Todd J. Gilliland (born May 15, 2000) is an American professional
stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
driver. He competes full-time in the
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
, driving the No. 38
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
for
Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partners ...
. He is the son of
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
driver and team owner
David Gilliland
David Leonard Gilliland (born April 1, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. Since 2017, he has operated David Gilliland Racing, a team that races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ...
.
Racing career
Early career
Gilliland first started driving when he was three years old; his parents purchased a pink (later repainted to black)
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
...
corvette with modified pedals and an additional battery to increase its speed. Afterwards, he began driving a
quarter midget
Quarter midget racing is a form of automobile racing. The cars are approximately one-quarter (1/4) the size of a full-size midget car. The adult-size midget being raced during the start of quarter midget racing used an oval track of one-fifth of a ...
on a neighborhood dirt track. Two years later, he started racing competitively, but stopped for two years at the decision of his father. In 2012, he won championships in the North Carolina Quarter Midget Association, USAC World Formula National Quarter Midget Championship and on the West Coast; he concluded his quarter midget career with 34 wins. The following year, he started limited
late model
A late model car is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. (An early model car or classic car is a car old enough to be of historical interest; there is no usual intermediate term.)
The precise definition ...
racing, running three races. In 2014, he won his first limited late model race from the
pole position
In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the rac ...
at
Ace Speedway
Ace Speedway is a 4/10 (.400) mile oval stock car racing track in Altamahaw, North Carolina. The track was constructed by Roy Maddren and opened in 1956 as a 1/3 mile dirt oval. In 1984, the track was expanded to a 3/8 mile dirt oval. In 1990, u ...
. Later in the year, he won his first late model race at
Southern National Motorsports Park
Southern National Motorsports Park (formerly Southern National Speedway and Southern National Raceway Park) is a 4/10-mile auto racing track in Lucama, North Carolina.
History
Southern National Motorsports Park hosted 4 NASCAR Southeast Series ...
.
2015–2017: First ARCA win and K&N West championships
On May 17, two days after his fifteenth birthday, Gilliland became the youngest driver to compete in the
ARCA Racing Series
The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national ...
when he made his debut at
Toledo Speedway
Toledo Speedway is a half-mile paved oval racetrack located in Toledo, Ohio, United States. It is owned jointly by Roy Mott and ARCA President Ron Drager. It is operated by ARCA and run as the sister track to Flat Rock Speedway in Flat Rock, M ...
with
Venturini Motorsports
Venturini Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West. Founded in 1982 by Bill Venturini Sr., Venturini Motorsports is t ...
. After leading the race weekend's practice session and qualifying fifth, he held off
Tom Hessert
Thomas Hessert III (born May 22, 1986) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He most recently competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 55 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports and the No. 22 Ford Fusion for ...
and
Josh Williams to win, becoming the youngest winner in ARCA series history.
On November 12, Gilliland ran his first race in the
K&N Pro Series West
The ARCA Menards Series West, formerly the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR AutoZone West Series, NASCAR Winston West Series and NASCAR Camping World West Series, is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racin ...
for Frontline Enterprises and Bill McAnally Racing at
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona, near Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually including the final championship race since 2020. P ...
, taking the lead with five laps to go after
J. J. Haley's tire went down and defeated
William Byron on the
green–white–checker finish
In North American auto racing, a green–white–checker finish (GWC) is a racing restart procedure one in which the race is restarted from a caution period with 2 laps remaining. When the race distance is extended to accommodate such a finish, i ...
to win.
The win made Gilliland the youngest race winner in track history. In postrace inspection, Gilliland's car was found to have the lubrication oil reservoir tank cover bolted improperly. As a result, his team received a P5 penalty (the second-worst in NASCAR) and was docked thirty points, although Gilliland was allowed to keep the victory.
On January 29, 2016, Gilliland joined
Kyle Busch Motorsports
Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. They formerly competed in the CARS Tour, ARCA/CRA Super Series, Southern Super Series, and the ARCA Mena ...
' Super Late Model team.
![Todd Gilliland 2017 Carneros 200 car](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Todd_Gilliland_2017_Carneros_200_car.jpg)
On February 4, 2016, McAnally announced that Gilliland would compete full-time in the series, driving the No. 16 Toyota Camry. Gilliland also made a start in the
K&N Pro Series East
The ARCA Menards Series East (formerly Busch East Series, Busch North Series, Camping World East Series, and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and ...
at
New Smyrna Speedway
New Smyrna Speedway is a 1/2-mile asphalt oval racetrack located near New Smyrna Beach, Florida, that races the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series every Saturday night. It also has a smaller track, known as "Little New Smyrna Speedway" in t ...
. After winning the pole,
he won the race in controversial fashion, as
Ronnie Bassett Jr. was originally declared the winner since the flagman failed to wave the white flag in time after lap 150 and unintentionally extended the race by a lap. The race was subsequently declared official after 150 laps.
On March 19, 2016, Gilliland went on to win his second Pro Series West race and his third Pro Touring series race at
Irwindale Speedway
Irwindale is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census, down from 1,446 at the 2000 census. The ZIP Codes serving the area are 91010, which is shared with Duarte, 91702 ...
. After winning at
Kern County Raceway Park
Kern County Raceway Park is a oval Oval track racing, speedway located on California State Route 43, CA 43 (Enos Lane) just off Interstate 5 in California, Interstate 5 in Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield, Kern County, California, K ...
