Friday, October 27, 2017

Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland At It Again

Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland At It Again

Last month, Harrison Burton barely edged out Todd Gilliland for the K&N Pro Series East title.

 

Todd Gilliland  and Harrison Burton At It Again - #NASCAR

 

“What an honor to win both the race and championship at Dover, it’s pretty freaking cool,” Burton said. #NASCAR
“What an honor to win both the race and championship at Dover, it’s pretty freaking cool,” Burton said. “It’s what I dreamed to do as a kid, win races at tracks like this and win NASCAR championships. To come out and do that is pretty surreal. I’m pretty pumped up about it.” Harrison reported.

It was the fifth win of the season for Burton, who entered the last race trailing Gilliland by eight points.

“This one is really disappointing,” said Gilliland, a fellow NASCAR Next driver who is also leading the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship standings with three races to go.
Gilliland qualified fourth for the ‘National Fallen Firefighters Foundation 125 presented by Carl Deputy & Son Builders’ and looked strong early until lap 56 when he blew a tire, sending him into the wall in Turn 2 and ending his day.

“This one is really disappointing,” said Gilliland, a fellow NASCAR Next driver who is also leading the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship standings with three races to go. “I felt like we had pretty good control of it going in here. We were just as fast as Burton in the race. Just having a tire go down like that is heartbreaking for sure. I’m really proud of everyone at Bill McAnally Racing. We’ve had the fastest cars here all year, just didn’t have the luck to go along with it.”

Gilliland recorded four 2017 K&N Pro Series Wins





Tomorrow, these young rising NASCAR Stars will be contending again in the Camping World Truck Series race. Both will be in prime Kyle Busch Motorsports Equipment for the Texas Roadhouse 200 presented by Alpha Energy Solutions (Round 20 of 23) in Martinsville Speedway.

Todd Gilliland - Three Things You Need to Know

  1. ● Todd Gilliland, driver of the No. 46 PEDIGREE® Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM), will make his fifth career start in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition Saturday in the Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. At 17 years of age, Gilliland is a third-generation driver and is the reigning NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion. With only one race remaining in the 2017 K&N Pro West series season, Gilliland leads the championship standings by 11 points. The season finale is Nov. 4 at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, California, where Gilliland is a two-time winner.
  2. ● Driving the No. 46 PEDIGREE® Toyota Tundra for KBM, Gilliland made his Truck Series debut earlier this season at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, where he scored a 20th-place finish after the right-front wheel broke on his Tundra 116 laps into the 200-lap event. Prior to the incident, Gilliland competed among the top-10 and raced as high as second place.
  3. ● Gilliland picked up his first career top-five finish in Truck Series competition during his most recent event Sept. 23 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. Driving the No. 51 PEDIGREE® Toyota for KBM, Gilliland qualified fifth and finished third in what was only his fourth career start in the Truck Series.

Todd Gilliland, Driver Q&A

It’s been a few weeks, but you finished third in your last outing in the Truck Series. How much of a confidence boost does that provide for this weekend’s race at Martinsville?

“Finishing third was definitely a big achievement for me. Earning my first top-five in the Truck Series is amazing. But, we are going to go out to Martinsville and try and make the most out of the opportunity, try to get another top-five finish and hopefully run up front all day.”

Like at New Hampshire, you are going into a race with previous experience at the track. Talk about that.

“I’ve run two Late Model races at Martinsville, so I have a few laps down on the track. But it will be totally different in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I’m looking forward to getting on the track in a new series.”

Because you have some experience at Martinsville, can you explain what it’s like racing on a short, flat track like this one?

“I like the track a lot. I was out there during the spring watching the race to help prepare for this weekend. You definitely have to be aggressive and use the bump-and-run a little bit and I’m prepared for that. We will just have to see what it comes down to at the end.”

Knowing how challenging it is to make up ground at Martinsville, how much emphasis will you place on qualifying this weekend?

