David Gilliland

David Gilliland, No. 34 Taco Bell Ford

Starting Position: 43 (transmission change)

Finishing Position: 33
 

David Gilliland finished 33rd in Sunday's STP 400 after an all-weekend battle with a tough-handling car.

The No. 34 Taco Bell team qualified 38th but started 43rd due to a transmission change before the race.  The team had made multiple other changes to help the car handle better around the low-banked 1.5-mile oval once the green flag flew -- and Gilliland reported it did.  He jumped up 11 positions within the first 20 laps.

He remained around the 30th position for most of the race, as the car was improved from earlier in the weekend but was still tight-handling in the turns.  Good pit stops and a Lap-154 Lucky Dog pass to return to the lead lap kept the team in the mix and potentially looking for a top-25 finish.

As the Taco Bell team prepared for its final pit stop of the day with 12 laps to go under green-flag conditions, Gilliland ran out of fuel as he was coming onto pit road.  The team changed two tires and worked to refire the engine to get the car back on track, where Gilliland blended back into the pack to finish 33rd.
 
Comments from Taco Bell Ford team driver David Gilliland after the Kansas race:

"We had an alright day. We definitely made the car a lot better and kept adjusting on it through the race and put ourselves in position to have a decent finish before we ran out of gas at the end. It is a disappointing end to a halfway decent day."

Travis Kvapil

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

Starting Position: 30

Finishing Position: 34

Travis Kvapil finished 34th Sunday at Kansas Speedway after working hard to overcome a mechanical issue that occurred at the Lap 1 green flag. 

As the race got under way, Kvapil told crew chief Jay Guy that there was a problem with the front suspension of the No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford.  On the team's first stop on Lap 44 under green-flag conditions, the pit crew determined part of the front sway bar had become disconnected.  During the first caution period, which came on Lap 67, they took the car behind the wall to make repairs.

Kvapil returned to the track on Lap 89, 22 laps down in the 36th position. The miserably hot conditions and slippery track didn't help make the day any easier for the team.  But they worked to improve the handling of the car for Kvapil, who ran better lap times as the afternoon progressed.  He was able to pick up two positions to finish 34th. 

Comments from Long John Silver's Ford team driver Travis Kvapil after the Kansas race:

"That was a tough day. Our car broke a sway bar pin coming to the green flag. The pin fell out of the car and I don't know if it broke or if we overlooked it or what. Obviously we ran all the way to the first caution without a front sway bar and it took us like 15 or 20 laps to get it fixed. Our day was over before it even started."

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