Track: Phoenix Raceway, one-mile oval
Event: Arizona Lottery 100 (100 miles, 100 laps)
Schedule:
Saturday, Nov. 7
11:30 a.m……………Practice/Qualifying
2:00 p.m…………Race (Trackpass on NBC Gold)
(all times ET)
Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion
Coming off his first career ARCA Menards Series West victory at Kern County Raceway Park in California two weeks ago, Taylor Gray is ready to get back to work at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway this Saturday to go for his second win in the series in the No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion. This will be his first start at the one-mile oval, but he is used to racing at new tracks this season and it has not slowed him down yet.
This will be Gray’s fifth ARCA West start this season with one win, two top-five, three top-10 finishes and one pole. In addition to those, he has also made 12 ARCA Menards Series starts with eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He has also run five ARCA East races earning two top-five and five top-10 finishes.
Gray has a new crew chief calling the shots at Phoenix. Former NASCAR Cup Series crew chief Chad Johnston joined DGR-Crosley to work with Gray. Johnston has seven wins, 64 top-five, 124 top-10 finishes and 10 poles in the Cup Series as a crew chief.. His experience and knowledge will be a great asset for the 15-year-old rookie.
The Arizona Lottery 100 will stream live on Trackpass on NBC Gold at 2pm ET on Saturday. The race will be 100 laps (100 miles) with a race break at lap 50.
Gray on Phoenix: “I think I’m going into Phoenix with a bit more confidence after winning at Kern a couple weeks ago. I’ll still have the same positive mindset as every race and try to keep the expectations realistic and see what it brings us.
“I’ll have David and Todd (Gilliland) as teammates at Phoenix. David and I were teammates once this year at Dover in the ARCA East race and he beat me. It will help that Todd is running the truck race the night before, so maybe I can lean on him for a few tips of what worked for him. I’m going to treat it like a normal race and race them just like any other competitor. Having their feedback during and after practice will be helpful, but during the race even teammates are competitors in the final laps.”
Todd Gilliland, No. 54 Frontline Enterprises Ford Fusion
Todd Gilliland will pull double duty this weekend in Phoenix racing his No. 38 Frontline Enterprises Ford F-150 Friday night in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season finale, and then he’ll hit the track again Saturday for his first ARCA Menards Series West race of the season. He will drive the No. 54 Frontline Enterprises Ford Fusion in the 100-lap ARCA West event.
Gilliland won at Phoenix in his very first start there in 2015 in the former K&N West Series (now ARCA West). This will be his first West race since 2017 when he won the series championship, which he won in 2016 as well. In 29 K&N West starts, Gilliland has 13 wins, 23 top-five, 27 top-10 finishes, 13 poles and two championships.
Chris Lawson will be Gilliland’s crew chief for Saturday’s ARCA West race. He is also Gilliland’s crew chief for Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Lawson and Gilliland had four K&N East wins together in 2017 and 12 K&N West victories from 2016-2017.
The Arizona Lottery 100 will stream live on Trackpass on NBC Gold at 2pm ET on Saturday. The race will be 100 laps (100 miles) with a race break at lap 50.
Todd Gilliland on Phoenix: “The last time I was there in one of these cars I won. It was my first ever K&N race and now to be going back in the ARCA West series is super cool. I’ll have the same number and sponsor I won with in 2015 so we’re hoping to repeat the results. This will be a fun race because at the end of the year after racing for points all season in the Truck Series with all the pressure, we can run this race and just go for the win.”
David Gilliland, No. 4 Simpson/Lincoln Welders Ford Fusion
David Gilliland, co-owner of DGR-Crosley, returns to the driver’s seat Saturday in Phoenix driving the No. 4 Simpson/Lincoln Welders Ford Fusion in the ARCA Menards Series West race. Gilliland last competed in the former K&N West (now ARCA West) Series last year at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., where he finished third.
Gilliland, a native of Riverside, Calif., has plenty of experience racing out west. In 49 K&N West starts, he has four wins, 21 top-five, 27 top-10 finishes, four poles and has led 484 laps. One of those wins came at Phoenix in 2005 when he started from the pole and led 15 of 151 laps driving for Mark Golembeski.
He also competed in one ARCA East race this season at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in August where he started third and finished second, racing against his 15-year-old rookie driver, Taylor Gray. This Saturday in the West race, Gilliland will not only have Gray as a teammate, but his son, Todd Gilliland as well. The father-son pair last raced against each other last year in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in the spring race.
Derek Smith will call the shots for Gilliland from the pit box as crew chief at Phoenix. Smith worked with Thad Moffitt this season for his limited ARCA Menards Series schedule. He was also Gilliland’s crew chief for his second-place finish in the ARCA East race at Dover.
The Arizona Lottery 100 will stream live on Trackpass on NBC Gold at 2pm ET on Saturday. The race will be 100 laps (100 miles) with a race break at lap 50.
David Gilliland on Phoenix: “I’m looking forward to racing at Phoenix on Saturday. Being from California, I’ve done a lot of racing out west and it’s always fun to get back out there and compete. It’s also a great opportunity for me to drive our own equipment and get a feel for what we can do to improve in the off season to prepare for 2021.
“It will be fun to race against Todd (Gilliland) and Taylor (Gray). Since Todd will have run the Truck Series race on Friday, he may be able to give us some pointers on what the track was like. I haven’t taught the guys everything I know, so hopefully I can still give them a run for their money Saturday.”
