Young NASCAR Cup Series racer Todd Gilliland has admitted he's hoping to spring a massive surprise next month at Daytona.
The 25-year-old Front Row Motorsports star told Tampa Bay 28 that he's becoming more comfortable with the most intense race week in the sport every year, as he prepares for his fifth run at the Great American Race.
While Gilliland talked about his excitement and his growing comfort with the event, it's worth mentioning that his best finish in four starts at the iconic season-opener is 27th – with only one top-20 finish in the summer race at the track to boot (11th last year).
On the positive side, Gilliland's most recent superspeedway race, at Talladega in the fall, saw him collect his best ever Cup Series finish – coming in second behind Chase Briscoe as the latter secured his spot in the Championship 4.
Gilliland: Daytona feels out of your control
“I think every year you feel more and more comfortable with the week," he said, "the season coming ahead. I’m really excited about it and would love to take this trophy home.”
Gilliland also admitted that racing at superspeedways like Daytona can feel like something of a lottery, with the Big One only ever moments away from destroying a strong race.
He said: “Love and hate racing with superspeedway racing, you feel like you’re in a good spot, in position to put yourself in victory lane, but racing in a big group, like at Daytona, things are out of your control."
The youngest ever ARCA Menards Series race winner added: “I went to a lot of races as a kid, the Daytona 500 was so big because of that. As a kid, you’re going through all winter-time, it’s the offseason, it’s cold, you’re ready to get down to Florida and see how cool this race really is.”
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