The much-anticipated return of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West to Douglas County Speedway comes this week with the Toyota / NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 presented by Seven Feathers Casino Resort on Saturday.
The fairgrounds track in Roseburg, Oregon – nestled between the interstate highway and the South Umpqua River – was a popular annual stop on the circuit between 2002 and 2010.
Bill McAnally Racing dominated much of that competition at the 3/8-mile oval. BMR rookie driver Todd Gilliland wants to continue that trend as he also aims to extend his current streak of three consecutive wins in the series. The 16-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina drives the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry.
A win by Gilliland or one of his teammates would continue BMR’s dominance at Roseburg. The team won seven of the nine events the track hosted in the modern era of the series. Four different drivers scored victories for BMR at Roseburg. Eric Holmes won the last three races there – 2008, 2009, and 2010. Austin Cameron had notched wins there in 2002 and 2003. Peyton Sellers won there in 2006 and Brian Ickler went to Victory Lane in 2007.
In addition to Gilliland, BMR’s lineup of drivers this year features defending series champion Chris Eggleston, along with rookies Julia Landauer and Riley Herbst.
Gilliland, Eggleston, and Herbst are coming off a BMR sweep of the podium at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington in which they finished first, second, and third, respectively. It was Gilliland’s third straight win and his fifth series victory this season, giving BMR seven wins in nine races in 2016.
Gilliland, a third-generation competitor in the series, leads the championship standings – as well as holding command in the chase for this year’s rookie title. In addition to his five wins, he has eight top-five finishes in nine starts this year.
Eggleston, who drives the No. 50 NAPA Filters / H2O Fire Protection Toyota Camry, is third in the standings. The Erie, Colorado driver has two wins and seven top-five finishes.
Herbst, whose third-place finish at Monroe was a career-best mark, is sixth in the overall standings and fourth in rookie points. The 17-year-old from Las Vegas has four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in the No. 19 NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry.
Landauer, who drives the No. 54 Curb Records Toyota Camry, is tied for seventh in points in the series standings and third in rookie points. The 24-year-old New York native, who finished eighth at Monroe, has three top-five and eight top-10 finishes.
Landauer and Gilliland are members of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights NASCAR’s rising stars.
Activities leading up to the K&N West race at Douglas County Speedway begin on Thursday at the Cascade Community Credit Union, where the No. 16 NAPA Toyota will be on display from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Gilliland and Landauer will be there to greet fans and sign autographs from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and from 4:45 to 6 p.m.
Events continue Friday morning at the Clint Newell Auto Group, with the No. 16 NAPA Toyota on display and all four drivers on hand to meet fans and sign autographs from 10 a.m. to noon.
K&N West Series competitors will be on track at Douglas County Speedway on Friday, with alternating practice sessions scheduled from 4 to 9 p.m. The two-seater NAPA Toyota will hit the oval Friday evening, providing NAPA VIPs with a first-hand experience of going around the speedway.
A major attraction on Saturday will be the VIP Budweiser Hospitality Zone at the track.
BMR PR
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