• NASCAR K&N West At All American Speedway
ROSEVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 14, 2017) – Bill McAnally Racing’s three drivers all finished in the top five in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West action at All American Speedway on Saturday night – taking second, third, and fourth in the Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 presented by TriCo Welding Supplies.
The event, before a packed crowd of enthusiastic fans, was part of the 10th Annual October Classic at the historic third-mile short track. The race was won by Michael Self.
Todd Gilliland and Chris Eggleston, who are battling for the series championship, finished second and third, respectively – with series rookie Derek Kraus close behind in fourth.
Eggleston, who started on the outside of the front row in the No. 99 NAPA Filters/NAPA Belts & Hoses Toyota Camry, jumped into the initial lead of the race – but lost that spot on a restart after an early caution. From there a battle ensued between Eggleston and Gilliland, as they swapped second place back and forth throughout the race. The final exchange came 20 laps from the finish as Gilliland piloted the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry past Eggleston.
“We definitely missed it a little bit tonight with our NAPA Toyota, but still coming home with a second-place finish is really strong,” Gilliland said. “I’m really proud to be part of this Bill McAnally Racing team. To keep clicking off these top fives and do what we need to do in the points is obviously good. We thought we were going to be a little better tonight, but that’s what it’s all about – learning.”
Kraus, who started sixth on the grid in the No. 19 Carlyle Tools Toyota Camry, slipped to eighth in the early running and then came on strong late in the event to close in on his BMR teammates and take fourth.
Gilliland, the defending series champion, and Eggleston, the 2015 series champion, have dominated the series competition this season – combining to win 10 of the first 11 races.
With his runner-up finish, Gilliland maintained his 11-point lead in the championship standings heading into the final event on this season’s 14-race schedule. The 17-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina has six wins, 10 top-five, and 12 top-10 finishes in 13 starts.
Eggleston of Erie, Colorado has four wins, along with a series-leading 11 top-five, and 13 top-10 finishes this season.
Kraus is third in the championship standings and is the leading contender for the rookie title. The 16-year-old from Stratford, Wisconsin has eight top-five and nine top-10 finishes – including three runner-up finishes.
There were plenty of special activities surrounding the Roseville race. BMR started things off with its traditional kickoff party and reception on Friday evening. Also on Friday, BMR provided NAPA guests special rides at the speedway in the two-seater NAPA Toyota. Saturday’s event featured a midway full of activities – including a classic car show, a live band, and numerous vendors. The hospitality event on Saturday evening included a large turnout from NAPA and Toyota.
The Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 presented by TriCo Welding Supplies was the 19th series race at All American Speedway. It’s scheduled to be televised on NBCSN on Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. PT.
The next event on the K&N Pro Series West schedule will be at Kern County Raceway Park near Bakersfield, California on Nov. 4, as the series closes out the 2017 season.