Gilliland Gets On Gas At Right Time
Bolts To Front Late For K&N Pro East Victory At Berlin
MARNE, Mich. — Todd Gilliland worked the tire conservation game to perfection Saturday night, picking the perfect time to power to the front, en route to his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory of the season.
The 17-year-old NASCAR Next driver from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, led the final 31 laps to claim the Stars & Stripes 150 in the series’ first visit to Berlin Raceway.
It is Gilliland’s second career East win and first in 11 starts since winning his debut in the 2016 season opener. He has 11 K&N Pro West wins in 23 starts and leads the West championship race after eight events.
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Gilliland’s No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota was fastest in practice at Berlin and qualified third. He spent most of the first half of the race near the front, but really made his move before the halfway break when he marched back up to third. Following a Lap 92 restart, he picked his way to second. He bolted past Hunter Baize on Lap 120 following another restart and led the rest of the way.
A multi-car scrum on the backstretch on the white flag lap ended the race under the yellow/checkered, but by then the race wasn’t in doubt as Gilliland had built more than a two-second lead.
Gilliland’s teammate Chase Purdy finished second. Earlier in the day, Purdy had earned his second straight 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Brewing Company. Fellow Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Chase Cabre finished third for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, and Cabre’s teammate Jay Beasley was fourth.
Ronnie Bassett Jr. completed the top five.
Championship points leader Harrison Burton finished sixth and saw his lead trimmed to 19 over Gilliland. Purdy is third in points, 27 back of Gilliland and leading a pack of five drivers separated by six points.
Dippel, Ruben Garcia Jr., Enrique Baca and Collin Cabre rounded out the top 10 at Berlin. Baize led a race-high 104 laps but was collected in the final lap incident and finished 11th.
The Stars & Stripes 150 will air on NBCSN on Friday, July 7 at 12:30 p.m.
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East returns to the track Saturday, July 8 with the Busch North Throwback 100 at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Sources: NASCARHomeTrack.com
NKNPS East Berlin 7/1/17 Results
K&N Pro Series East
Race: NKNPS East Berlin 7/1/17
PRINTABLE FORMAT (PDF)
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 3 16 Todd Gilliland NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 150 47 4 Running
2 1 17 Chase Purdy * Bama Buggies/Textron Off-Road Toyota 150 42 Running
3 11 4 Chase Cabre * Max Siegel, Inc. Toyota 150 41 Running
4 13 42 Jay Beasley CASTLE Toyota 150 40 Running
5 5 04 Ronnie Bassett, Jr. Bassett Gutters and More Chevrolet 150 39 Running
6 4 12 Harrison Burton Dex Imaging Toyota 150 38 Running
7 2 30 Tyler Dippel TyCar Ford 150 38 1 Running
8 8 6 Ruben Garcia Jr. Max Siegel, Inc. Toyota 150 36 Running
9 12 9 Enrique Baca * Nextgen Motorsports Chevrolet 149 35 Running
10 10 2 Collin Cabre UTI/NTI Toyota 149 34 Running
11 9 13 Hunter Baize Overstock Mercantile Chevrolet 149 35 2 Running
12 7 40 Travis Miller MDM Motorsports Toyota 148 32 Accident
13 14 14 Andrew Engberson * The Patriot Motorsports Group Ford 148 31 Running
14 17 38 John Wood Stoney’s Rockin Country\Wahl Traction Chevrolet 146 30 Running
15 16 36 Stafford Smith The Patriot Mtrsprts Group\Lights Out Chevrolet 146 29 Running
16 15 32 Noel Dowler * The Patriot Mtrsprts Grp\Empire Mechanical Ford 126 28 Rear End
17 6 44 Dillon Bassett Bassett Gutters and More Chevrolet 88 27 Suspension
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Chase Purdy *, Time: 16.926 Seconds, Speed: 93.158 mph
Time of Race: 0 hrs., 56 mins, 50 secs Average Speed: 69.361 mph Margin of Victory: Under Caution
Caution Flags: Laps 76-78 (Break – FP #14); 87-91 (Backstretch # 44 – FP #36); 111-118 (Backstretch Fluid – FP #14); 150 (Turn 3 – #40 & #13 ). 4 for 17 laps.
Lap Leaders: Tyler Dippel 1-15, Hunter Baize 16-119, Todd Gilliland 120-150.
Total Laps Led: Hunter Baize 104, Todd Gilliland 31, Tyler Dippel 15. 2 changes involving 3 drivers.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
21 MEANS 21 PRESENTED BY COORS BREWING CO. POLE: Chase Purdy *, 17 Bama Buggies/Textron Off-Road Toyota
BREMBO BRAKE THROUGH CHALLENGE: Jay Beasley, 42 CASTLE Toyota
COCA-COLA MOVE OF THE RACE: Jay Beasley, 42 CASTLE Toyota
SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Chase Purdy *, 17 Bama Buggies/Textron Off-Road Toyota
Top 10 Driver Points: Harrison Burton 300, Todd Gilliland 281, Chase Purdy * 254, Hunter Baize 251, Chase Cabre * 250, Ronnie Bassett, Jr. 249, Ruben Garcia Jr. 248, Jay Beasley 235, Tyler Dippel 221, Collin Cabre 220
Next Race:Thompson Speedway
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender