Gray Gaulding
Gaulding atBristol Motor Speedway in 2019
Born	Dwayne Gray Gaulding Jr. (1998-02-10)February 10, 1998 (age 27) Colonial Heights, Virginia, U.S.
Achievements	3rd Youngest winner ever in aNASCAR-sanctioned series (15y/8m/28d) 2nd Youngest winner ever in theNASCAR K&N Pro Series East (15) YoungestLegend Car winner ever (12) YoungestLegend Car Champion ever (12)
NASCARCup Series career
60 races run over 6 years
2023 position	59th
Best finish	34th (2017)
First race	2016Goody's Fast Relief 500 (Martinsville)
Last race	2023Enjoy Illinois 300 (Gateway)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 1 0
NASCARXfinity Series career
79 races run over 8 years
2023 position	37th
Best finish	13th (2019)
First race	2016Food City 300 (Bristol)
Last race	2023Wawa 250 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 8 0
NASCARCraftsman Truck Series career
19 races run over 4 years
2020 position	69th
Best finish	26th (2014)
First race	2014Kroger 250 (Martinsville)
Last race	2020Baptist Health 200 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 2 0
Statistics current as of November 5, 2023.

Dwayne Gray Gaulding Jr. (born February 10, 1998) is an American former professionalstock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in theNASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 08Chevrolet Camaro andFord Mustang forSS-Green Light Racing and part-time in theNASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 15Ford Mustang forRick Ware Racing.

Gaulding began racingmotorbikes at age 4, and raced cars five years later. When he was 10, Gaulding received twoBandolero cars, and won in his first Bandolero race. At age 12, Gaulding was the youngest driver in a NASCARLegends Division, and won a Legends car national championship, gaining sponsorship from firearm distributorGunBroker.com.^[1] Also at age 12, Gaulding defeated NASCARSprint Cup Series driverKevin Harvick at Harvick's karting track, which prompted Harvick to sign Gaulding toKevin Harvick Incorporated'sdriver development program.^[2] At 13, Gaulding became the youngestSuper late model race winner, and was also the youngest driver to win thePro All Stars Series (PASS) Rookie of the Year Award.^[3] After KHI shut down in 2011, he was released from the team's driver development program. When he was 14, Gaulding was volunteering at the Victory Junction Gang Camp when he agreed to five one-year contracts withKrispy Kreme as a sponsor.^[2]

In 2013, Gaulding ran the No. 20 Krispy KremeToyota in both theK&N Pro Series East andWest.^[4] He won thepole position atRichmond International Raceway at 15 years, 2 months, 15 days, becoming the youngest pole-sitter in NASCAR history, more than four months younger thanCole Custer, the previous record holder. In the season-ending Pro Series West race atPhoenix International Raceway, Gaulding spun out Custer on the final lap to win,^[5] becoming the youngest race winner in K&N series history at 15 years, 8 months and 30 days.^[6][7] During the year, Gaulding was named to the NASCAR Next program, which highlights NASCAR's future stars.^[8] In 2014, Gaulding was hired byNTS Motorsports to run full-time in the K&N East series.^[9]

Gaulding joined NTS Motorsports in the No. 20, and ran eight races in the2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season;^[9] he made his Truck Series debut atMartinsville Speedway.^[10] On lap 243, Gaulding was running three-wide, and was turned around. Gaulding finished 19th.^[11] Gaulding recorded his best finish of the year atCanadian Tire Motorsport Park, finishing 4th in theChevrolet Silverado 250.^[12]

On March 23, 2015, Gaulding was released by NTS Motorsports, and joinedRed Horse Racing, making his debut for the team at Martinsville where he finished 17th.^[13] He later joinedKyle Busch Motorsports, driving the No. 54Toyota Tundra in three races at Mosport,New Hampshire and Martinsville.

In 2016, Gaulding joinedRoush Fenway Racing's driver development program and made hisNASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the No. 60 atBristol Motor Speedway, while also running another round at Richmond.^[14]

For the 2019 season, Gaulding drove No. 08 Chevy forSS-Green Light Racing full-time. In April'sMoneyLion 300 atTalladega Superspeedway, Gaulding finished a career-best second behindTyler Reddick.^[15]

On January 16, 2020, it was announced thatJoe Graf Jr. would take over the No. 08 car for the2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, leaving Gaulding without a ride.^[16] Despite losing his full-time seat with the team, Gaulding returned to SS-Green Light for Talladega, where he piloted the No. 07 to an eighth-place run.^[17][18] Another ride opportunity with the same team saw Gaulding score another second-place finish in theWawa 250 atDaytona International Speedway, being beaten by eventual winnerJustin Haley.^[19] Gaulding later joinedMike Harmon Racing for a late-season drive at theCharlotte Motor Speedway Roval.^[20]

On January 26, 2021, it was reported that Gaulding would return to the Xfinity Series full-time forJimmy Means Racing.^[21] At the conclusion of theMartinsville race, a fight broke out on pit road between Gaulding andJoe Graf Jr. after Gaulding wrecked Graf on lap 177.^[22]

Gaulding would only make a handful of starts in 2022, splitting time betweenMike Harmon Racing andJD Motorsports with a best finish of 21st atTalladega Superspeedway.

In 2023, Gaulding would return toSS-Green Light Racing in the No. 08 in a mix ofChevrolets andFords withBlaine Perkins as his teammate.

In late 2016, Gaulding attempted to make hisSprint Cup Series debut at Martinsville, driving the No. 30 car forThe Motorsports Group.^[23] Gaulding joinedBK Racing's No. 23 car for the 2017 season, driving in 33 races.^[24] Gaulding was not approved to run the Daytona 500 due to lack of experience on larger tracks (1.5 miles or greater). On June 13, 2017, he was replaced byRyan Sieg atMichigan.^[25] Later in the month, Gaulding announced he had joinedPremium Motorsports' No. 55 Camry for the Cup races atKentucky andLoudon.^[26] On June 5, 2017, BK Racing released Gaulding because of financial issues; however, he would later return to the team at Darlington. At Talladega, Gaulding survived a crash-filled race to post his career-best finish of ninth.^[27]

Gaulding would return to BK Racing in 2018, but left the team after running the first 17 races as it fell into financial turmoil.^[28] He joinedStarCom Racing for two races in the No. 99 before moving toRick Ware Racing.^[29] He returned to Ware for the2019 Food City 500 and a part-time schedule in 2020.^[30][31]

Gaulding is the son of Dwayne and Kristin (Martek) Gaulding. A native ofColonial Heights, Virginia, Gaulding's father, Dwayne, was the vice president of operations at NTS Motorsports.^[8]

Gaulding's brother-in-law is fellow race car driverZane Smith.

On April 2, 2024, Gaulding was arrested for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.^[32] He was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR the following day.^[33] The misdemeanor would later be dismissed on July 29.^[34]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings. * – Most laps led.)

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

• Official website
• Gray Gaulding driver statistics at Racing-Reference

• Living people
• 1998 births
• People from Colonial Heights, Virginia
• Racing drivers from Virginia
• NASCAR drivers
• ARCA Menards Series drivers
• Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers
• RFK Racing drivers

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata