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Carsyn Gray taking talents national

Nashville recording artist and INEX racer Carsyn Gray (Gillikin) is continuing to expand her profile in both music and racing.


Last month, the ​2​0-year-old from Morehead City headlined a concert at the Alaska Raceway Park in Palmer, Alaska after speedway owner Michelle Lackey read about her in an article on Legends Nation.  The next day, she competed in an INEX Legends race at the track, finishing third.


“That was really amazing,” Gray said.  “Everybody in Alaska really took a lot of time and thought everything out and it really made it a great experience for everyone.  The scenery is what made everything so much more special.”


The Lance Mackey Memorial was held on Saturday, July 19.  Gray recorded a third-place finish in the second of two races held for the INEX Legend Cars.


“To be honest, at first, it was very overwhelming, getting into a new car at a track I was not at all familiar with, or a track even like it,” Gray stated.  “But, it was a great experience and a lot of fun.  It was very different from anything I had ever done before.”


Gray’s podium finish in Alaska also won her a mini highland cow as the result of a bet with another competitor.


Gray’s music career continues to take off after she won Entertainer of the Year at the Carolina County Music Awards.  She has opened for local band Dakota Blue and has performed at Big Rock Stadium in Morehead City.  She is also set to perform as a headliner during the North Carolina Seafood Festival in October.


“I’ve been asked to do bigger shows, so it’s been really fun,” Gray explained.  “We’re on the main stage for the Seafood Festival.  To be invited to that is already, in itself, a huge thing because a lot of people want to be a part of that.  There’s been talk about being a part of the Barge Party at Island 37 next year.  To even be considered for that is huge.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed it happens.”


Dakota Blue and Carsyn Gray have drawn large crowds to events they’ve performed at, such as 34° North in Cedar Point.


“Performing with Dakota Blue has been fun,” Gray noted.  “Everybody’s been amazing and it’s been a great experience overall with them.”


Gray doesn’t intend on slowing down on the track either, despite some motor issues in recent races.  She plans to continue racing at Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway, where she scored her first win in a Mini Cup in 2020, as well as at Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville.

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501 Whitehouse Fork Rd. Swansboro, NC 28584 - 3 miles from the Emerald Isle Bridge

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