Todd Gilliland

Todd Gilliland
Born (2000-05-15) May 15, 2000
Sherrills Ford, North Carolina
Related to Butch Gilliland (grandfather)
David Gilliland (father)
K&N Pro Series West career
Debut season 2015
Current team Bill McAnally Racing
Car no. 16
Engine Toyota
Crew Chief Chris Lawson
Starts 3
Wins 7
Poles 6
Best finish 1st in 2016
Finished last season 1st (2016)
Previous series
2015
2015
2014		 CARS Late Model Stock Tour
ARCA Racing Series
CARS X-1R Pro Cup Series
Championship titles
2016 K&N Pro Series West

Todd Gilliland (born May 15, 2000) is an American stock car racing driver. The son of NASCAR driver David Gilliland, he currently competes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, driving the No. 16 Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing. He also drives in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour.

Racing career

Gilliland first started driving when he was three years old; his parents purchased a pink (later repainted to black) Barbie corvette with modified pedals and an additional battery to increase its speed.[1] Afterwards, he began driving a quarter midget on a neighborhood dirt track. Two years later, he started racing competitively,[2] but stopped for two years at the decision of his father. In 2012, he won championships in the North Carolina Quarter Midget Association, USAC World Formula National Quarter Midget Championship and on the West Coast; he concluded his quarter midget career with 34 wins. The following year, he started limited late model racing, running three races. In 2014, he won his first limited late model race from the pole position at Ace Speedway.[3] Later in the year, he won his first late model race at Southern National Motorsports Park.[4]

On May 17, two days after his fifteenth birthday, Gilliland became the youngest driver to compete in the ARCA Racing Series when he made his debut at Toledo Speedway with Venturini Motorsports.[5] After leading the race weekend's practice session and qualifying fifth, he held off Tom Hessert and Josh Williams to win, becoming the youngest winner in ARCA series history.[6]

On November 12, Gilliland ran his first race in the K&N Pro Series West for Frontline Enterprises and Bill McAnally Racing[7] at Phoenix International Raceway, taking the lead with five laps to go after J. J. Haley's tire went down and defeated William Byron on the green–white–checker finish to win.[8] The win made Gilliland the youngest race winner in track history.[9] In postrace inspection, Gilliland's car was found to have the lubrication oil reservoir tank cover bolted improperly. As a result, his team received a P5 penalty (the second-worst in NASCAR) and was docked thirty points, although Gilliland was allowed to keep the victory.[8] On January 29, 2016, Gilliland joined Kyle Busch Motorsports' Super Late Model team.[10]

On February 4, 2016, McAnally announced that Gilliland would compete full-time in the series, driving the No. 16 Camry.[11] Gilliland also made a start in the K&N Pro Series East at New Smyrna Speedway. After winning the pole,[12] he won the race in controversial fashion, as the flagman failed to wave the white flag in time after lap 150 and unintentionally extended the race by a lap.[13] The race was subsequently declared official after 150 laps.[12] On March 19, 2016, Gilliland went on to win his second Pro Series West race and his third Pro Touring series race at Irwindale Speedway.[14] After winning at Kern County Raceway Park, the victory marked his fourth K&N Series win in four starts, tying the record set by Dan Gurney 50 years earlier.[15] In May, he was named a member of the 2016–17 NASCAR Next program.[16]

Personal life

Gilliland's father David currently competes in the Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports. His grandfather Butch, the 1997 NASCAR Winston West Series champion,[17] formerly competed in the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series.[18]

Motorsports career results

ARCA Racing Series

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

* Season in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References

  1. ↑ "Like Father, Like Son – The Gillilands". Motor Racing Network. April 8, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Todd Gilliland To Make NASCAR K&N Pro Series Debut At Phoenix". Bill McAnally Racing. November 8, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  3. ↑ Williams, Deb (May 13, 2014). "Todd Gilliland already finding late model success". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ Bonkowski, Jerry (March 29, 2015). "Todd Gilliland, son of NASCAR driver David Gilliland, earns first career Late Model win". NBC Sports. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ "DAVID GILLILAND'S SON WINS IN ARCA SERIES DEBUT". NASCAR. May 17, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Toyota driver Todd Gilliland becomes youngest ARCA winner at 15". Autoweek. May 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  7. ↑ Associated Press (November 13, 2015). "Todd Gilliland, 15, wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series race". ESPN. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Utter, Jim (November 18, 2015). "Todd Gilliland's first NASCAR win clouded by severe penalty". Motorsport.com. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  9. ↑ Associated Press (November 12, 2015). "15-year-old Todd Gilliland wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series race". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  10. ↑ Bonkowski, Jerry (January 29, 2016). "Kyle Busch Motorsports' Super Late Model team: Gilliland, Bell, Byron". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  11. ↑ "2016 BMR Drivers Introduced, Cars Unveiled". Bill McAnally Racing. February 4, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Cunningham, Jason (February 14, 2016). "Gilliland Gets the Victory at New Smyrna". NASCAR Home Tracks. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  13. ↑ Utter, Jim (February 14, 2016). "Todd Gilliland wins K&N season-opener in bizarre finish". Motorsport.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  14. ↑ Lair, Keith (March 19, 2016). "Todd Gilliland wins K&N West race at Irwindale Speedway". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  15. ↑ King, Alanis (April 3, 2016). "Todd Gilliland takes Toyota to victory in NASCAR K&N West race". Autoweek. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  16. ↑ "FUTURE STARS UNVEILED IN NASCAR NEXT 2016-17 CLASS". NASCAR. May 17, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  17. ↑ "NASCAR Cup driver David Gilliland's son Todd is making a racing name for himself". Autoweek. July 13, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  18. ↑ Brewster, Louis (July 16, 2014). "Irwindale Speedway: Butch Gilliland, David Gilliland, Todd Gilliland to compete in three-generation race". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
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