The 14-year-old Gilliland's Podium Finish at Irwindale Speedway #nascar

Butch Gilliland, grandson Todd, and son David at Irwindale Speedway in California
(July 19, 2014 -Keith Birmingham Pasadena Star-News)

While local driver Jason Patison, was able to rocket away from runner-up Jack Madrid of San Clemente, Calif., following a restart with 17 laps remaining on the half-mile track of Irwindale Speedway to finish 2.1 seconds in front, the Gilliland family remained the packed crowd pleaser.

The three generations of Gilliland NASCAR Drivers, Grandfather Butch, Son David, and fourteen-year-old Grandson Todd, were competing against each other for the first time.

Of the Gilliland clan, Todd fared the best with a third-place podium finish in his noteworthy debut in a Super Late Model. The youngest Gilliland has raced Late Models in North Carolina; however Irwindale was a step up in horsepower and the competition level of the drivers.

“It was really cool,” he said. “I didn’t have high expectations because I was against a bunch of really experienced drivers. I’m super happy.”

NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver and delighted father, David Gilliland added “My son does a great job. We’re really proud of him.”

Butch Gilliland came out of a ten-year retirement to finish the race in a respectable fifth. The grandfather, who is fifty-seven years young, was a top driver in his NASCAR Winston West years starting in the 1980s and a former champion of the series.

“It was really nice,” the elder Gilliland stated, “We tested a couple of days. I didn’t put a whole bunch of laps on it, we have enough laps. The car was decent. It was good we three got to race against each other. It really was fun to race against my grandson. I really wish I’d had a whole better car, but it was still a lot of fun.”

What happened to the middle Gilliland? NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver David Gilliland, who grew up in southern California was running second when contact sent him into retirement after completing 30 laps.

“We had him (Partridge) cleared and I don’t know, somehow I got turned there at the start-finish line,” David Gilliland said. “Bummer, kind of an unfortunate way to end our night, but the car was real fast and we had a good time coming back here. It’s still my favorite racetrack to race on in the country. It was an honor to be a part of it and watch my son finish third and my dad go out and finish fifth. It’s just a lot of fun and good to be back home.

The three Gillilands impressed the race fans with their dedication to both family and the sport of racing.

Pick Your Part Super Late Models -75 laps
Race Results:

1. Jason Patison (Corona),
2. Jack Madrid (San Clemente),
3. Todd Gilliland (Sherrills Ford, N.C.),
4. Barry Karr (Redlands),
5. Butch Gilliland (Thailand),
6. Linny White (Highland),
7. Toni McCray (Highland),
8. Jeff Eschleman (Corona),
9. Kenny Smith (Bakersfield),
10. Josh Soto (Oceanside),
11. Jeff Williams (Newbury Park),
12. Greg Hanneman (Toluca Lake),
13. Ryan Partridge (Rancho Cucamonga),
14. David Gilliland (Sherrills Ford, N.C.),
15. Juan Garcia (Colombia),
16. Rodney Peacher (North Hills).

Three Generations Gilliland One Race

Three generations of one of southern California's favorite and best-known racing families will be on the track at Irwindale Speedway on Saturday night and they'll all be competing in the same race!

Butch, David, and Todd Gilliland - Grandfather, Father, Son Race

At the track known for family entertainment, July 19 at Irwindale will be family night for sure! Grandfather, son, and grandson: Butch, David, and Todd Gilliland will all suit up and report to their Pick Your Part Super Late Model rides when the call comes on Saturday night to fire off the first SLM 75-lapper of the year at Irwindale Speedway.

Grandpa: Butch Gilliland has not raced in a few years, but the winner of countless 'West series races, the series champ in 1997, and (still) the Irwindale track record holder for the fastest lap ever in that division, is excited about coming back to Irwindale, and particularly to be coming back to compete in a race with his son and grandson!

Son: David Gilliland has been keeping very busy on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit behind the wheel of the number 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford. David's first work in racing was as a young, 19 year-old crew chief for his father Butch when he was racking up all his race wins and that championship in the 'West races. His win in the Nationwide race at Kentucky in 2006 was a memorable one for all three of the Gillilands.

Grandson: At just 14, Todd Gilliland does not have (quite) the resume that his famous dad and granddad have, but he's already showing the same sort of spark that the two generations before him have exhibited. His May 2nd victory in the Limited Late Models at Ace Speedway in North Carolina came after only seven starts in the division. He'll be a freshman in high school this year.

This special Pick Your Part race has been opened up to all Super Late Model and Spears SRL Southwest Tour teams. All competitors will run under their respective rules, but all cars will be required to compete on the Irwindale-specified SLM Hoosier tire.

