Gilliland the Great: 17-year-old dominates Casey’s 150

Todd Gilliland didn’t waste time getting into the lead during the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West Challenge race at Iowa Speedway on Friday night.

Gilliland, a NASCAR Next driver, started fourth but went into the lead three laps into the race and never trailed again during a dominant win in the Casey’s General Stores 150 presented by Vatterott College.

The 17-year-old had to weave through lap traffic during the final 50 laps of the race and was nearly passed by 16-year-old Harrison Burton on a restart with eight laps to go, but Gilliland overcame all challenges in winning his seventh K&N race this season.

“Everyone on the team worked hard and they gave me a great car tonight,” Gilliland said. “This was a big win for our team. It helps us keep our lead in the West Series and gets us closer to Harrison Burton in the East standings.”

Friday’s K&N Series race is the only event on the circuit that features drivers from both the West and East. Gilliland is full-time on both circuits. He has four wins against West drivers and two wins against drivers in the East.

He defeated everyone at Iowa for the second straight season. And it’s the fourth straight win for a K&N Pro Series driver who controlled the No. 16 Napa Auto Parts Toyota owned by Bill McAnally Racing.

Brandon McReynolds won the previous two before Gilliland went back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.

“I think that’s huge for Bill,” Gilliland said. “He’s got trophies heading into the main entry to his shop so it’s obviously a really special place for Bill McAnally Racing right now. It also shows that the West is really tough. It shows how even both series are, too.”

Last year, Gilliland won handily in his Iowa Speedway debut, taking home a race win for the fourth time in the 2016 season on his way to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship.

NASCAR Next driver Chase Purdy finished second to Gilliland for the second straight race.

They went 1-2 at Loudon, New Hampshire, on July 15. Burton, another NASCAR Next driver, was fourth that night and finished fourth again Friday at Iowa.

“Hopefully one of these days someone can get by the No. 16 car,” Purdy said. “I know I want to. I have been close so many times. But he’s just on a roll right now. Everybody was chasing him.”

Chris Eggleston, who came into the weekend second in the West standings behind Gilliland, was third. Chase Cabre rounded out the top five.

“We always seem to have bad luck here,” Eggleston said. “The guys made some adjustments after the halfway point. We weren’t a third-place car for most of the last half, but the cautions and restarts really helped us. The team doesn’t give up. I am really proud of them for sticking with it.”

Michael Self, Ben Kennedy, Will Rodgers, Ronnie Bassett and Jesse Little completed the top 10.

Gilliland was fast all day. He had the best lap in the first practice session, and was second-fastest in the second run. He started fourth after qualifying, but took the lead from pole-sitter and BMR teammate Derek Kraus on the third lap and never lost it, other than for a brief moment to Kennedy late in the race.

Kennedy got around Gilliland with 34 laps left, but Gilliland was able to get the lead back before the start-finish line.

Gilliland then survived two caution flags, pulling away on the final restart.

“Those late-race restarts are always nerve-wracking,” Gilliland said.

Kennedy, who appeared to have the best chance to beat Gilliland, had mechanical issues after a red flag was thrown with 10 laps left to set the lineup during the final caution field. He couldn’t get the car refired, and once he got going was moved to the end of the lead-lap cars for not maintaining pace.

Kennedy was driving for Kevin Manion Motorsports, who made its NASCAR K&N Pro Series debut.

Kraus faded after the early start and finished 11th.

With his win, Gilliland now holds an 18-point lead over Eggleston in the K&N Pro Series West standings and trails Burton by only six points in the K&N Pro Series East.

“He was obviously the class of the field,” Eggleston said of Gilliland, another teammate at Bill McAnally Racing.