven laps before falling back to second and holding that position until a caution on lap 55.
After qualifying on the pole, Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Sammy Smith, in his second season with the team, scored his first ARCA Menards East Series victory at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.
Rette Jones Racing development driver Max Gutiérrez is still gleaming after picking up a thrilling victory in the Jeep Beach 175 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, but the ARCA Menards Series East rookie driver knows once he puts on his helmet this weekend at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway, it will be time to put the joyous emotions aside and concentrate.
Teenage standout Parker Retzlaff turned heads in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East season-opener earlier this month at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway by dominating 55 of the first 65 laps of the Jeep Beach 175.
Gray will make his second career start at 5 Flags Speedway on Saturday. On October 11 of last year, he qualified second and finished fourth in his first appearance at the Pensacola, Florida oval.
The 29-year-old Nemechek from Mooresville, North Carolina, will part ways with Legacy Motor Club following a three-year campaign at the conclusion of the 2026 Cup Series season.
Niece Motorsports welcomes a partnership extension with Circle B Diecast / Motorsports Auctions to serve as the primary sponsor for drivers Connor Hall and Landen Lewis in the upcoming NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) race at Kansas Speedway.
Chevrolet’s championship title-defending campaign in the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series begins this Labor Day weekend as the sport heads to the historic venue tapped as “The Track Too Tough To Tame” - Darlington Raceway.
