12 Out Of 12: An Interview With David Gilliland

Our weekly series of interviews continues: 12 questions with NASCAR drivers who aren’t currently in the top 12 of the Sprint Cup Series. Since the Chase drivers already get plenty of publicity, we thought this would be a good way to get to know some of the non-Chase drivers a little better. This week: Front Row Motorsports driver David Gilliland.

What’s the best race you ever drove?

DG: Probably Infineon two years ago when I finished second. To me, a road course is tougher than an oval track. On an oval track, you have two marks to hit per lap, as far as getting in the corner. And on a road course, every corner you have that mark to hit – and you have more of a chance to make a mistake. And I felt like I did a pretty good job that day. It’d probably be that and then Kentucky, I think.

Who’s the most talented driver in NASCAR?

DG: Probably Jimmie Johnson. Everybody at this level is a really good race car driver. You probably don’t realize that enough until you’re here and competing against them. I remember watching it as a kid and thinking the 25th-place guy wasn’t very good, but that’s not the case at all. But Jimmie, what he’s been able to do with championships and some of the stuff he’s been able to get himself out of during some of the races is very impressive.

If a new driver is coming in the series, what’s one driver you would recommend learning from and one you wouldn’t?

DG: Probably don’t learn from Juan Pablo. The way he came into the sport was a little rough, I’d say. Learn from a guy like Mark Martin – I think you’ll get further faster that way, with respect from the guys you’re racing around. Like Brad Keselowski right now, not too many guys in this garage respect him driver-wise. So I don’t know where he’s at in the points right now, but it’s going to be awhile before he moves up because of that reason.

What’s the best time for fans to get your autograph?

DG: Anytime except before qualifying. Before qualifying is tough, because I try to get so mentally prepared for qualifying – there’s just so much to it. But anytime other than that.

What’s something people don’t understand about you?

DG: Probably the challenges of having a family and doing this – to keep that balanced and to keep a marriage going when you’re gone so much. My son is playing championship basketball games and I can’t be there. The father-daughter dance that I can’t be at with my daughter. Those things are tough for me sometimes.

What’s the worst track NASCAR goes to?

DG: A lot of people don’t like Pocono, but I like it, because it’s different than anything else we go to. It could use a little TLC though. I’m probably not a big fan of Martinsville – just kind of narrow, and it’s one of my least favorite tracks.

Outside of NASCAR, who’s the driver you most admire?

DG: Ricky Carmichael. He’s in NASCAR now, but you know for him to be that good and as dominant as he was, how hard he must have trained and how focused he was. Nobody’s that dominant just showing up on Saturday and racing.

I admired that, because I think across the board – not only in racing – if you wanted to be a professional fisherman, if you wanted to be a professional baseball player, my honest opinion is if you train hard enough and you want it bad enough, you can do it. So I admire guys like that. Just like when we raced at Kentucky, in my opinion we won that race because wanted it more than anybody else. I think that translates over to whatever you do.

How long do you see yourself driving?

DG: I’d say another 10 years. That’d put me at 43. It depends on where we’re at. Mark Martin can obviously do it [at 50], and I think I could do it that long, but there’s other stuff in life. Hopefully my son [Todd] will be racing by then if he wants to. I didn’t get started racing until late because my dad [Butch, former West Series driver] raced and it’s hard to do both. So I’d like to try and help him with what he’ll need if it comes down to that.

When you get home from a race, what’s the first thing you do?

DG: Go in and hug my kids. If they’re asleep, I still go and see them.

Are you superstitious about racing?

DG: Yeah, I try not to shave on race day. The first guy I ever drove for, his name was Jerry Dodd, and he was like the extreme of superstitious people. You know, like no peanuts – if there’s peanuts in [the hauler], I go and try to hide them or throw them away. The guys don’t know that. There’s little things like that where I used to say, ‘Well, that stuff don’t matter,’ and then you think, ‘Well, better safe than sorry!’

There’s a certain green on race cars, too. I actually built a race car and sold it to [Dodd] and he went through and changed every green wire I had in the car – took them out and changed them to a different color.

Who wins the Sprint Cup in 2015?

DG: Five years? Joey Logano.

Would you rather be known as a great person or a great driver?

DG: That’s tough! We can’t mix that up a little bit? Probably a great guy, I guess. But you’re competitive, you know? I don’t really go around talking to a lot of drivers as far as being friends with them because you race against them, and at the end of the day, you’re going to do what you need to do to win. And would you do that to your best buddy? Probably not. So I’d rather not be their best buddy.

I’ve always been that way in racing. When I was growing up, we’d win races and I’d say, ‘Man, no one likes us!‘ and my dad would always say, ‘You gotta bring your friends to the racetrack.’ I’ll bring my friends to the racetrack – I’m not here to make friends. But there’s a balance, because you have to have the other drivers’ respect. It takes time.