And, that sub-headline above with the line "family feud" laced in there ... that might be a little misleading ... this race within a race will be for family bragging rights at every family gathering from now right on through forever. The saga of "Which Gilliland finished where on the one and only night that ALL of them were not just at the same race, or racing on that same night, but when they were ALL IN THE SAME RACE", is sure to be the stuff of legends.

And if anyone, anywhere, thinks that Butch is going to take it easy on David or that David is going to let off on Todd ... think again my friend, this is racing. And now think about the 20+ other drivers out there running harder than hard with these three who all want the biggest chunk of that prize that they can get ... Tickets are available right now on-line at www.irwindaleeventcenter.com.

Thirteen-Year-Old Gilliland Earns Runner-Up Finish

Todd Gilliland - son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Driver David Gilliland continues to impress.

He might not be old enough to get a North Carolina driver’s license, but 13-year-old Todd Gilliland is already showcasing his skills behind the wheel of a race car. The son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Gilliland came within two car lengths of earning a win in just his third race in a stock car Sunday, finishing second in the Southeast Limited Late Models event at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway.

Gilliland started the 100-lap event in fifth after topping the speed charts in practice sessions earlier in the weekend. After initially slipping back to 13th, his No. 98 Performance Racing Warehouse/Superior Logistics Ford got more comfortable on the rough half-mile oval and started climbing through the field.

By Lap 58 he had pushed his way back into the top 10 and sat in eighth. And by Lap 79, he was battling it out three-wide for third place – a position that he won. Gilliland passed for second position with just seven laps to go and then set his sights on the leader.

A Lap 95 caution for a competitor in the wall put Gilliland’s final charge on hold until they could clear the track and prepare for a green-white-checkered finish. Restarting in second, he had two laps to try to catch Christian PaHud. He couldn’t overtake the leader, but he held back the rest of the field to finish second.

The eighth-grader at Mill Creek Middle School in Claremont, N.C., now has two top-10 finishes in just three late model starts since September. Gilliland just recently advanced to racing stock cars after winning the 2013 USAC World Formula National Quarter Midget Championship, winning races across the country from California to North Carolina.

“I’m loving racing these cars,” said the young racer. “It’s still new to me but I’m having a lot of fun. I can’t wait for next year to run more tracks and get more experience.”

He is the third generation of Gilliland racers, following his father, David, and grandfather, Butch, who also competed in the Cup Series.

“Our original plan was just to test Todd in the late model this year,” said David Gilliland. “But when we saw how quickly he took to it, we let him race. And I couldn’t be prouder of him. He’s showing maturity and patience that you don’t expect from a 13-year-old. He’s doing things already that took me 15 years to learn.”

Todd Gilliland Racing will now take time off for the holidays and prepare for a full season of late-model racing in 2014. Follow the team’s plans at ToddGilliland.com and on Twitter at @ToddGilliland_.

Father's Day is a day honoring fathers and celebrated on the third Sunday of June. This special day celebrates both fatherhood and the importance of male parenting. Of course my favorite NASCAR Father / Son Duo would have to be my very own husband and son.

Moses Smith and his father Paul

"My earliest memories are of my dad working on his street/drag car or building his sand rail in the garage," Moses said. "He was always involved in motorsports as a hobby and I thought it would be cool if I could do it for a living," Smith said.

Paul has always been an all-encompassing family man and constant source of support for his two sons. Moses started working with his father, in a race team garage by the age of three.

However, for second place, the Earnhardts and Pettys tie as favorite NASCAR Fathers and Son.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. & Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

(photo credit = msn.foxsports.com)

Dale Sr. won a record-tying seven NASCAR championships during his career; his 76 wins place him fourth of all time. His career was highlighted by his memorable first victory at the Daytona 500 in 1998. (Sadly, the driver of the No. 3 car died after a crash on the final lap at Daytona in 2001.)

Dale Jr. has carried on his father's driving legacy, making his debut on the Winston Cup circuit in 2000. In 2003, he finished third in the championship standings, and in 2004, Dale Jr. won the Daytona 500 six years to the day after his father's victory there.

Cool fact: When Dale Sr. and sons Dale Jr. and Kerry all competed in the 2000 Pepsi 400, it marked just the second time a father had raced against two sons.

Lee & Richard Petty

Lee, Richard, Kyle, and Adam Petty
(photo credit = nascar.speedtv.com)

Lee Petty was NASCAR's first real superstar, winning three drivers' championships between 1954 and 1959. He also won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Richard Petty shares the record for most drivers' championships, having won seven between 1967 and 1979. He retired in 1992 with 200 career wins (the most ever) and joined his dad in the Hall of Fame in 1997. (Sadly, the Pettys suffered the loss of Adam Petty, NASCAR’s first fourth-generation driver on May 12, 2000. The young driver was practicing for the Nationwide Series at the New Hampshire International Speedway when his throttle stuck wide open, causing the car to hit the outside wall.)

Cool fact: Both Pettys were named among the Top 50 NASCAR drivers of all time in 1998.

