Gilliland and BMR Expand Horizons For 2017

West Series Champion Will Chase the Title in Both the K&N Pro Series - East and West

Bill McAnally Racing and driver Todd Gilliland are expanding their horizons for 2017 with a program to run the full schedules in both the East and West divisions of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.

Gilliland will be in his second season behind the wheel of BMR’s No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry as they tackle the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West next season.

In addition to primary sponsors NAPA AUTO PARTS and Toyota, associate sponsors for the year will include NAPA Filters and NGK, along with many other great partners.

Gilliland – a 16-year-old California native who resides in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina – is coming off a sensational rookie season with BMR in which he won the championship in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

“This is a great opportunity to take the next step in my racing career,” Gilliland said. “We want to build on the success we had in the 2016 season.

“It’s a big move to compete for points in both divisions,” he said. “I look forward to the challenge and I’m thankful to BMR, NAPA, Toyota and our other great partners for making this happen.”

Gilliland had a record-setting rookie season in 2016 in which he became the youngest champion in the history of the series, at 16 years 5 months old; as well as establishing a NASCAR record as the youngest champion in any NASCAR national or touring series. He also won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award and the pole award for 2016.

“We had a remarkable year with Todd in his rookie season,” said BMR President Bill McAnally, who has won a record seven championships as a car owner in the K&N West. “Expanding our program to take on both divisions in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series is aimed at continuing his development.

“Competing in the K&N East and K&N West also expands the scope for our corporate partners,” McAnally said. “We’re grateful to them for their continued support. We could not do this without them.”

Gilliland and his BMR team – which is based in Roseville, California – raced in five K&N East races in 2016. In 2014 and 2015, BMR had separate teams compete full time in each division. Their 2017 program will mark the first season for a single BMR driver to race the full schedule in both divisions.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series serves as NASCAR’s top developmental series.

In addition to being the youngest champion in the series, Gilliland holds the record as the youngest race winner in the series. At the age of 15 years 5 months 28 days, he won his series debut at Phoenix in the season finale for 2015. He also became the youngest winner in the history of the ARCA racing series, capturing a victory just two days after his 15th birthday.

Todd will be a busy racer. Below is the combined K&N Pro Series East & West Schedule (27 Races):

02/19/16	East	New Smyrna Speedway
03/18/16	West	Tucson Speedway
03/23/16	West	Kern County Raceway Park
03/25/16	West	Irwindale Speedway 1
03/25/16	West	Irwindale Speedway 2
04/08/16	East	Greenville Pickens Speedway
04/22/16	East	Bristol Motor Speedway
05/06/16	East	South Boston Speedway 1
05/06/16	East	South Boston Speedway 2
05/13/16	West	Spokane County Raceway
05/20/16	West	Orange Show Speedway
06/03/16	East	Memphis International Raceway
06/10/16	West	Colorado National Speedway
06/24/16	West	Sonoma Raceway
07/01/16	East	Berlin Raceway
07/08/16	East	Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
07/15/16	East	New Hampshire Motor Speedway
07/28/16	Both	Iowa Speedway - East West Combine
08/04/16	East	Watkins Glen International
08/12/16	West	Evergreen Speedway
08/26/16	West	Douglas County Speedway
09/02/16	East	To Be Announced
09/16/16	East	New Jersey Motorsports Park
09/29/16	East	Dover International Speedway
09/30/16	West	Meridian Speedway
10/14/16	West	All American Speedway
11/04/16	West	Kern County Raceway Park

Team Release

 

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1. Julia Landauer Not Just A Survivor
2. 2017 Schedule For #NASCAR K&N Pro Series
3. BMR Teams Honored In NASCAR Night Of Champions Awards Ceremony
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Medically Cleared
5. Eckes Prevails in Snowball Derby Thriller

K&N Pro Series West at Evergreen Speedway

The NAPA Auto Parts 150 Presented By Toyota

Todd with father David - Family Tradition Continues For Gilliland At Monroe Track

With the K&N Pro Series West just over  the halfway point, rookie Todd Gilliland holds a three-point lead over Ryan Partridge and a twenty-four and twenty-five point lead over Noah Gragson and Chris Eggleston, respectively.  

