NASCAR Cup

Chicagoland: David Gilliland preview

Gilliland Can Bank on Chicagoland Driver Likes Slope of Racy Oval Statesville, N.C. (July 6, 2010) - David Gilliland will be glad to pull into the high-banked Chicagoland Speedway for the LifeLock.com 400 this week. The driver of the No. 37 Taco ...

Published: Jul 13, 2010, 6:48 AM

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Gilliland Can Bank on Chicagoland Driver Likes Slope of Racy Oval

Statesville, N.C. (July 6, 2010) - David Gilliland will be glad to pull into the high-banked Chicagoland Speedway for the LifeLock.com 400 this week. The driver of the No. 37 Taco Bell Ford prefers the more steeply banked tracks and enjoys racing on the 1.5-mile oval in Joliet, Ill.

Gilliland returns to the No. 37 Ford for Front Row Motorsports after a week away from the car. Robert Richardson Jr. took the wheel last week for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

Gilliland has three previous starts at Chicagoland Speedway, with a top finish of 16th.

Comments from Taco Bell driver David Gilliland on Chicagoland Speedway and the Battle for Clean Air:

"Chicago is a great track. It has quite a bit of banking, which is what I like. I seem to run better at tracks with more banking. But the back straightaway is different. You're turning the whole time, which is kind of unique from any other mile-and-half track we go to, and it presents its own challenges. It's a fun place. It's a racy racetrack and a place where you can run two-wide and not have a problem.

"Mile-and-a-half tracks can be tough when you're trying to find clean air, especially if you're not toward the front. You can use different strategies to try to deal with that. I've seen guys stay out and not take any tires, get the lead and be able to lead for a lot of laps. Clean air is definitely important. But it really can't get any dirtier from 25th on back. It's a struggle back there.

"It really is with the dirty air. Look at some of the guys who get back there at the mile-and-a-half tracks, guys who are really strong, if they are back there it's tough for them to get back up front. Guys like Johnson, Edwards, Hamlin, it doesn't matter. The air is just so dirty and it really disrupts the cars. The car just doesn't handle like it does up front where guys are giving you more space.

"Everybody seems to be racing, believe it or not, harder back there because they're scratching and clawing a little harder to move up. Up front, everybody kind of gives each other a little bit more room. So, we're working hard on our program at Front Row Motorsports to get up front there and race with those guys.

"I didn't race last week at Daytona - I had a little bit of a vacation weekend off with Robert (Richardson Jr.) running the 37 for the Daytona race. So I'm coming back recharged and ready to go. Especially with Chicago being the type of track I really like, I'm really ready to get back into the Taco Bell Ford and get back on track."

-source: front row motorsports

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