SHERRILLS FORD, N.C. (March 29, 2015) – Todd Gilliland earned his first Late Model Stock Car victory with a dramatic come-from-behind effort at Southern National Motorsports Park Saturday night. Veteran Deac McCaskill dominated most of the 150-lap race, but Gilliland made a late pass to lead the final two laps for a victory in the inaugural race for the Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) Late Model Stock Tour.
The 14-year-old son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Gilliland rolled off third for the X-1R Performance Products 300 at the 0.4-mile asphalt oval in Lucama, N.C. Gilliland’s No. 98 bounced around the top 10 for the entire event, but made his push toward the front in the waning laps.
On the race’s final restart with three laps to go, Gilliland squeezed to the inside of McCaskill, racing door to door for a lap before finally sliding past him for the lead. The teen kept the field in his mirror for the final two laps to take the checkered flag.
“That was a battle those last few laps to get past him, but I just had to stay mentally tough,” said Gilliland. “My crew chief, Chris Lawson, was coaching me through it the whole way. I just stayed on his bumper, and then I had to use my bumper a little bit, but I got by him. It feels great to get my first Late Model win.”
The Sherrills Ford teen earned his first Limited Late Model victory last May at Ace Speedway (Altamahaw, N.C.). Saturday night’s win is Gilliland’s first in the higher-horsepower late model car.
“I couldn’t be prouder of him,” said David Gilliland, who will make his 300th Sprint Cup start Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. “He’s a great young man and a great race car driver. I think he proved a lot tonight. I’m so glad I was racing in Martinsville this weekend so I could drive down to see this race.
The David Gilliland Racing team raced with support from Country Chevrolet, Core Power, Norfleet Developments, Racing Electronics, Eibach Springs and Performance Racing Warehouse.
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