David Gilliland says there’s no such thing as getting in “a little trouble” at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. All trouble is big trouble at the one-mile oval known as the “Monster Mile.” But the No. 38 Taco Bell Ford team goes to the fast, tough track with confidence for this weekend’s Autism Speaks 400.
The young team has reached a point in the season where it can begin relying on - and building from - notes compiled from earlier races in the year. The team will use its successful run at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in March as a basis for its set-up at Dover, which Gilliland calls “Bristol on steroids.”
The team can also draw on Gilliland’s experience at the Monster Mile. He has seven previous Sprint Cup starts at Dover with a top finish of 16th.
The Taco Bell Ford will carry the Autism Speaks decal in support of this weekend’s awareness efforts.
Comments from Taco Bell Driver David Gilliland on Dover International Speedway:
“I really enjoy Dover. It’s another very, very tough track. But, the last couple times I’ve raced there, we’ve done really well and had a lot of fun and had good runs. I think this weekend can be a good rebound from Darlington.
“Dover is a track where if you get into trouble, it’s big trouble. The track is banked all the way around, so the cars move down the track if you wreck. That usually collects a few more cars. It’s not just getting into little trouble if you start spinning at Dover.
“It’s a fast track and it’s awesome to race on. It’s like nothing else. I guess you could say it’s like Bristol on steroids. The banking, the concrete surface, a lot of things remind you of Bristol. It’s just a larger track. You carry a lot of speed and I think the fans really enjoy this track, too. It’s not a typical mile-and-a-half track and it’s something pretty unique.
“We ran well at Bristol (in March). We had our best qualifying effort there. And we feel like the notes and the set-up from Bristol will be able to transfer over to Dover and make us very competitive right off the trailer. That’s what this year is all about for us as a whole - building notes and working together as a team. As we do that, each and every race should hopefully get a little easier.
“Obviously last week was a little bit of a setback for us. We were the victim of an accident at Darlington, so we didn’t have the run we were hoping for, but we still have a lot of confidence going into Dover even though we’ll have to qualify on speed again. Like I said, I expect us to be pretty competitive.”
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