AVONDALE, Arizona -- Sunday, January 30 proved to be a triumphant day for David Gilliland and MRG Motorsports at Phoenix International Raceway. Sweeping top honors across the board, this top ranked NASCAR Grand National Division, West team grabbed the pole and took the victory at the season opener, the United Rentals 100.
"What a day," said an obviously elated Gilliland, who took the Checkered Flag by a margin of 2.823 seconds. "This is a race I have always dreamed of winning. To start the year off with this type of day is just incredible and a true tribute to all the hard work and dedication of the entire team."
Starting off the day in top form, Gilliland put his No. 88 RaceCarCeilingFans.com Chevy on the pole with a time of 28.244 for a speed of 127.461 mph, narrowly beating out well-known Nextel Cup drivers Kevin Harvick and Kenny Schrader. "We knew we had a really strong Chevy," smiles Gilliland, "and we were certainly able to prove it. Getting the pole definitely added that extra special incentive to do well in the race."
When the Green Flag dropped, Gilliland pulled off the Startline ready to do battle. "Our plan was to patiently ride the first 50 Laps and then really go for it in the second half," explains Gilliland. "We figured it was a matter of playing the patience game and being able to stay out of trouble. We knew we had the vehicle that could do the trick and we knew we had enough fuel to go the whole distance. The rest was up to me."
Pulling off the Startline, Gilliland let Harvick go past and proceed to follow the team's original plan. Running consistently up the top four, he moved up into the number two spot a little after the halfway point and into the lead on Lap 78 and never really looked back.
Once Harvick pitted for gas, I started to conserve a little," says the California native. "But other than that, I knew we were good to go to the end."
"We definitely want the NASCAR West Championship this season," adds Gilliland who earned Rookie of the Year honors last year. We are 110% focused on winning and hopefully this weekend is the first of many victories to come this year."
