HIGH RIDGE, Mo. (May 20, 2008) – Like a proud father, race car builder Andy McCoy is taking pleasure in watching as the car he built is inching closer to a milestone. Pro Modified racer Scott Ray, driving a ’53 Corvette-bodied car built by Andy McCoy Race Cars, ran a career-best 6.02 second run in qualifying for the O'Reilly Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. this past weekend and narrowly missed joining the 5-second club.

“Scott is a great driver and it has been fun to watch as he closes in on that magical barrier,” McCoy said. “The incremental times on his 6.02 run show that he is capable of going even quicker with a little work at the top end of the track so there is a strong possibility he will break into the 5-second range very soon.”

Ray qualified his Ohio Crankshaft-sponsored car fifth in Bristol and is currently 12th in the JEGS Pro Mod Challenge standings. Ray’s custom-built car is less than a year old and was fast right out of the box. He clocked a 6.07 in its first full pass down the quarter mile last September at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

“It’s enjoyable to work with and be associated with such a great racing family as the Rays,” McCoy said. “They do a great job with their in-house engine program and their power plant makes our chassis look good.”

The next chance for Ray to reach the 5-second plateau is in four weeks when the JEGS Pro Mod Challenge series moves to Englishtown, N.J., for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals June 19-22.

Andy McCoy Race Cars, based in High Ridge, Mo., specializes in the fabrication of high-performance Pro Mod and Top Sportsman drag racing components from chassis to competition-ready vehicles.

Information Ohio Crankshaft is available at www.ohiocrank.com .