“Qualifying will be important. I think you’re still going to have to try and move up with every restart and be very aware of the trucks around you in the race. We can also be pretty aggressive with pit strategy, so I’m excited to see what we can go out there and do. I know my team at Kyle Busch Motorsports will bring me a fast Pedigree Tundra, so then it’s up to me to take advantage of that and hopefully get my first win this weekend.”

About the PEDIGREE® Brand

The PEDIGREE® Brand is the No. 1 brand of dog food and treats in the world, feeding more dogs than any other brand. The PEDIGREE® Brand offers a wide variety of products and formats for dogs at every life stage. The PEDIGREE® Brand is built on an unwavering love for all dogs and a commitment to dog adoption. For more information, visit www.pedigree.com. The brand launched a new video campaign earlier this year as part of its NASCAR sponsorship featuring PEDIGREE® Pup-letes

Harrison Burton, Driver of the No. 51 NCWTS DEX Imaging Tundra:

You raced at Martinsville earlier this season and finished 13th, what can you take from that race and apply it to this weekend?

“I can definitely take a lot from that race. I learned a lot about that race track when I was there and about how the trucks move around the track. Racing at Martinsville is a lot of fun. I think it’s kind of a unique style of racing than everywhere else. You have to block on a half-mile track and that can be a little tough. But, there is a lot that I learned and that I can take from the experience. I know that we ran better than 13th and had a good run for most of the race. I’m ready to get back there and prove myself and get it done in my DEX Imaging Tundra.”

Mike Hillman Jr., Crew Chief of the No. 51 NCWTS DEX Imaging Tundra:

This is your first race as the No. 51 crew chief, what are your goals for the rest of the season?

“First of all, I want to say how excited I am to be at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Everyone has been very welcoming and it’s an honor to be a part of one of the most elite teams in the Truck Series. We only have four races left in the season but I’m eager to get out there and get things done. We have some very talented rookies behind the wheel of the No. 51 and I’m looking forward to working with each of them.”

You have experience working with rookies in the Truck Series, what advice do you have for Harrison (Burton) going into Martinsville?

“Since this is Harrison’s third race at Martinsville, I think that he just needs to take what he knows about the track, learn from it and use it. He needs to be patient, he needs to keep the truck balanced and he needs to be there at the end. We have two practices on Friday to get the truck dialed in and comfortable for Harrison so that when Saturday comes, we will go out there and make the most of his last race of the season.”

Harrison Burton’s No. 51 DEX Imaging Tundra:

KBM-034: The No. 51 DEX Imaging team will race KBM-034 for Saturday’s Texas Roadhouse 200. Burton raced this Tundra earlier this season at Martinsville where he started seventh and finished 13th. This Tundra was also driven by KBM teammate Todd Gilliland earlier this season at New Hampshire. He started the race fifth and finished third.

Hillman’s History:

Two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion crew chief Mike Hillman Jr., will be calling the shots for KBM’s No. 51 Toyota Racing team. Hillman Jr., helped Toyota capture its first-ever NASCAR national series championship when he guided Todd Bodine to the Truck Series title in 2006. The duo won 14 races as a pairing from 2006 to 2011 and topped the driver’s standings in NASCAR’s third division again in 2010. Overall in his 10-plus seasons atop the pit box, the New York native’s NCWTS drivers have collected 20 wins and 18 poles.

Hillman Jr., has seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 20 starts as a crew chief in the NCWTS at Martinsville.


Jeff Burton (31) and Dave Gilliland (38) Daytona 500 in 2007 #NASCAR
Jeff Burton (31) and Dave Gilliland (38) Daytona 500 in 2007


Harrison and Todd are sons of popular NASCAR drivers Jeff Burton and David Gilliland respectively. It will be interesting to watch their progression as they take the next steps to master their craft.  In the video below the boys address the impact of their famous fathers on their chosen professions.





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