NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series Overview
Event: CarShield 200 presented by CK Power (Race 11 of 23), 160 Laps – 35/35/90; 200 Miles
Location: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Ill. (1.25-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: June 22, 2019 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
What You Need to Know
- After a wild weekend at Iowa Speedway, Todd Gilliland and the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Mobil 1 team head to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Ill. for the CarShield 200 presented by CK Power. In 2018 Gilliland recorded his career best finish of second at the 1.25-mile track. The 19-year-old has two NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts at the facility, one top-five and one top-10 finish, with an average start of 6.0 and an average finish of 11.5.
- Last week at Iowa Speedway, Gilliland started 11th after qualifying was rained out, and finished 10th, after the winning truck of Ross Chastain was disqualified.
- So far in 2019, Gilliland has recorded one pole, 39 laps led, one top-five and five top-10 finishes and has an average starting position of 8.0 and an average finish of 12.6. He currently ranks ninth in the Gander Trucks championship standings with 10 races completed, 32 points behind Johnny Sauter, who has one series win this season.
- Michael Shelton will sit atop the box this weekend for the talented teenager. Shelton was James Buescher’s crew chief when he won the Gander Truck Series championship in 2012. The North Carolina native has seven career Gander Truck Series victories atop the pit box, including four with Buescher during their championship season.
- The world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, Mobil 1 features anti-wear technology that provides performance beyond our conventional motor oils. This technology allows Mobil 1 to meet or exceed the toughest standards of car builders and to provide exceptional protection against engine wear, under normal or even some of the most extreme conditions. Mobil 1 flows quickly in extreme temperatures to protect critical engine parts and is designed to maximize engine performance and help extend engine life.
Todd Gilliland, Driver Q&A
Last year you recorded your best career finish at Gateway, how does that change your mindset this weekend?
“I felt like last year was one of our best weekends, all the way through practice, qualifying and the race. It was just really smooth, I felt like my Tundra last year was really comfortable and had good speed. It didn’t have great speed but still better than what we have been. I’m really excited to go back there. The race was a lot of fun and kind of hard to pass at times, but the final restarts were really exciting and hopefully we can get one spot better this year.”
What makes Gateway unique?
“Turns one and two are really tight, with a little bit more banking and it seems like you go in there, stop, get pointed and stomp back on the gas. In three and four it’s really flat, really long and it seems like you’re off the gas forever. It’s just about being able to turn really good in three and four and in one and two. It’s just different corners and a lot different loads, so it makes it a little bit more challenging for the crew chiefs, but more than anything balance and getting it to turn on both ends.”
Todd Gilliland Career Highlights
- In 35 career Gander Trucks starts has collected two poles, seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes and led 247 laps. Gilliland earned a career-best second-place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Ill., in June of 2018.
- Has posted two wins, one pole, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 6.0 across eight career ARCA Racing Series starts. He became the youngest winner in series history with his victory at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway two days after his 15th birthday in May of 2015 and his most recent win came at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on May 3, 2019.
- Crowned the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion after collecting six wins, six poles, 11 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, making him the youngest champion in the history of any NASCAR national or touring series. Won a second consecutive K&N Pro Series West championship in 2017 after recording six wins, seven poles, 937 laps led, 11 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes across 14 starts.
- In 23 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts has accumulated seven wins, two poles, 15 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.5. His most recent victory came at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in April of 2018.
Todd Gilliland’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-060: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-060 for Saturday’s CarShield 200. This is a brand-new chassis.
KBM Notes of Interest
- KBM drivers have 16 starts at Gateway and have earned two wins, four top-five and nine top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 7.2 and an average finish of 13.4.
- Darrell Wallace Jr. earned the first win for KBM at Gateway in 2014 and Christopher Bell won in 2016.
- KBM holds the Gander Truck Series records for most career wins (74) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record six Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers; Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).