Pace: Todd Gilliland, Ryan Partridge expect to battle during K&N Pro Series race in Post Falls
Stateline Speedway has its moment in the national spotlight on Saturday as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series rolls into Post Falls for the annual Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150.
A featured event on the NBC Sports Network, this will mark the third consecutive year that NASCAR has visited the area after a decades-long hiatus.
The series has been the launching point for the likes of Chad Little, Cameron Hayley, Kevin Harvick and Ron Hornaday.
This year the entry list includes third-generation driver Todd Gilliland, son of Sprint Cup series veteran David Gilliland and grandson of past K&N Pro Series champion Butch Gilliland. The youngest Gilliland is aiming to get back to his winning ways after an impressive debut in the K&N Pro Series ranks.
Gilliland notched his first series victory last year in Phoenix, making him the youngest race winner in NASCAR K&N Pro Series history. Earning the win secured the 16-year-old Gilliland a ride in the West series driving the famed NAPA Toyota for California-based car owner Bill McAnally. Results came quickly as Gilliland continued his winning ways, posting three straight victories at New Smyrna (on the K&N East Series), Irwindale and Bakersfield.
Coming into the weekend, Gilliland trails championship leader Ryan Partridge by 15 points. Partridge, whose consistency this season has catapulted the driver of the No. 9 Sunrise Ford to the top of the standings, will make only his second career start at Stateline while Gilliland will be seeing the ultraquick quarter-mile for the first time.
Partridge has one win and five top-five finishes over the course of the first six races. His car owner, Bob Bruncati, has two consecutive wins at Stateline Speedway. The Sunrise team brings plenty of momentum into Saturday night’s 150-lap shootout with six consecutive top-10 finishes.
Much of the season has been about the dominance of Partridge and Gilliland as they have recorded five of the six pole awards handed out and have also earned half of the race victories.
Not all of the attention in the series is on the two young guns heading into the Stateline weekend.
Lurking just behind the pair is defending series champion Chris Eggleston. Like Gilliland, the Colorado native has two main event victories. Eggelston’s often left out of the media hype of Gilliland and Partridge, but the driver of the No. 50 NAPA Filters Toyota earned consecutive wins at San Bernardino and his home track of Colorado National, before a subpar run two weeks ago at Sonoma slowed his momentum.
Also in the mix will be Noah Gragson, fourth in championship points, and Gracin Raz, fifth in championship points, who drive for Naches, Washington-based Jefferson Pitts Racing. Gragson earned series Rookie of the Year honors last year as he and Raz both picked up main event victories in their first full year of competition. Gragson finished second in last year’s Stateline race and Raz was third, making each a threat this weekend.
This year, Gragson has branched out to run the K&N Pro Series East in addition to his West commitments. The efforts have paid off with a win and the second position in the East championship standings.
Raz, of Lake Oswego, Oregon; Braeden Havens, Medical Lake; and Stafford Smith, Eagle, Idaho, will give Northwest fans plenty to cheer for this weekend. This will be Havens’ first start of the season on the K&N Pro Series while Smith is making his fourth career start.
Stateline’s support show for the NASCAR night will be the late model division. The 50-lap race is one of the most popular of the season, with drivers from across the region competing in front the larger crowd and NASCAR teams. With positions first through sixth separated by 21 points in the championship standings, this race will be one of the most competitive of the season. All eyes will be on David Garber, who is seeking his third consecutive top-three finish and second victory of the season.