Evergreen Speedway is  one of the most historic tracks on the circuit. Located in Monroe, the facility contains a 5/8 mile paved outer oval with a 3/8 mile inner oval inside, a 1/5 mile oval, 1/8 mile dragstrip and a Figure 8 track. Fifty-five series races, dating back to 1964, have been contested on the oval track in Monroe, Washington. 

Rookie Todd Gilliland will be the third generation of his family to compete in K&N West action at the speedway. His father, David, won a pole and had a top-five finish in two series starts at the fairgrounds track while Todd's grandfather, Butch, scored two wins (1996 & 1998) in 11 series starts there.

Selected Driver Highlights:

Todd Gilliland (No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)

• • Holds the top spot in the standings headed into the weekend with four wins and seven top fives.
• • Earned his victories at California’s Irwindale Speedway and Kern County Raceway Park, Idaho’s Stateline Speedway and Iowa Speedway.
• • This will be his first series start at Evergreen.
• • Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.

Ryan Partridge (No. 9 Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Lucas Oil Ford)

• • Is second in the standings with one win, six top fives and eight top 10s.
• • Won earlier in the year at Tucson.
• • At Evergreen last season, he finished second after starting third.

Noah Gragson (No. 7 SPEEDVEGAS/AlertID/Colliers International Ford)

• • Is third in the championship standings with four top fives and eight top 10s.
• • Last year at Evergreen, he finished fifth after starting fourth.
• • Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.

Chris Eggleston (No. 50 NAPA Filters Toyota)

• • Heads into Evergreen ranked fourth in the standings with two wins and six top fives.
• • In his first start at Evergreen last season, he finished third after starting fifth. 

 Gracin Raz (No. 27 Montana Tech Ford)

• • Is ranked fifth in the K&N Pro Series West standings with five top fives and six top 10s.
• • In his two series starts at Evergreen, he finished sixth (2014) and fourth (2015).

Ryan Partridge will look to take back the top spot in the championship standings
this weekend at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington.

 Click Here to Watch Lap By Lap Coverage

Entry List 

Event Schedule

Activities at Evergreen Speedway on Saturday include a VIP NAPA Hospitality. The NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 presented by Toyota, the ninth event on a 14-race schedule, will be televised on NBCSN on Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. ET.

Related Posts:

1. #NASCAR Schedule for Xfinity & #KNWest
2. #NASCAR K&N Pro Series at Evergreen
3. Teammates Slice & Dice & Collide In #KNWEST #NASCAR Thriller
4. Eggleston and Gilliland Sidelined Early In Sonoma (#knwest #nascar)
5. David Gilliland returns to Restrictor Plate Racing in Talladega

Todd Gilliland Has Another Strong Showing In The K&N Pro Series West

After winning the first two K&N Pro Series West (#KNWEST) races this season, rookie Todd Gilliland finished the third event with an impressive second-place finish in his #16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota.

Gilliland started fourth on the grid for the ‘NAPA Auto Parts Wildcat 150’ and ran in the top three throughout most of the race. The fifteen-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina moved up to third in the first forty-five laps and was to second by Lap fifty-five.

With his runner-up finish, Gilliland was able to maintain a slight lead in the championship standings. He also retained his lead in rookie points.

The K&N Pro Series West Championship is so tight this year that even with two wins and a runner-up finish in the first three races, Todd has just a four-point lead over second place driver, Ryan Partridge.

The next event on the series schedule will be the Sunrise Ford 150 at the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino, California on May 21.

Todd’s father David currently competes in the Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports. His grandfather Butch, the 1997 NASCAR Winston West Series champion, formerly competed in the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series.

