PIT BOX: Gilliland Chases 3rd Straight

Eggleston Opens Title Defense In K&N Pro West Opener

By Jason Christley, NASCAR
March 14, 2016 – 12:29pm

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• Todd Gilliland has already matched Joey Logano. Now the 15-year-old will look to make some history Saturday evening as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West kicks off the season with the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 at California’s Irwindale Speedway. Gilliland has won his first two NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts — the West finale at Phoenix last November and the K&N Pro East opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in February. The last driver to win his first two series races: Logano in 2007. Gilliland will face plenty of competition, however, in making it three straight, starting with his Bill McAnally Racing teammate and defending champion Chris Eggleston. Eggleston is also the defending race winner, leading 102 laps en route to Victory Lane last year. Jefferson Pitts Racing teammates Noah Gragson and Gracin Raz, as well as Bruncati Racing’s Ryan Partridge were all in the title hunt down to the closing laps of last year and are all back for 2016. They’ll join notable newcomers including BMR’s Julia Landauer and Partridge’s new teammate Cole Rouse.

• The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour returns to Concord Speedway for the first time since 2009 with the running of the Southern Sizzler 150. Burt Myers enters the event as the early favorite coming off of winning the season opener at Caraway Speedway. He’ll be challenged by modified veteran Ted Christopher, who won this event the last time it was held at the ultra-fast half-mile track. Christopher, who has a championship and 42 career wins in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, also has an impressive record in the southern tour with six wins in 18 career starts. Former Concord Speedway track champion Bobby Measmer Jr. returns to his home track coming off a career-best second-place finish last weekend at Caraway.

ON TRACK

NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES WEST
Race: Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway
Date: Saturday, March 19, 8 p.m. PT
Telecast: NBCSN, March 25, 9 p.m. ET
Twitter: #ToyotaNAPA150, #KNWest

RACE CENTRAL | ENTRY LIST | TRACK PAGE

Saturday, March 19

9:00 a.m. Garage opens.
10:15 a.m. Rookie/Spotter Meeting
12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Practice
1:45 to 2:30 p.m. Final Practice
4:15 p.m. Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
5:00 p.m. Qualifying
5:30 p.m. Driver Autograph Session
7:30 p.m. Driver Introductions
8:00 p.m. Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150

NASCAR WHELEN SOUTHERN MODIFIED TOUR
Race: Southern Sizzler 150 at Concord (N.C.) Speedway
Date: March 19, 7 p.m. EST
Twitter: #SouthernSizzler150, #NWSMT

RACE CENTRAL | ENTRY LIST | TRACK PAGE

Day

Event

Saturday, March 19
11 a.m. Haulers Enter
11:20 a.m. Crew Chief Meeting
11:30 a.m. Garage Opens
1:15 p.m. Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
1:45 -2:45 p.m. Practice
3:45 p.m. Qualifying
4:15 p.m. Driver Autograph Session (On Track)
7 p.m. Southern Sizzler 150

NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES

• Three more NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks will take the green flag on their 2016 season this weekend. South Carolina’s Anderson Speedway will begin its 53rd season on Friday with a full card of racing highlighted by a 50-lap feature for its Late Model Stock Cars. On Saturday, racing Tennessee’s Kingsport Speedway and Washington’s Evergreen Speedway get rolling. Kingsport, a .375-mile concrete oval, begins its season with the Model City 175. The track’s Division I is its Late Model Stock, and they open with a 60-lap feature. Fans around the world can catch the racing at Evergreen, a .625-mile asphalt oval, on FansChoice.tv