Sunday, July 10, 2016

Teammates Slice & Dice & Collide
In #KNWEST #NASCAR Thriller

Todd Gilliland and Chris Eggleston
Thrill the Crowd in Action Packed Race

It's K&N Pro Series West race time at Stateline Speedway via @KipChildress
It's K&N Pro Series West race time at Stateline Speedway via @KipChildress 
The Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 is the seventh race of the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season. It’s the sixth of eleven oval events and the fourteen races overall on the schedule. It was the series’ fifth visit to the Post Falls, Idaho facility and the third since July of 1985.

The track held a special promotion with NAPA leading into this race. Nineteen fans were paired with the nineteen drivers - the winning driver will earn their fan a trip to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at Phoenix International Raceway in the fall!

This was made even more special by NAPA Drivers Todd Gilliland, driver of the #16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota and Chris Eggleston, driver of the #50 NAPA Filters Toyota spirited skirmish.

Chris Eggleston started the race from pole after earning his first career Coors Light Pole Award. He was also able to lead a race-high seventy-three of the one hundred and sixty-six lapper.

Teammate Todd Gilliland’s qualifying effort netted a lesser seventh place starting position. Nevertheless, the youngster maneuvered his fast race car up to position three by lap 53.

After a twenty-minute red flag period for track clean up due to an oil spill, the race continued on lap 73. Eggleston, Raz, Gilliland, Partridge, and Gragson made up the top-five.

However, at the time of a caution (due to a spin by Wood) on lap 84, the top-five marked Raz leading Eggleston, Gilliland, Partridge, and Gragson.

On lap 90, Raz was black flagged and had to serve a drive through penalty for jumping the start. Eggleston inherited the lead and was followed by Gilliland, Partridge, Gragson and Havens.

Just one lap later after contact, Eggleston and Gilliland spun in turn two. They restarted the race in thirteenth and fourteenth respectively. Fortunately, with over a third of the race remaining, the competitive colleagues had time to advance.

By lap 117, Gilliland was already all the way back up to fifth, but 2.8 seconds behind the leaders. Fortuitously, for the eventual race winner, Wood brought out another caution on lap 127 when he spun. Under this yellow, Partridge led Gragson, Havens, Rouse, Gilliland, Eggleston, Moore, Raz, Landauer, and Perkins.

Several additional cautions abounded as both Guilliland and Eggleston advanced back up the field. There were nine cautions total which accounted for seventy laps.

Lap 149 was the scene of a green-white-checkered situation. Gragson and Partridge were on the front row with Gilliland and Raz in row two. Gragson got a little loose out of turn two and Gilliland tried to make it three wide. Partridge was stuck on the outside of the three wide and went around in turn four.

Since the yellow flag flew before the white, another green-white-checker would entertain the race fans. The top-ten running order was as follows: Gragson, Gilliland, Eggleston, Raz, Landauer, Perkins, Herbst, Levin, Norman, and Rouse.

The track went green on lap 164 with Gragson and Gilliland side by side for the lead. At the white flag, it was Gragson by a nose. However, the checkered flag finish was so close that Gragson and Gilliland had to wait for NASCAR officials to review the finish.

It was determined that Gilliland crossed the finish line .004 seconds in front of the Gragson. Eggleston had rallied back to a third place finish.

Tweet by Todd’s Father – NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver David Gilliland:


The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will next race in the annual combination showdown with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Iowa Speedway on Friday, July 28.

The Toyota NAPA 150 will air on NBCSN on Friday, July 15 at 2 p.m. ET.


Team Celebrates Third 2016 #K&N West Win
for Todd Gilliland (@NASCARHomeTrack)


Race Results

Fin Str Car Driver
1 7 16 Todd Gilliland *
2 3 7 Noah Gragson
3 1 50 Chris Eggleston
4 6 27 Gracin Raz
5 9 54 Julia Landauer *
6 11 6 Cole Rouse *
7 14 19 Riley Herbst *
8 15 6 Will Rodgers *
9 13 14 Matt Levin
10 2 9 Ryan Partridge
11 8 21 Blaine Perkins *
12 12 8 John Wood
13 17 38 Stafford Smith *
14 5 20 Cole Moore *
15 10 30 Ron Norman
16 4 83 Braeden Havens
17 19 39 Salvatore Iovino *
18 16 36 Jesse Iwuji *
19 18 84 Rich DeLong III

Top-Ten Series Points: 1-Ryan Partridge (291); 2-Todd Gilliland * (288); 3-Chris Eggleston (278); 4-Noah Gragson (274); 5-Gracin Raz (263); 6-Julia Landauer * (258); 7-Cole Rouse * (253); 8-Riley Herbst * (250); 9-Matt Levin (228); 10-Ron Norman (223)

* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate

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