TALLADEGA, Ala. – Coming from a bloodline of racing talent, Todd Gilliland is well on his way to making a name of his own.
The 18-year-old showed veteran-like poise in winning the General Tire 200 ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday afternoon, holding off a late challenge from second-place finisher Riley Herbst. The last ARCA win for Gilliland came in 2015.
“Man, that was incredible. It was such an amazing race,” said Gilliland, driver of the No. 4 Frontline Enterprises Toyota. “This car was incredible. Nobody could catch me and they were doing all they could. I’m so happy I got to run here, it was kind of last-minute. It’s been a long time since I’ve won and this trophy is amazing.”
Herbst and third-place finisher Brandon Lynn tried to mount a charge in the closing moments of the 76-lap race, but were unable to close the gap as Gilliland earned a .149 second victory. Lynn earned his top-three finish after earning his first career pole earlier Friday afternoon.
Ty Majeski and Michael Self, who sits atop the championship standings, rounded out the top-five.
A pair of cautions for accidents on Laps 41 and 51 bunched up the field and threw race-long strategies into disarray for several teams in an otherwise clean race run by ARCA Menards Series drivers with varying levels of experience at the mammoth venue.
David Gilliland, Todd’s father and co-owner, talked about how much it meant for his son to win at Talladega Superspeedway.
“It’s really special, especially here at Talladega,” David said. “To be a small part of him winning today, it’s really special. My wife, my daughter, my family. We’ve been close here multiple times, but nothing compares to this.”
The tripleheader action continues at NASCAR’s biggest and baddest track on Saturday, starting with NASCAR XFINITY Series qualifying at 9:10 a.m. CDT, followed by the MoneyLion 300 at noon CDT. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying for Sunday’s GEICO 500 follows at 3:40 p.m.
Ticket information for the GEICO 500, the MoneyLion 300 and all Talladega Superspeedway events is available on-line at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or by calling (855) 518-RACE (7223).
About Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway – which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year – is the most competitive race track on the NASCAR schedule (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), the highest-banked (33 degrees) and the longest (2.66 miles) as well as the most fun and fan-friendly. Talladega offers something for everyone, including hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids tickets and college student prices, along with special offers for military members, first responders, teachers and educators. The historic venue, which opened in 1969, is deemed NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, the traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert on event weekends and renowned Talladega Blvd., home of the “Big One on the Blvd.” party. It’s the site of the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large ISM Vision HD video boards lining the frontstretch and numerous pre-race activities for fans on race day, including special Kids VIP opportunities. For ticket information, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 855-518-RACE (7223).
The track, along with its parent company, International Speedway Corporation, announced last year Transformation – The Talladega Superspeedway Infield Project presented by Graybar. The approximate $50 million redevelopment endeavor is part of ISC’s long-term capital allocation plan and reinvestment into its major motorsports complexes. The project, highlighted by a one-of-a-kind Talladega Garage Experience, will feature “up-close” access, interactive attractions and enhanced amenities for fans, sponsors, teams and stakeholders in the iconic Talladega infield. Full completion of the modernized project is scheduled for October 2019. Fans can learn more about the project and view the progress 24/7 via the construction cam by visiting www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/transformation.
