JACKSONVILLE, NC – Some of the biggest Late Model races that have ever been held at Goodyear All American Speedway have been won by Tony Grady – and now, the veteran racer is returning to the Onslow County complex to compete in Sunday’s Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars.
Grady, 58, from Deep Run, North Carolina, has racked up over 100 wins in his career with 16 of those wins coming at Goodyear All American Speedway. This weekend, he will make his first start at the track in nearly a decade, competing against some of short track racing’s heavy hitters chasing a $10,000 prize.
“I’m older now, I’m probably old enough to be a lot of these other drivers’ dad, so if I can be competitive, that’s all I want,” Grady said. “That’s all any driver wants, to be competitive and to say we had a chance when we unloaded. A win is icing on the cake. I want the cake, and I want the icing too.”
A lot has changed at the track in the past decade, including the name, but the most notable difference will be the track surface. However, the fast way around the uniquely shaped .400-mile track in Jacksonville remain the same and the fundamentals for long-distance races, like Sunday’s race, remain the same.
“From what I’m hearing and seeing, the surface is older, but the fast line hasn’t changed but a little bit if any,” Grady explained. “Over the years, I’ve always seemed to shine more in the long run races. This new format tracks came up with twin 40 lap races was never my forte. The long race, you have to think about it and use strategy, that’s racing as I know it. Put us out there for 150 laps and let’s go.”
Another change for Grady will be the tires. Most racetracks in North Carolina run on Hoosier F45 tires, but Goodyear All American Speedway races on American Racer’s McCreary branded tire that is also run at Dominion Raceway in Virginia and Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania.
While it will be a change, Grady feels adapting to a different tire is just part of racing.
“It’s going to be the same for all of us,” Grady remarked. “We’re all going to be on the same tire, and you have to adapt. Goodyear tires, back in the day, they were real hard. We ran Goodyear one week and Hoosier the next and you’d adapt.”
In recent years, Grady’s on-track participation has become limited as he has focused on helping his son, Andrew. Grady joked that he has retired from racing multiple times but continues to return to the track. When the Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars came up during a conversation with Mike Darne, a former champion at Southern National Motorsports Park and Old Dominion Speedway who works on Grady’s cars, he decided to come out of retirement for a third time.
“I’ve retired three times already and I’m going to do it again,” Grady commented. “We were talking about just hanging it up and then we heard about this race and Mike called me and I told him [Goodyear All American Speedway] is back in the game. He said, ‘you’re pretty good there.’ The first time I met Mike was at a race there. I won the race. He was leading with enough laps to go for me to get by him, I thought, and he ran out of fuel. That’s always been a back-and-forth between me and him. If you ask him, he was going to win the race. If you ask me, I was going to pass him. But we’re really good friends. He keeps up our cars and runs out race team.
Sunday’s Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars has quickly become one of the biggest races of the year, not just in Eastern North Carolina, but in all of pavement short track racing. Heavy hitters such as Josh Berry, Justin Johnson, Chad McCumbee, Tyler Matthews, Connor Hall, Trevor Ward, Jason York, and many more, have signed up to compete in the race.
Grady knows he will have work cut out for him if he will pick up his 17th win at the track. He recently had surgery on his spine, but still feels like he’s in good shape.
“Going into this weekend, you go to this race and come out with a top-five, that’s big,” Grady stated. “If I won, I’d probably announce my retirement again. Key word, again. I’m still in pretty good shape, a little less hair, but good shape.”
The Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars will take place on Sunday, November 14, 2021, with the green flag waving at 3pm. Tickets are available at the gate on race day for $20 for anyone 13 or over, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and kids five (5) and under free. Discounts are available for seniors, active and retired military, and students with ID. For those unable to attend, the race will be broadcast live on Speed51.TV.
Goodyear All American Speedway is Jacksonville’s Action Attraction featuring racing and other events. For more information about Goodyear All American Speedway, check out the speedway’s website, like/follow “Goodyear All American Speedway” on Facebook, or follow the track on Instagram.
