Chris Eggleston Snaps Todd Gilliland’s Winning Streak at Orange Show Speedway

May 31, 2017

NASCAR, K&N Pro Series West, Chris Eggleston, Orange Show Speedway

Chris Eggleston celebrates after winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Orange Show Speedway

Chris Eggleston won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at The Orange Show Speedway in California, snapping teammate Todd Gilliland’s four-race winning streak.

Eggleston won the pole and his second K&N Pro Series West race of the season in the Sunrise Ford 150 presented by Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse. He won the K&N Pro Series West season opener in Tucson. He also won the K&N Pro Series West race at The Orange Show Speedway in 2016.

“I felt like tires played more of a factor than last year,” Eggleston said. “Todd was really good on the short runs. Our car was really good on the long runs.”

Eggleston led the first seven laps of the race. Michael Self passed Eggleston for the lead to two laps before rookie Derek Kraus, Eggleston’s teammate at Bill McAnally Racing, moved out front for 11 laps. Gilliland moved out front on lap 21 and held the lead for 41 laps before Eggleston finally regained the lead.

Chris Eggleston led the final 22 laps of the K&N Pro Series West race at Orange Show Speedway

“I didn’t know if we were going to catch him there for a minute,” Eggleston said. “I caught him, rolled up to him, and got by him in lapped traffic.”

Eggleston, Gilliland and Self battled for the lead on the quarter-mile track until lap 128. Eggleston took the lead from rookie Sheldon Creed and held it for the last 22 laps.

“We were able to battle back really hard,” Eggleston said. “We got the lead back and were able to fight and hold onto the position after that.”

Creed held on for second place in his first K&N Pro Series West start. Todd Souza was third. Gilliland, the leader in the K&N Pro Series West standings and the reigning K&N Pro Series West champion, was sixth, the last driver on the lead lap. He was collected in a crash on lap 121 and recovered to finish in the top 10.

Chris Eggleston won the pole and the K&N Pro Series West race at Orange Show Speedway

“I felt like we were pretty good and patient through lapped traffic,” Eggleston said. “Staying patient and keeping a good head on our shoulders was the key. There was a lot of beating and banging halfway through and toward the end of the race.”

Eggleston, the 2015 K&N Pro Series West champion, cut Gilliland's lead in the standings to 11 points after six races. Kraus is third in the standings with 56 points behind Gilliland.

The next K&N Pro Series West race is at Colorado National Speedway.

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