Todd Gilliland is currently a driver for Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series. He is one of those individuals whose name doesn’t come up often in the headlines. He finishes in midfield positions on most weekends, save for the occasional top-10 finish. But on Saturday, the 25-year-old was involved in some heavy action.
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One of the most historic wrecks at a track not named Daytona or Talladega went down at EchoPark Speedway last weekend. Denny Hamlin was pushed from behind in the opening moments of Stage 2 and it resulted in him spinning and collecting nearly half the field. Exactly how the accident unfolded remained hazy until Gilliland’s admission.
The driver of the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse was the one who shoved Hamlin in the first place to initiate the terrifying sequence. He said in an interview with Steve Letarte, “I have watched this in-car a lot. In the moment, I didn’t necessarily think it was my fault. I thought they were really jammed up in front of me.
“I tried to slow down and there’s guys kind of pushing me. Yeah, it kind of looks like they get out of control and slow down. But I should have left a bigger gap, if we’re being honest. Where am I going? I am not going anywhere. It doesn’t help to push through those guys in front of me.”
While the acknowledgment was in good faith, Gilliland also clarified that he wouldn’t take all the blame for the wreck. He mentioned that it was just a racing deal and that he hated being a part of it. Ultimately, he finished 27th for his efforts on Saturday and now sits 28th on the points table.
The wreck brought the red flag out on Lap 70 and also involved Stage 1 winner, Austin Cindric. Joey Logano, who had led 51 laps till then, was also taken out. Other drivers who were involved included William Byron, Chase Briscoe, and Daniel Suarez.
Even before this incident went down, Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney were out early due to wrecks in Stage 1. At the end of the day, it was a nightmare outing for Team Penske, with none of its drivers — Cindric, Logano, or Blaney — crossing the checkered flag.
