David Gilliland to drive TRG Motorsports' Cup entry at Auto Club Speedway
Yates Racing’s David Gilliland has been named to drive the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup entry this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
Gilliland, who was not on the preliminary entry list for the Auto Club 500, drove the No. 38 Yates Racing Ford last season. He remains under contract with Yates, which approved his driving for TRG. Since TRG is outside the top 35 in owner points, Gilliland must qualify based on speed to make the race.
"I was at Daytona when [TRG Motorsports team principal] Kevin [Buckler] called me," Gilliland, 33, said. "It is a good opportunity. We are going to lean on each other.
"I am excited to run in my hometown. When I lived in Riverside, I was about 10 minutes from the track before I moved to North Carolina. It is going home for me. I won't sleep in my old bedroom, but I will be as close as I have been in a while."
Gilliland said that the track is a good one for him after finishing 17th in a Cup race there a year ago.
"I have had some good runs at the track," Gilliland said. "It is the track that I have the most experience at on the schedule, which gives me a lot of confidence for the weekend. It is a great place for me to debut with TRG Motorsports. They didn't make the race at Daytona, and I think we can definitely change that this weekend."
Richard "Slugger" Labbe will be the crew chief for the team. Labbe has worked as a crew chief at Yates Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc., among others, and most recently worked in driver development at Red Bull Racing.
"I haven't worked with Slugger in the past," Gilliland said. "I think he left the week before I got to Yates. I have worked with him the last couple of days, and I am looking forward to racing with him on the pit box."
