Gilliland: Atlanta Is a Tire Balancing Act

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops Ford, comments on racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

“Atlanta is a really fast track. On a qualifying lap, you really feel the sensation of speed as you’re going around. During the race, with the track being as worn out as it is, the times really slow down. But it’s an awesome racetrack. It’s definitely one of my favorite tracks, and we’ve run pretty good there the past couple of years. You’re driving the heck out of it each and every lap, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s bumpy, rough, wore out and all the stuff that puts on a good show, and it usually does put on a good race. 

“You want to go at the beginning to try to get as much as you can. But you only have so much on your tires, and you can use them early or you can use them later. And if you use up the tires early, you’re not going to have anything later in the run. I’ve had to learn that lesson the hard way probably more than once. You have to balance it every run.”
 
JUST THE FACTS:  Gilliland has 12 Sprint Cup career starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway … His top finish at the 1.5-mile oval is 15th (2006) … Gilliland earned Front Row Motorsports’ history-best finish at Atlanta in 2013, finishing 17th … Love’s Travel Stops returns as primary sponsor for the Labor Day weekend race.
 
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