Todd Gilliland Wins One For Dad at Knoxville

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned for the second time at the infamous Knoxville Raceway in Iowa for the Clean Harbors 150. This father’s day weekend was a special weekend for the Gilliland family, as Todd Gilliland, a rookie this season in the NASCAR Cup Series decided to spend the weekend off racing for his father’s team, David Gilliland Racing, at Knoxville. Todd Gilliland would earn his third career truck series victory after taking the lead on a restart after lap 147.

“This will make tomorrow a lot more fun,” said Gilliland, who plans to enjoy the time and play golf with his father on Sunday. “The Cup Series is tough, just racing every single week. I’ve had like a million people ask me, ‘Is this really what you want to do on your off week?’ Absolutely. Nothing beats racing. I tell everyone I’m young, and I wish I could do this every single week of the year. I love the trucks. I ran here forever, it felt like. So to be able to come back and to get one, it’s so special.” 

For Todd’s father, former Cup driver David Gilliland, it meant the world to him.

“I told him when the race started, all I want for Father’s Day is that trophy,” David Gilliland said. “We’ll be taking it home on the plane with us.” 

Things began to swing in Gilliland’s direction after the dominant truck of Carson Hocevar had his engine expire on lap 66. Hocevar, who was still recovering from a broken right tibia sustained two weeks ago at St. Louis, grabbed the pole for the race and looked to have the strongest truck in the field.

Speaking of St. Louis, this marked the debut of Tyler Carpenter, who earned the ride by winning at the Gateway Dirt Nationals that also took place in St. Louis. He drove the No. 41 for Niece Motorsports and had his engine expire around the same time as Hocevar’s did.

With Gilliland’s win, he became the 11th different winner in the 11 dirt-track races in the history of the NASCAR Truck Series. John Hunter Nemechek ended up in second, Zane Smith was third, followed by Ty Majeski and Stewart Friesen. Derek Kraus, Matt Crafton, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, and Ben Rhodes rounded out the top 10, as Nemechek regained the points lead over Ben Rhodes.

The Camping World Truck Series heads to Nashville Superspeedway next weekend on Friday at 8 pm EST. Ryan Preece won that race a year ago.