David Gilliland promises that his third-place finish in the Daytona 500 was not a fluke. After plowing through the pack in a fast No. 34 Taco Bell Ford last Sunday, Gilliland confidently predicted that Front Row Motorsports would be the most improved team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2011. As impressive as his performance was in the season opener, he believes his car for the second race at Phoenix (Ariz.)Â International Raceway is just as strong.
Ironically, it was a crash at the Phoenix track that helped pave the way to his future success in NASCAR. Gilliland crashed out of the Nationwide race in 2006 racing into the top-10 in the closing laps for a new team. That finish gave Gilliland the confidence that he could win in NASCAR. He did just that two races after that wreck, and that win helped propel him into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Going into his 10th Sprint Cup start at the one-mile oval, Gilliland’s best finish at Phoenix is 15th.
“I’m so proud of our team and what we accomplished. Bob Jenkins, the team owner, made some big moves this off-season, getting us some newer cars and stepping up to the FR9 engine from Roush-Yates Engines. There was never any doubt that we could get our Taco Bell Ford Fusion to the front. And now we’re bringing a really fast car to Phoenix, too. I’m excited. I can’t wait to get there and keep this momentum going.
“I remember back in 2006 racing for Clay Andrews Racing. I felt really good heading into Phoenix because we were going to a track that I had experience on and had won at in the NASCAR West Series. I just had a lot of confidence at the track, but the Nationwide Series was still new and we were a new team. It was a big hill to climb. Still, we just did everything right and at the end we were racing for a top-10. We had made a pit stop for new tires and changed the air pressure for a short run. We blew a tire and it ended our night. We were really disappointed.
“But, I think that race really put things in perspective for us. We knew if we just did the right things, didn’t make any mistakes, that we could win. We were a small team, I don’t think anyone gave us a chance, but we won a few weeks later. It was a great moment. Now, with this team at Front Row Motorsports, we’re just light years ahead of that situation. There is no reason we can’t have a chance of running up front again this weekend.
“It’s still going to be hard, and we’re going to have things go right. But we’ve got momentum, and I just feel we have the parts and pieces to really make it work. My road to a win began at Phoenix before and hopefully it can again.”
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