For an autographed Todd Gilliland hero card please send a self-addressed and stamped envelope (at least 8x10) to:

• Kim Brown
• BMR
• 900 Riverside Ave.
• Roseville, CA 95678

Top 10 K&N Pro Series West Driver Points: 

1. Todd Gilliland * 138
2. Ryan Partridge 134
3. Chris Egg leston 122
4. Cole Rouse * 116
5. Riley Herbst * 115
6. Noah Gragson 111
7. Julia Landauer * 109
8. Ron Norman 98
9. Gracin Raz 97
10. Matt Levin 91

Photo Credit: Todd Gilliland's Website

Don’t Forget That Bristol is also hosting a K&N Pro East Race Today (#nascar)

Can Todd Gilliland Make NASCAR
K&N Pro Series History

Are you tired of hearing about how Sprint Cup Champion Kyle Busch is making history? Well, be sure to tune into the K&N Pro Series East Race scheduled for center stage today after the Xfinity events. 

Fifteen-year-old, third-generation driver Todd Gilliland has a lot of pressure going into the PittLite125 race. The K&N Pro Series East race is scheduled to take the green at 4:30 pm at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway.

If Todd manages to extend his amazing streak and win this race, he will become the first driver in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West history to win their first five career starts! He’s currently tied for the feat with Dan Gurney after his fourth victory at California’s Kern County Raceway Park earlier this month. 

Race Winner Todd with his father David Gilliland
(Photo by Sal Sigala Jr.)

This talented youngster is the son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran David Gilliland, and Butch Gilliland’s grandson. Butch is the 1997 Winston West (now known as  NASCAR K&N Pro Series West) champion.

“My son David Gilliland and now Todd. . . . . I am so proud as a former driver. Most of all I am proud of my whole family as they have always supported our racing and now with Todd growing up we are so happy.” Butch reported.

A field of ambitious racers will all strive to keep Todd from his history making goal. The obstacles include 2015 pole winner Jessie Little; 2015 race winner Kyle Benjamin; and series points leader Spencer Davis.

Todd qualified eight for the race while Harrison Burton, the son of former Sprint Cup Series driver and NBC commentator Jeff Burton took pole. Harrison is looking for his first series win.

The PittLite125 will feature a new qualifying procedure this weekend. Instead of the traditional two-lap time trials, group qualifying similar to road course procedures, will be utilized. Each group will participate in a five-minute session and the fastest single lap speed of each car will determine the first 32 starting positions.

The 125 lap race, spanning 66.625 miles, will be run in two segments with a five minute break at or near the conclusion of Lap 70.

Race Central Live: Event Schedule & Entry List

Click The Link Above For Live Lap By Lap Coverage

The Gillilands Impress at Irwindale Speedway #nascar

Butch Gilliland, grandson Todd, and son David at Irwindale Speedway in California
(July 19, 2014 -Keith Birmingham Pasadena Star-News)

While local driver Jason Patison, was able to rocket away from runner-up Jack Madrid of San Clemente, Calif., following a restart with 17 laps remaining on the half-mile track of Irwindale Speedway to finish 2.1 seconds in front, the Gilliland family remained the packed crowd pleaser.

The three generations of Gilliland NASCAR Drivers, Grandfather Butch, Son David, and fourteen-year-old Grandson Todd, were competing against each other for the first time.

Of the Gilliland clan, Todd fared the best with a third-place podium finish in his noteworthy debut in a Super Late Model. The youngest Gilliland has raced Late Models in North Carolina; however Irwindale was a step up in horsepower and the competition level of the drivers.

“It was really cool,” he said. “I didn’t have high expectations because I was against a bunch of really experienced drivers. I’m super happy.”

NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver and delighted father, David Gilliland added “My son does a great job. We’re really proud of him.”

Butch Gilliland came out of a ten-year retirement to finish the race in a respectable fifth. The grandfather, who is fifty-seven years young, was a top driver in his NASCAR Winston West years starting in the 1980s and a former champion of the series.

“It was really nice,” the elder Gilliland stated, “We tested a couple of days. I didn’t put a whole bunch of laps on it, we have enough laps. The car was decent. It was good we three got to race against each other. It really was fun to race against my grandson. I really wish I’d had a whole better car, but it was still a lot of fun.”

What happened to the middle Gilliland? NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver David Gilliland, who grew up in southern California was running second when contact sent him into retirement after completing 30 laps.

