Tuesday
The Love/Hate Relationship with Pocono
Press ReleaseGilliland Now Comfortable with Formerly Troublesome Track
The driver of the No. 37 Taco Bell Ford for Front Row Motorsports heads to this weekend’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 with some confidence at Pocono – a turnaround from previous feelings of frustration with the track earlier in his racing career.
The Taco Bell team and the other two Front Row Motorsports entries are locked into Sunday’s race after strong efforts in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway secured them in the top-35.
Gilliland has six previous Sprint Cup starts at Pocono with a best qualifying effort of third and a top finish of 16th.
Comments from Taco Bell Driver David Gilliland on Pocono Raceway and the Progress of Taco Bell Ford Team:
“With Pocono, I hated it the first two times I went there. And then the last couple times I went there, I really liked it. I just kind of figured it out and figured out what I needed. Two years ago, we qualified third and ran really well the whole race.
“It’s a different track. All three corners are different. You’ve just got to figure out which corner to really concentrate on and adjust your car to. But I like it. It’s a peaceful place because it’s quiet and there’s not a whole lot to do up there. But it’s a unique racetrack – something different than we race on each week.
“Turn 1 is so much different than Turns 2 and 3. In the past, I’ve concentrated on Turn 1 because it’s the first one you get to, but I feel now like it’s the least important of the corners. But you just use your experience from running there to figure out what you need for the races. I’m really looking forward to going there.
“Definitely the second time we go back to these tracks we’ll be better. We got a new engineer on board right before the All-Star race and we felt like we had as good as, if not better, a race car than we’ve had all year. So I’m excited about that.
“Sometimes stuff will happen that’s out of your control on the track, but as far as (crew chief) Randy (Seals) and I, we’re gelling really well. I don’t second-guess what he does and he doesn’t second-guess what I say. We’re working well as a team and I think it’s showing on the track and in our results.”
About Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing:
Front Row Motorsports was formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins. Since that time the team has entered a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. In 2010, Front Row Motorsports will partner with Ford and Roush/Yates Engines to field a three-car operation based in Statesville, N.C. The team fields the Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil, the Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland and the ExtenZe Ford driven by Kevin Conway.
- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing, Press Release
Article Tags: "The Tricky Triangle", David Gilliland, Ford Fusion, Ford Racing, Front Row Motorsports, Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing, Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target, NASCAR, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, No. 37 Taco Bell Ford Fusion, NSCS, Pocono Raceway, Yates Racing
