Thursday March 28th, 2024 2:36PM

Eggleston takes K&N West title, Gilliland wins Phoenix

By Brooke Franceschini-NASCAR Media

AVONDALE, Ariz. - A one-race deal led to a full-time ride. And resulted in Chris Eggleston celebrating car owner Bill McAnally’s sixth NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship Thursday night at Phoenix International Raceway.

Eggleston came home 11th in the No. 99 NAPA Filters Toyota in the season-ending Casino Arizona 100 to put the finishing touches on the 2015 title run.

Todd Gilliland won the race in his first career series start to become the youngest winner in series history. The Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, who turned 15 in May, is son of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Gilliland, and drove the No. 54 Frontline Enterprises Toyota to the same victory lane his dad did in the series 10 years ago.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion William Byron finished second, followed by Eggleston’s BMR teammate Brandon McReynolds.

Sixteen-year-old J.J. Haley won the pole award and had his No. 05 Braun Auto Chevrolet out front for 94 laps before a cut tire ended his shot his first series win. That turned the opportunity at history over to Gilliland.

Gilliland was born in 1999, the first year McAnally won a K&N Pro West title with Sean Woodside. BMR added championships with Brendan Gaughan (2000 and 2001) and Eric Holmes (2008 and 2010).

And it was Eggleston, the 26-year-old from Erie, Colorado, who added to that lineage.

Eggleston made three starts with Bill McAnally Racing last year. His first race came at his home track, Colorado National Speedway, and resulted in his first career NASCAR victory. That led to two more starts — Iowa and Phoenix — and the relationship blossomed into a full season schedule in 2015.

Eggleston entered the final with just a four-point lead over Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Noah Gragson, and had another pair of rookies Gracin Raz and Ryan Partridge within 12 points on him. Eggleston was not eligible for the series’ rookie of the year honors because he had run six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races between 2010-2014.

But Eggleston did what he needed Thursday: Keep his challengers in the rear-view mirror. After qualifying 15th — second behind Partridge among contenders — he passed Partridge before the halfway break and kept his car out of trouble while picking off positions.

Gragson finished 12th and wound up seven points behind Eggleston in the final championship standings (512-505). Partridge was 11th and finished with 499 points, while Raz suffered from a motor issue, brought it home 27th and ended 10 points behind Partridge.

Todd made it three generations of Gilliland as race winners in the series. His grandfather, Butch, won 13 races in the West, while his dad won four — including the 2005 race at Phoenix. At 15 years, 5 months, 28 days, Todd Gilliland broke the mark set by Gray Gaulding (15 years, 8 months, 30 days) in 2013 as youngest winner in series history.

Byron’s HScott Motorsports With Justin Marks teammate Dalton Sargeant finished fourth and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Landon Cassill was fifth.

Harrison Burton, another son of a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, finished sixth, followed by Travis Miller, James Bickford, D.J. Kennington and Eggleston.

Dawsonville, Ga.’s Spencer Davis started sixth in his series debut, but engine woes relegated him to a 27th place finish.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
Phoenix International Raceway – Avondale, AZ
Casino Arizona 100 – Nov. 12, 2015

Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 9 54 Todd Gilliland * Frontline Enterprises Toyota 101 47 4 Running
2 3 91 William Byron * Liberty University Chevrolet 101 43 1 Running
3 10 16 Brandon McReynolds NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 101 41   Running
4 4 52 Dalton Sargeant * GALT Chevrolet 101 40   Running
5 2 41 Landon Cassill MDM/Hillman Racing/CRC/Brakleen Chevrolet 101 39   Running
6 5 12 Harrison Burton * Dex Imaging Toyota 101 38   Running
7 19 40 Travis Miller * MDM/Hillman Chevrolet 101 37   Running
8 11 6 James Bickford Sunrise Ford/Interstate Plastics/Eibach/Lucas Oil Ford 101 36   Running
9 22 81 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines/Clark Contstruction 101 35   Running
10 7 4 Ronnie Bassett, Jr Bassett Gutters and More Ford 101 34   Running
11 15 99 Chris Eggleston NAPA Filters Toyota 101 33   Running
12 12 9 Ryan Partridge * Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Lucas Oil/goparts.com 101 32   Running
13 16 21 Alex Schutte * Proficio/Zitovault Chevrolet 101 31   Running
14 20 7 Noah Gragson * AlertID/Colliers International Ford 101 30   Running
15 18 26 Greg Pursley Jefferson Pitts Racing Ford 101 29   Running
16 27 31 Johnny White * Pour House/Ron’s Rear Ends Chevrolet 101 28   Running
17 23 13 Todd Souza Central Coast Cabinets Toyota 101 27   Running
18 21 55 Blake Williams * McClintock & Turk Ford 101 26   Running
19 24 48 Clay Green * Royal Vista Inc./Magnum Trailers Chevrolet 101 25   Running
20 26 44 Austin Reed * Approved Memory/Coleman Power Sports Toyota 101 24   Running
21 1 5 J.J. Haley * Braun Auto Chevrolet 101 25 2 Running
22 28 33 Nicole Behar * Custom Welding & Fabrication Toyota 100 22   Running
23 29 14 Matt Levin * Port of Tucson Toyota 97 21   Running
24 25 27 Gracin Raz * Montana Tech Ford 94 20   Engine
25 13 96 Ben Kennedy Local Motors/Verrado Drift Trike Toyota 66 19   Accident
26 30 30 Ron Norman * Port of Tucson Ford 64 18   Engine
27 6 20 Spencer Davis * Ruud Chevrolet 44 17   Engine
28 17 61 Brett Thompson Rich Thompson Trucking Ford 30 16   Engine
29 8 17 David Mayhew MMI Racing/Ron’s Read Ends/Pour House Chevrolet 22 15   Brakes
30 14 3 Kaz Grala * Kiklos Olive Oil Toyota 8 14   Accident

RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: J.J. Haley *, Time: 27.065 Seconds, Speed: 133.013 mph
Failed to Qualify: (6) Christian McGhee * (#71), Christian Celaya * (#09), Johnny Borneman (#8), Bill Kann (#18), Colton Nelson * (#36), Bobby Hillis (#0).
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 9 mins, 56 secs Average Speed: 86.654 mph Margin of Victory: .337 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 10-14 (3 car hit wall in T3); 32-35 (61 car lost engine T3); 52-54 (Halfway Break); 68-71 (car 96 hit wall between T3&4); 95-98 (05car hit wall T3 (tire went down)). 5 for 20 laps.
Lap Leaders: J.J. Haley * 1-94, Todd Gilliland * 95-98, William Byron * 99, Todd Gilliland * 100-101.
Total Laps Led: J.J. Haley * 94, Todd Gilliland * 6, William Byron * 1.  3 changes involving 3 drivers.
Top 10 Driver Points: Chris Eggleston 511, Noah Gragson * 504, Ryan Partridge * 498, Gracin Raz * 489, Alex Schutte * 468, David Mayhew 458, Brandon McReynolds 455, James Bickford 446, Johnny White * 440, Nicole Behar * 424

* Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender

  • Associated Categories: NASCAR News, Other Motorsports
  • Associated Tags: nascar, motorsports, Auto Racing, Stock Car, Asphalt, K&N Pro East Series
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