“We had him (Partridge) cleared and I don’t know, somehow I got turned there at the start-finish line,” David Gilliland said. “Bummer, kind of an unfortunate way to end our night, but the car was real fast and we had a good time coming back here. It’s still my favorite racetrack to race on in the country. It was an honor to be a part of it and watch my son finish third and my dad go out and finish fifth. It’s just a lot of fun and good to be back home.

The three Gillilands impressed the race fans with their dedication to both family and the sport of racing.

Pick Your Part Super Late Models -75 laps
Race Results:

1. Jason Patison (Corona),
2. Jack Madrid (San Clemente),
3. Todd Gilliland (Sherrills Ford, N.C.),
4. Barry Karr (Redlands),
5. Butch Gilliland (Thailand),
6. Linny White (Highland),
7. Toni McCray (Highland),
8. Jeff Eschleman (Corona),
9. Kenny Smith (Bakersfield),
10. Josh Soto (Oceanside),
11. Jeff Williams (Newbury Park),
12. Greg Hanneman (Toluca Lake),
13. Ryan Partridge (Rancho Cucamonga),
14. David Gilliland (Sherrills Ford, N.C.),
15. Juan Garcia (Colombia),
16. Rodney Peacher (North Hills).

NASCAR Father’s Day

Father's Day is a day honoring fathers and celebrated on the third Sunday of June. This special day celebrates both fatherhood and the importance of male parenting. Of course my favorite NASCAR Father / Son Duo would have to be my very own husband and son.

Moses Smith and his father Paul

"My earliest memories are of my dad working on his street/drag car or building his sand rail in the garage," Moses said. "He was always involved in motorsports as a hobby and I thought it would be cool if I could do it for a living," Smith said.

Paul has always been an all-encompassing family man and constant source of support for his two sons. Moses started working with his father, in a race team garage by the age of three.

However, for second place, the Earnhardts and Pettys tie as favorite NASCAR Fathers and Son.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. & Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

(photo credit = msn.foxsports.com)

Dale Sr. won a record-tying seven NASCAR championships during his career; his 76 wins place him fourth of all time. His career was highlighted by his memorable first victory at the Daytona 500 in 1998. (Sadly, the driver of the No. 3 car died after a crash on the final lap at Daytona in 2001.)

Dale Jr. has carried on his father's driving legacy, making his debut on the Winston Cup circuit in 2000. In 2003, he finished third in the championship standings, and in 2004, Dale Jr. won the Daytona 500 six years to the day after his father's victory there.

Cool fact: When Dale Sr. and sons Dale Jr. and Kerry all competed in the 2000 Pepsi 400, it marked just the second time a father had raced against two sons.

Lee & Richard Petty

Lee, Richard, Kyle, and Adam Petty
(photo credit = nascar.speedtv.com)

Lee Petty was NASCAR's first real superstar, winning three drivers' championships between 1954 and 1959. He also won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Richard Petty shares the record for most drivers' championships, having won seven between 1967 and 1979. He retired in 1992 with 200 career wins (the most ever) and joined his dad in the Hall of Fame in 1997. (Sadly, the Pettys suffered the loss of Adam Petty, NASCAR’s first fourth-generation driver on May 12, 2000. The young driver was practicing for the Nationwide Series at the New Hampshire International Speedway when his throttle stuck wide open, causing the car to hit the outside wall.)

Cool fact: Both Pettys were named among the Top 50 NASCAR drivers of all time in 1998.

Honorable Mention

Butch Gilliland, the 1997 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion and winner of 13 victories in the division. His then-crew chief, son David Gilliland, currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. David Gilliland still runs an occasional K&N Pro Series race. Butch must have raised him right, because David is one of the most polite and approachable drivers I have had the pleasure of meeting.

NASCAR Race Mom with a very nice David Gilliland at Sonoma Raceway (6/24/2011)

Cool fact:  David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Ford Fusion for Front Row Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series, had a career-best second-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2013, pushing his teammate David Ragan to a surprising win.

Child, you outgrew my lap,
but never my heart.
Happy Father’s Day!