Date: March 29, 2019
Event: Vankor 350 (Race 5 of 23)
Series: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile quad-oval)
Format: Three Segments; 35 laps/35 laps/77 laps
Start/Finish: 16th / 14th (running, completed 147 of 147 laps)
Winner: Kyle Busch of Kyle Busch Motorsports (Toyota)
Todd Gilliland rebounded to finish 14th at Texas Motor Speedway in the No. 4 JBL/SiriusXM Toyota Tundra after he was squeezed into the outside wall in the early laps of the race by another competitor. The 4 team made repairs across several pit stops, making sure the machine was drivable for the 18-year-old. Gilliland persevered, making his way back to the lead lap and ultimately finishing in the 14th position.
Stage One Recap:
- During two rounds of single-vehicle qualifying, Gilliland earned the 16th starting spot.
- On lap 4, another vehicle made contact with the No. 4 Tundra, squeezing Gilliland against the outside wall and sending him spinning through the infield grass.
- The JBL/SiriusXM Tundra sustained damage to the right rear and deck lid, but the team was able to make repairs over six quick pit stops and the teenager was able to continue.
- Once pit stops cycled through at the end of the stage, Gilliland was scored in the 22nd position on the lead lap.
Stage Two Recap:
- After starting the second stage in 22nd, Gilliland wasted no time and was soon up to the 16th position.
- He reported his Tundra was pretty good in Turns 1 & 2, but that he needed a little more right rear grip, so crew chief Marcus Richmond went to work to improve the handling.
- Gilliland continued to hold his own in the top-20 while the team worked on his No. 4 machine.
Stage Three Recap:
- Gilliland began the final stage in the 18th position.
- On the final pit stop with 38 laps to go, Richmond made the call for four tires and a track bar adjustment and Gilliland received the free pass back to the lead lap. The teenager kept his nose clean for the remainder of the race and earned the 14th finishing position in his battered Tundra.
Todd Gilliland, driver of the No. 4 JBL/SiriusXM Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports:
What happened tonight?
“I’m really disappointed about how tonight turned out. I thought we had a fast JBL Tundra and we obviously didn’t qualify where I thought we should. Then, three or four laps into the race it’s way too early to be that aggressive. I just want to thank my guys for working so hard to fix my Tundra and get me back out and on the lead lap. We fought hard and made the most of a bad situation and now we’ve got some time off to regroup and we’ll be back and better at Dover.”
Vankor 350 Recap:
- Kyle Busch won the race by 1.269 seconds followed by Stewart Friesen, Johnny Sauter, Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton rounded out the top-five finishers.
- The race featured nine cautions for 47 laps, including one red flag and 16 lead changes among six drivers.
How Gilliland’s KBM Teammates Fared:
Harrison Burton, driver of the No. 18 Toyota Tundra, finished 31st
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Toyota Tundra, finished first
NGOTS Championship Standings:
The No. 4 team improved one spot to eighth in the Gander Trucks Driver Championship Standings following the fifth race of the season, 51 points behind the leader.
Next Race:
Todd Gilliland and the No. 4 team will be back on track Friday, May 3 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Live coverage of the JEGS 200 begins at 5:00 p.m. EST on FS1.
