“It’s super good, it’s really a shot in the arm to keep me going,” Todd Gilliland ecstatic and anticipates this week’s Ally 400 after Knoxville win
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Todd Gilliland
Todd Gilliland drives the No.38 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports competing as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver and as a part-time contender in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving the No.17 Ford F-150 for David Gilliland Racing and has previously raced in the No.38 Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports in the Truck Series for Front Row Motorsports in 2020 and 2021 is eagerly looking forward to his best yet race in his rookie Cup Series season in the upcoming Ally 400.
Todd Gilliland has driven for his father’s team, David Gilliland Racing for the first time in 2022 in the Clean Harbors 150 at Knoxville Raceway and he emerged victorious in his very first race for his dad’s team and he is eyeing this week’s Ally 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway and he is eager to carry forward his winning momentum and win his first Cup Series trophy after having a tough season as a Cup Series Rookie so far with his best being a fifteenth place finish in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway with six top 20 finishes.
Also read: Nashville Superspeedway: NASCAR Ally 400 Schedule, When and Where to watch, How to watch live?
“I think recently we’ve been unloading faster with more speed,” Todd Gilliland talks about his progress as he hopes for a good run at Nashville
Todd Gilliland expressed his feelings after winning his third Camping World Truck Series race and now has his focus set on the upcoming Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway as he says that he felt delighted after his win at Knoxville and added that the Cup Series is different and getting emerging triumphant in the series would mean a lot to him and added that he can sense his gradual progress throughout the season.
“It’s super good, it’s really a shot in the arm to keep me going and kind of get you back up on your feet because we did kind of talk about how the Cup Series will knock you down quick. To get a win is huge. Really, it’s kind of almost like a different mindset. At the beginning of the season, it seemed like we were slowly getting a little bit better — a few spots every week,” said Todd Gilliland.
He further added by saying that he could feel that he has been able to achieve more speed out of his car in his last few runs and he is aware that he hasn’t made much progress in standings wise but he thinks that in the end what’s important is to compare and analyze and improve and he also praised his teammate Michael McDowell and is happy with his performance and said that he can learn a lot from him.
“I think recently we’ve been unloading faster with more speed. For a while there we were really far off when we would unload. Even though we haven’t really gained a ton of spots, we’ve gained quite a bit of time based on where we were at the beginning of the year. So, I think it’s more about comparing ourselves to what we can do, but also my teammate Michael McDowell has been running super good, so I think that’s a really good benchmark for us and also kind of a good guy to chase,” added Todd Gilliland.
He concluded by saying that Cup Series racing requires a huge amount of sound mind and mental strength to achieve what everyone has been doing and that it is also significantly important to recognize that it is your team against the opponents and also explained the crucial role teamwork plays in bigger events and he thinks it is necessary to stay tough psychologically and surround ourselves with such people.
“I think there’s definitely a lot of mental toughness, and I think it’s also a lot about the people you surround yourself with. I’ve always felt like even going through the Truck season, it’s your team versus everyone else. “It’s all about pushing each other to do the best you can — in the shop, showing up at the racetrack with the best product possible. But I think it’s definitely about being mentally tough and keeping those around you mentally tough also,” concluded Todd Gilliland.
With just a few more races to go for the playoffs, will Todd Gilliland succeed in winning his first Cup Series trophy and move forward in his rookie season?
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