Honorable Mention

Butch Gilliland, the 1997 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion and winner of 13 victories in the division. His then-crew chief, son David Gilliland, currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. David Gilliland still runs an occasional K&N Pro Series race. Butch must have raised him right, because David is one of the most polite and approachable drivers I have had the pleasure of meeting.

NASCAR Race Mom with a very nice David Gilliland at Sonoma Raceway (6/24/2011)

Cool fact:  David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Ford Fusion for Front Row Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series, had a career-best second-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2013, pushing his teammate David Ragan to a surprising win.

Child, you outgrew my lap,
but never my heart.
Happy Father’s Day!

Home Sweet Home For Gilliland

David Gilliland currently drives the No. 38 ModSpace Ford Fusion for Front Row Motorsports. He is the son of former Cup and West Coast driver Butch Gilliland. He was born in Riverside, California. David Gilliland was the 2004 NASCAR West Series Rookie of the Year AND the champion crew chief for his dad Butch in 1997.

David Gilliland tastes victory for the second time at Sonoma (Calif.) in NASCAR K&N
Pro Series West action on Saturday in the Pick-n-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200.
(Getty Images for NASCAR)

California Driver Collects Second Career Sonoma Win

By Shon Sbarra, NASCAR
June 23, 2012 - 7:01pm
 

 

SONOMA, Calif. – David Gilliland used his experience on the road course at Sonoma to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Pick-n-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 on Saturday.

It was a special win and weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular out of Riverside, Calif. On Thursday evening he introduced his father, Butch, who was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. On Saturday, he collected his second K&N Pro Series win at the twisting 1.99-mile track, to match the two wins his father had there.

“We really had a great car today,” said the driver of the No. 25 Pick-n-Pull Chevrolet. “Track position is so important here and we were able to win that today.”

Gilliland, who competed at Sonoma as a winning crew chief with his father, expressed his infinity for the track and the race.

POS	DRIVER
1	David Gilliland
2	Derek Thorn
3	Greg Pursley
4	Jim Inglebright
5	Dylan Kwasniewski

“It’s an awesome race track for me,” Gilliland said. “I love it and love coming out here and racing. I’m originally from California. So I love coming out here and seeing my family and friends. It’s a very special race for me. It really means a lot for me to come out here and win and to have my dad and my family here.

“My dad has had a lot of success out here and I’ve had a lot of success our here as a crew chief and different things,” he said. “I got my career best (Sprint) Cup finish here; I finished second.”

Derek Thorn, in his first start at the track, followed Gilliland to a second-place finish while defending series champion Greg Pursley crossed the line in third. Jim Inglebright was fourth, followed by points leader Dylan Kwasniewski in the fifth position.

“I’ve never been here before,” Thorn said. “Working with the guys from the Sunrise Ford team, it was a consistent learning experience. As I made laps, I tried to make myself better. The car has always been underneath me. It’s just a matter of me catching up to it with the little amount of road-course experience I have.

“We had one final shot with Gilliland at the end,” Thorn said. “Following him helped me learn some stuff. With the experience he has, he was able to pull away from me a little bit. It was awesome to run up front like that. The whole combination of our team came together today. Second place, for this being my first time here, we’re ecstatic.”

Pursley, who won the pole in qualifying on Friday, led the first 23 laps before making his pit stop for fuel.

“We elected not to come in and pit on Lap 18,” he said. “It was a little too tight for us to go. The two front guys that got first and second did pit on that (caution). We elected not to. We were hoping it was going to go green flag, like it did the first half of the race and they would probably be in trouble if it did. But they got the cautions they needed.

“Track position is everything here and it put us back a little bit,” Pursley said. “We came out of here with third. It’s our best finish.”

Michael Self, Jonathon Gomez, Austin Cameron, David Mayhew and Cameron Hayley completed the top 10. Three-time series champion Eric Holmes led 13 laps, but his day ended early when smoke erupted from his car. He finished 23rd.

The race featured three lead changes among four drivers - Gilliland, Pursley, Mayhew and Holmes. The pace was slowed by four cautions for 14 laps.

In the championship standings, Pursley closed to within eight points of his teammate Kwasniewski - 345 to 337. Mayhew is third with 317, followed by Thorn at 307 and Holmes at 281. Rounding out the top 10 are Gomez at 274, Self at 268, Hayley at 268, Austin Dyne at 256 and Ryan Philpott at 229.

The Pick-N-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 will air on SPEED on July 12 at 3 p.m. ET.

The next event on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule is the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by Gene Price Motorsports at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., on July 14.

LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | RESULTS | DEREK THORN POST-RACE AUDIO | GREG PURSLEY POST-RACE AUDIO

David Gilliland (No. 25) charges back into the lead on a late race restart.
(Getty Images for NASCAR)