Bill McAnally Racing dominated the competition in last year’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Evergreen Speedway – sweeping the podium in taking the top three positions.
BMR drivers will be looking for a repeat performance when the series returns to the historic fairgrounds track in Monroe, Washington for the NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 presented by Toyota on Saturday.
“The race at Evergreen Speedway has always been special for us, with so many great NAPA and Toyota fans turning out to show their support,” said BMR President Bill McAnally. “We were thrilled last year to give them plenty to cheer for with a sweep in capturing the top three spots in the race.
“We know to repeat that accomplishment will be a big challenge, but our teams are working really hard in the shop to give our fans another great finish,” he said.
This year’s lineup of BMR drivers features defending series champion Todd Gilliland, who as a rookie scored the win last year at Evergreen Speedway; the 2015 series champion Chris Eggleston, who finished second a year ago; and 15-year-old series rookie Derek Kraus. They are 1-2-3, respectively, in the championship standings in the series.
Gilliland, who drives the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, is a 17-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina. His victory last year at Monroe was one of six wins he scored in 2016. A member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights NASCAR’s rising stars, Gilliland is running the full schedules in both the East and West divisions of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series this year. He leads Eggleston by 18 points in the K&N West standings. In nine starts this season, he has five wins, seven top-five, and nine top-10 finishes – including a victory in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway last month. He is second in points in the K&N East.
Gilliland is the third generation of his family to compete in K&N West action at the Evergreen Speedway. His father, David, won a pole and had a top-five finish in two series starts and his grandfather, Butch, scored two wins in 11 series starts there.
Eggleston drives BMR’s No. 99 NAPA Filters / H2O Fire Protection Toyota Camry in his pursuit of a second series title. The veteran driver from Erie, Colorado is having another stellar season; with three wins, eight top-five, and nine top-10 finishes in nine starts – including a third-place finish in the East-West combo race. In addition to the runner-up finish he had last year at Evergreen Speedway, Eggleston had a third-place finish there in 2015.
A member of this year’s freshman class in the K&N West, Kraus is behind the wheel of BMR’s No. 19 Carlyle Tools Toyota Camry. The Stratford, Wisconsin driver finished 11th at Iowa Speedway, after winning his first career pole award in qualifying there. In addition to being third in the overall standings, he leads the rookie points. He has five top-five, and six top-10 finishes in nine starts this year.
Fans will have an opportunity to meet the BMR drivers in advance of Saturday’s race. The drivers will greet fans and sign autographs at a Grand Opening event at the NAPA Store in nearby Lynnwood from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. The event will also include the No. 16 NAPA Toyota racing simulator.
NAPA AUTO PARTS is a major part of the annual NASCAR K&N West event at Evergreen Speedway as the title sponsor. Activities at the track on Saturday will feature a big NAPA Hospitality. In addition, BMR will provide a VIP pit tour to NAPA guests. The NAPA Tools & Equipment Truck will be displayed on the midway at the track.
Evergreen Speedway has been a traditional stop for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, hosting 56 races dating back to 1964. In addition to Gilliland’s win last year, BMR has five other wins at the track. Brendan Gaughan put BMR’s NAPA-sponsored entry in Victory Lane there in 2000 and 2001, Austin Cameron scored a win there with the team in 2004, Brian Ickler took the checkers in 2007, and Eric Holmes won there in 2012.
Saturday’s event, which is to be televised on NBCSN on Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. PT, is the10th event on a 14-race series schedule.
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