Gilliland - Like Father, Like Son – A New Beginning

When you see two trucks on track sporting the name "Gilliland" on the back window, you won’t be imagining things. For the first time, veteran driver David Gilliland and his Sunoco Rookie of the Year-contending son Todd will face off against each other in a NASCAR national series race.

Todd will finally be able to start his 2018 campaign behind the wheel of the No. 4 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Martinsville this Saturday (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

He isn’t eligible to compete on intermediate tracks or superspeedways until he reaches his 18th birthday in May. So, until now, in 2018 Todd’s had to sit on the sidelines and watch a cast of substitute drivers pilot his truck.

His dad drove it in the season-opener at Daytona before his truck owner, Kyle Busch, took over for Atlanta and Spencer Davis drove it in Las Vegas.

It hasn’t been easy for Todd to sit back and watch other drivers pilot his truck. "It's been very hard. I'm a racer and all I want to do is race. Seeing other people jump in the truck you are going to be in the rest of the year is really tough, but you have to take every opportunity you have to learn and catch up to the guys who already have three more races worth of experience than I do."

Todd competed in six Camping World Truck Series races in 2017, posting a pair of top fives and three top 10s. He had a best finish of third at New Hampshire and crossed the line fifth at Martinsville in the fall.

David is racing the No. 54 Toyota for DGR-CROSLEY Racing – a team that was formed when David Gilliland Racing and CROSLEY Sports Group joined forces for the 2018 season. The organization, which fields late model, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, ARCA and Camping World Truck Series entries, is co-owned by David and Bo LeMastus.

David has 11 series starts under his belt and won the pole this season at Daytona while driving his son’s No. 4 KBM entry. He’s taken the green flag 333 times in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, including in the 2018 Daytona 500. He has a trio of poles (all on superspeedways), four top-five and eight top-10 finishes in NASCAR’s premier series.

Q&A with Todd Gilliland

How hard has it been watching other people drive your truck for the first three races?

"It's been very hard. I'm a racer and all I want to do is race. Seeing other people jump in the truck you are going to be in the rest of the year is really tough, but you have to take every opportunity you have to learn and catch up to the guys who already have three more races worth of experience than I do."

What did you learn from being at the races and listening to feedback on the team radio?

"Anytime you can listen to someone on the radio and especially a Cup champion like Kyle Busch, is always a great honor. Just the way that he can break down every corner of the race car and what needs to be fixed the most and what can wait. I think that's all stuff you can learn from and what is going to take you to the next level."

You finished fifth at Martinsville last fall. What is the key to winning there?

"I think it's going to be tough. The race is all about restarts and track position, so having a fast truck and being able to qualify up front and hopefully controlling the race. Last year in the fall, we were kind of just in the middle of the pack and were able to capitalize and make our Tundra a lot better to keep track position. I'd like to be able to control the race a little bit better this time."

Source: NASCAR PR

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Austin Dillon ‘Can’t Get Enough’ of Martinsville Speedway

Brothers Austin and Ty Would Spin Each Other With A Grandfather Clock Trophy On The Line.

According to Richard Childress, it goes back to Austin and Ty Dillon’s  days racing Bandoleros. Their mother had to separate them in the back seat during a long ride home from Cincinnati, Ohio to North Carolina. Their competitive nature overwhelmed sibling love, at least for the moment.  

That competitive nature has served the duo well at Martinsville Speedway, a half mile that demands a willingness to ruffle the feathers of teammates, siblings and rivals alike.

Recently etched into the history books as winners of the 2018 Daytona 500, Austin and Childress are now focusing on the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, a race that has seen the twenty-year-old post top-five finishes in consecutive seasons.

“Martinsville is awesome. It is all the drama in the world,” Austin said. “You can’t get enough of it. I wish there were 1,000 Martinsvilles. Beating and banging is a lot of fun.”

Childress noted that Austin’s background on dirt tracks has helped him adapt at Martinsville.

“Austin really likes Martinsville. I think a lot of that comes from running short-tracks back in the day and running a lot of dirt,” Childress said. “You have to have a little car control at Martinsville, especially how to work the throttle and work the brakes and I think he just got accustomed to that from other styles of racing. He really enjoys it. He has a good time there.”

That sibling rivalry could lead to an interesting moment for Richard Childress the grandfather if Austin and Ty ever find themselves up front during the late stages of a race at the Half Mile of Mayhem.

“I think that when it came down to the end of the race if those two were racing each other they’d be aggressive with each other,” Childress said. “They’re very competitive.”

Austin and Ty confirmed Childress’ suspicions when asked if they would spin each other with a grandfather clock trophy on the line.

“If I’m behind Ty with three (laps) to go am I dumping him for the win? I’d wreck about anybody for the win,” Austin said. “Especially at Martinsville to get one of those grandfather clocks and put the 3 back in victory lane. Mom probably wouldn’t talk to me for a while, but maybe she would get over it.”

Ty’s answer was also definitive, and came before the end of the question.

“I’m going to move Austin to win the race. Sorry. He knows it. I know it. It’s going to happen,” Ty said. “No doubt. I don’t care (if mom is mad). Sorry mom, you’ll get over it. Austin, you’ll get over it. But I am going to win the race.”

When it comes to Childress wearing a car owner hat, however, he said he always looks forward to the quick trip across the border from his home in Welcome, NC to Martinsville.

“I’ve always enjoyed going to Martinsville. I always think about the fun trips. It was always just fun,” Childress said. “All our cars have run pretty well up there through history.”

The Dillons and Childress arrive in Martinsville with their sights set on a victory in the STP 500.

The STP 500 weekend presented by whosyourdriver.org is March 23-25. 

Source

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Jet Through Life On Your Own Terms

Jetsmarter Offers The Ultimate, Luxury Travel Experience For Its Members!

NASCAR Race Mom used to travel for work a lot. I was involved with a NASCAR team and would be at the track at least fourteen weekends out of the year. This eight-year adventure was interesting and so much fun.

However, I was a bit jealous of the teams who would travel by private jet. NRM either drove or had to fly by commercial airlines. For me, flying meant waited in long lines, the removal of shoes, and shuffling through crowded security checkpoints.

However, I believed the cost of private aviation was well beyond my means. Nevertheless, I recently learned that there is hope. I learned about JetSmarter.

Since their launch in 2012, JetSmarter has quickly become the world’s largest private aviation community; moving more annual passengers than anyone else in the industry. JetSmarter innovatively shares flight services, proprietary algorithms, and advanced mobile technology to make private jet travel more accessible, convenient, and infinitely more efficient. However, that is not the only perks of membership.

Yesterday JetSmarter partnered up with Bulgarian professional tennis player, Grigor Dimitrov to host a members-only event at the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne, in celebration of the 2018 Miami Open. At the event, guests enjoyed unlimited glasses of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Champagne and hors d'oeuvres while mingling with Grigor himself. Some guests even challenged Grigor on the court, along with other tennis superstars.

The fun did not stop there – guests had the the opportunity to ride in style with a complimentary luxury car rental for the week provided by FlexWheels.

Now that I know about JetSmarter, I will hopefully be able to try it one day and 'Jet Through Life On My Own Terms'

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