BRISTOL, Tenn. – Todd Gilliland and Harrison Burton have been racing together since age five.
It seemed only natural that the 17-year-old sons of NASCAR drivers would continue their fun run Saturday at the most prestigious track on the K&N Pro Series East tour.
Gilliland survived nine cautions for 49 laps along with three red flags and a 10-lap dash to the finish against Burton to win the Zombie Auto 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
It was the 20th career K&N victory for Gilliland, who also held off Burton in a wild finish in the K&N Pro East season opener last month at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway.
Gilliland said his latest triumph was anything but easy as drivers continually searched for a consistent racing groove on the warm day.
“It was really nerve-wracking for sure,” Gilliland said. “Especially during red flags, it gets really hot and you just have a lot of time to think about it.”
Overall, you just have to have a really good spotter and crew chief. It’s all about staying focused.”
David Gilliland, Todd’s father, served as the calming influence for his son over the in-car radio.
Burton, Noah Gragson (age 19), Tyler Ankrum (16) and Brandon McReynolds (26) round out the top five finishers.
Gilliland and Ankrum both drive cars owned by David Gilliland. Gragson, Burton and Gilliland also drive for the Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR truck series.
Gragson won the pole late Friday evening, smashing Burton’s previous track record of 122.139 by over four miles per hour
With dusk closing in Saturday, Gilliland was leading and pulling away from Gragson with 20 laps remaining when the event was halted by a wreck and subsequent red flag condition.
Six laps later, action was halted by a three-car crash that caused another red flag and damage to the outside wall between Turns 1 and 2. Nearly a dozen NASCAR and track officials spent 11 minutes trying to dislodge a piece of carbon fiber wedged just behind the outside wall.
A total of 18 cars remained on the lead lap when the race finally resumed. Gilliland drove flawless in the final laps en route to a victory margin of 1.494 seconds.
“I just wanted to get a shot at him,” said Burton, the defending race winner. “I think we had a good long run car, but we just struggled on the short runs. I was too loose.
“After about four or five laps we really came on and I thought we were probably the strongest car out there. But there just wasn’t enough time. I’m disappointed but happy that I am disappointed with second.”
Gilliland, who earned three trophies from BMS officials for his victory, noticed that Gragson was holding his car back on restarts
“And it was kind of getting in my head,” Gilliland said. “I felt like our car was the best after we’d get going for a few laps, but for two laps everyone is so close because the stuff [Bristol Bite traction compound] is down on the bottom. Overall, a really fast car just kept me that much more focused.”
Like Burton and Gragson, Gilliland has a busy season ahead with starts in the K&N East, K&N West and truck series. Gilliland is the two-time defending champion in the K&N Pro West series.
“This [win] means so much,” Gilliland said. “I think once you get that first one out of the way, you kind of get that winning feeling and you just know what it’s like.”
Earlier this week, Busch discussed the outlook for Gragson in his three upcoming Xfinity races for the Joe Gibbs Racing team.
“I think he’s ready for the opportunity,” Busch said. “I don’t want to say that he’s gotten a little stale, but it just seems like we’re stuck in that third, fourth, fifth, sixth range with Noah in trucks.
“I think this a good chance for him to shake it up a little bit. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in the Xfinity cars for JGR and in helping better himself for us chasing a[(truck series] championship.”
California’s Hailie Deegan, the 16-year-old daughter of free style motocross pioneer Brian Deegan, finished 22nd Saturday in her second career K&N race and debut in the Pro Series East.
Jesse Iwuji, a former surface warfare officer in the United States Navy and free safety at the Naval Academy, recorded a 27th place finish in the car owned by three-time NFL All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman.
Saturday’s race will air on April 20 at 1 a.m. on NBCSN.