, the victory marked his fourth K&N Series win in four starts, tying the record set by
Dan Gurney
Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner who reached racing's highest levels starting in 1958. Gurney won races in the Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am, ...
50 years earlier. In May, he was named a member of the 2016–17 NASCAR Next program. Gilliland clinched the Pro Series West championship on October 15.
In December 2016, Gilliland signed with
Kyle Busch Motorsports
Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. They formerly competed in the CARS Tour, ARCA/CRA Super Series, Southern Super Series, and the ARCA Mena ...
to run four
Camping World Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...
races in the No. 51
Toyota Tundra
The Toyota Tundra is a pickup truck manufactured in the United States by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota since May 1999. The Tundra was the second full-size pickup to be built by a Japanese manufacturer (the first was the Toyota T100), but the ...
in 2017. In May 2017, KBM announced plans for Gilliland to make his Truck Series debut at
Dover International Speedway
Dover Motor Speedway (formerly Dover Downs International Speedway and later Dover International Speedway) is a race track in Dover, Delaware. The track has hosted at least one NASCAR Cup Series race each year since 1969, including two per yea ...
in the No. 46 truck, followed by stints in the No. 51 at
Gateway Motorsports Park
World Wide Technology Raceway (formerly Gateway International Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park) is a motorsport racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a ...
,
Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway) is a multi-track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville, in Ontario, Canada, east of Toronto. The facility features a , 10-turn road course; a adva ...
and
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a Oval track racing, oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire, which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1990, as well as the longest-running motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nickna ...
before returning to the No. 46 at
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, just south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in s ...
. On November 4, Gilliland won the Pro Series West championship for the second consecutive season. For his final Truck race of the year, he would drive the No. 51 at
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona, near Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually including the final championship race since 2020. P ...
.
2018–2021: Truck Series full-time
![Todd gilliland (50059770261)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Todd_gilliland_%2850059770261%29.jpg)
On January 17, 2018, KBM announced that Gilliland would compete for
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...
Rookie of the Year in 2018, driving the No. 4
Toyota Tundra
The Toyota Tundra is a pickup truck manufactured in the United States by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota since May 1999. The Tundra was the second full-size pickup to be built by a Japanese manufacturer (the first was the Toyota T100), but the ...
beginning at
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, just south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in s ...
, and most of the races following that. The series did grant Gilliland a waiver to become eligible for the
NASCAR playoffs
The NASCAR playoffs is a championship playoff system used in NASCAR's three national series. The system was founded as 'The Chase for the Championship' on January 21, 2004, and was used exclusively in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2004 to 2015. Si ...
with a win, as drivers usually have to start every race to make the playoffs. Gilliland started the 2018 season by holding off
Harrison Burton
Harrison Brian Burton (born October 9, 2000) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing.
Racing career Early years
Burton's rac ...
to win the
K&N Pro Series East
The ARCA Menards Series East (formerly Busch East Series, Busch North Series, Camping World East Series, and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and ...
season opener at
New Smyrna Speedway
New Smyrna Speedway is a 1/2-mile asphalt oval racetrack located near New Smyrna Beach, Florida, that races the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series every Saturday night. It also has a smaller track, known as "Little New Smyrna Speedway" in t ...
, leading the most laps and winning on a last lap pass. He also won the second K&N East race of the season, triumphing at
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Bristol is among the m ...
for his 20th overall win in K&N Pro Series competition, also having won races in the
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
The ARCA Menards Series West, formerly the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR AutoZone West Series, NASCAR Winston West Series and NASCAR Camping World West Series, is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racin ...
.
On October 25, 2019, Gilliland won his first career Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
On January 13, 2020,
Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partners ...
announced that Gilliland would drive the newly opened No. 38
Ford F-150
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is marketed as a range of full-sized pickup trucks. ...
for the full 2020 Truck season. Gilliland recorded ten top-ten finishes and four top fives to qualify for the playoffs.
Gilliland returned to the No. 38 in 2021.
Todd Gilliland won his second career Truck series at
Circuit of the Americas
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a Grade 1 FIA-specification motor racing track and facilities located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas, in the United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand ...
, his first win for Front Row Motorsports.
With his win at COTA, Gilliland qualified for the playoffs and was eliminated after the Round of 10.
2022–present: Move to Cup Series
![2022 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (51967400379)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/2022_Folds_of_Honor_QuikTrip_500_%2851967400379%29.jpg)
On November 30, 2021, Front Row Motorsports announced that Gilliland would move to the No. 38 Cup Series ride and compete for
NASCAR Rookie of the Year
The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year.
History of the Award
The Rookie of the Y ...
. His first Cup Series race was at the
2022 Daytona 500
The 2022 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series and the 64th running of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 20, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a asphalt superspeedwa ...
. Gilliland started 29th and finished 33rd after being eliminated in an incident on lap 190.
Personal life
Gilliland's father David competed in the
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
. His grandfather
Butch, the 1997 NASCAR Winston West Series champion, formerly competed in the Cup and Truck Series.
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Cup Series
=Daytona 500
=
Camping World Truck Series
K&N Pro Series East
ARCA Menards Series
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
ARCA Menards Series West
Season in progress
Ineligible for series points
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilliland, Todd
Living people
2000 births
ARCA Menards Series drivers
NASCAR drivers
Racing drivers from North Carolina
People from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina
Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers
Joe Gibbs Racing drivers