David Gilliland

David Gilliland, No. 34 Taco Bell Ford

Starting Position: 30

Finishing Position: 33
 

David Gilliland had a top-10 car in the longest race of NASCAR's season, the Coca-Cola 600.  But the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford team has a 33rd-place finish to show for it after Gilliland was involved in a multiple-car accident three-quarters of the way through the race.

The team had its Ford Fusion dialed in for the 400-lap event, starting in the 30th position.  After taking the green flag, Gilliland reported his car was a little "tight" through the corners, but that it was better than it had been all weekend.  Crew chief Peter Sospenzo made multiple adjustments to the car throughout the first 300 laps of the race to help it handle better as the conditions changed from day to night.

The team also benefitted from being on a different pit sequence than most of the field, catching several breaks when cautions came out after most other cars already pitted.  Patience, smart pit strategy and timely cautions helped Gilliland climb from the 30s all the way into the top-10 over the course of his race. 

On a Lap-301 restart, Gilliland had fought back to return to the lead lap and was in seventh.  But a lap later, he was put into a three-wide situation that resulted in Mark Martin and Gilliland getting together and wrecking hard against the wall.  Gilliland was taken to the infield care center where he was checked and released.  He was credited with a 33rd-place finish.

Comments from Taco Bell Ford team driver David Gilliland after the Coca-Cola 600:

"Getting into Turn 3 on the restart, Carl (Edwards) made it three-wide getting down into the turn. I was trying to give everybody room and Mark (Martin) was on my right side. These cars are pretty aero-sensitive and I just got loose. I tried to chase it up the track and there was nowhere to go, so it's an unfortunate ending to a long night.

"I'm OK but will be sore tomorrow.  I just feel bad for my guys.  They worked really hard all weekend and we had a really good Taco Bell Ford Fusion.  Peter Sospenzo made some good calls on pit strategy that worked in our favor, and we could've been looking at a top-10 finish in one of the most challenging races of the year."

Travis Kvapil

Travis Kvapil, No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford

Starting Position: 31

Finishing Position: 25

Travis Kvapil finished 25th Sunday night in a car that should've finished higher -- but could have had a much worse fate as well. 

After starting 31st, Kvapil asked for help making his Long John Silver's Ford turn better through the corners.  Crew chief Jay Guy responded with some adjustments on the first pit stop on Lap 45.  By the second pit stop, under a Lap-74 caution, the team had a bigger issue to deal with.  Kvapil reported a bracket on the shifter had broken and he could not change out of fourth gear.

The pit crew had to push the car out of its stall on every pit stop to get Kvapil started, and it took him took several laps to get up to speed each time.  But the team kept working on the handling over the course of the changing conditions, and kept clawing for every spot they could.  After restarting in the 35th position after the problem first occurred, Kvapil was able to keep racing for every available position and avoid the seven accidents that occurred over the 600-mile event.  The team was able to improve the car's handling, caught a few breaks from timely cautions and kept digging to finish 25th in a green-white-checkered finish that made Kevin Harvick the race winner. 

Comments from Long John Silver's Ford team driver Travis Kvapil after the Coca-Cola 600:

"These guys did a great job this weekend.  We had a top-20 car.  But we had a bracket on the shifter break early in the race, so we only had fourth gear for four- or 500 miles.  And it just took me four or five laps to get up to speed every time.

"But I'm proud of my guys.  We had a good car.  Considering what we were dealing with and what could've happened, a top-25 finish isn't bad.  We'll take what we learned and go to Kansas."

About Front Row Motorsports: