FONTANA, California -- Preparation done, the time has come. Clay Andrews Racing and Busch Series rookie David Gilliland will start their 2006 race season. Gilliland and the #84 Ranchwood Homes Chevrolet team head to the two-mile California Speedway for Saturday’s Stater. Bros. 300.
Ranchwood Homes has signed as a one-race sponsor for this weekend’s event for Clay Andrews Racing. Ranchwood Homes is a homebuilder of new homes and new home communities in the California Central Valley and California East Bay. They offer affordable, high quality new homes and new home communities in Newman, Atwater, Gustine, Los Banos, Madera, Dos Palos, Visalia and Deleno. Ranchwood Homes offer one of the best selections of residential real estate in California's Central Valley.
Clay Andrews Racing is looking to build a reputation as one of the fastest-growing teams in the Busch Series. They have acquired a 28,000 state-of-the-art race shop in Statesville, N.C., and owner, Clay Andrews, has already appointed winning personnel. Motorsports professional Rich Gautreau is the general manager and veteran crew chief Billy Wilburn will help lead Gilliland in 2006. Veteran Nextel Cup driver Jerry Nadeau serves as the team’s consultant. The team plans to run a partial schedule in 2006 while securing sponsorship for the long-term future.
A dozen questions for David as he prepares for California:
How ready are you and this team for California?
“We’re really ready for this weekend. We’ve been working all winter, and everyone has been putting in extra hours to make sure that we’re 100% prepared. I feel like we are 100% ready to go and race. I’m excited. I’m excited to get going.”
It seems like you are surrounded by some pretty solid Nextel Cup veterans (Billy Wilburn, Eddie Dickerson, Jerry Nadeau, etc..). Does that help ease your mind and nerves?
“It defiantly boosts my confidence level having so much experience behind us. I think that is what, especially a rookie driver and the rest of our team, really needs to accelerate our learning curve.”
You’re a native of Riverside (Calif.) Is it exciting to go back and race there? Especially it being you’re first race with this team?
“I’m very excited. It’s a good way to start off the season. We go back, and we have a lot of fans. We’ll have a lot of people coming out to see us. I know later on, when we visit some tracks we haven’t been to, we won’t have as many followers.”
It seems as though California has produced a lot of talent. The past two Daytona 500 winners (Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson) have California roots. Is it something in the water?
“I don’t know, but I hope so. I hope it was in the water that I was drinking. No, Kevin Harvick has come from out there and a lot of other guys have come from the west coast. It is good for me, being from the west coast. It has opened a lot of doors. I think it has shifted the attention out west and giving people chances.”
You have had a lot of success in the state of California. Explain that and how that has put you in a position that you are at today?
“We’re used to winning races and running up front. I think that gives us extra confidence to go and join a series. As we’ve joined other series, and moved up to other series, we’ve been pretty competitive right away. I think the team and myself have confidence-knowing and believing that we can go in and do it and be where we need to be.”
What are your experiences in the NASCAR Busch Series and the California Speedway?
“We ran two Busch Series last season at Phoenix, but didn’t have the results we wanted. We weren’t really prepared enough. I think now, having Billy Wilburn (crew chief) and the veteran Nextel Cup experience that will be behind us. I’m really looking forward to it. We ran really well at the California Speedway in our West Series car. We sat on the pole and led a bunch of laps. That gives me confidence. It’s going to be nice going to two tracks (California and Las Vegas) that we’ve been too. We can run well, and get the team’s confidence and morale up to go to some of these tracks that we might struggle because we haven’t been there.”
How have you prepared for this weekends race?
“Jerry (Nadeau) and I played on his racing simulator. I just went through that on the California Speedway. I bounced some questions off Jerry and I’m really looking forward in having him in our corner this weekend. I think that will be a big advantage as far as helping us out.”
You just recently moved from California to North Carolina (Mooresville). Now you’re going back to California. Are you getting tired?
“Yea, actually it’s kind of ironic the things worked out. We moved out here and now we are traveling all the way back there for our first race. But, all my life we’ve lived and worked towards being here in North Carolina. We’re really happy to be here, but excited to go back out to California at the same time.”
There has to be a lot of personal emotion going into this weekend. What are you feeling?
“All the people that have been behind me to get this opportunity, old car owners and everyone that have given me a chance. Everyone is excited to see me and to go out there. It’s just really neat. I’ve always told them, ‘Help me. I need help, but I think I can do it.’ Here is my chance. I’m excited, but a little nervous at the same time.”
Are you ready to just race?
“Yup, I just want to get out there and race. That’s what we do it for. All the drama and little knick-knack problems that go along with it throughout the week, once you get strapped in that’s what you really do it for.”
You have Ranchwood Homes on board this week. Does it make you feel good to have a sponsor for this race?
“Yea, it does. They are good people. I haven’t met too many of them, but they are friends with Eddie Dickerson. I’m excited to be involved with them and hopefully try and build a relationship with them.”
Define a good weekend for this team?
“A good weekend, in my opinion, is to complete all the laps. That’s my biggest goal. If we can do that, the results will come with it. I just mainly want to get in the show and finish all the laps. If we can do that I think everyone here will be ecstatic.”
