David Gilliland
A journeyman driver who pulled off one of NASCAR's greatest upsets, then built a successful career as a team owner.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American racing driver·Birthday: April 1·Generation X
Biography
David Gilliland’s story is a classic American racing tale of perseverance paying off in a single, spectacular moment. For years, he toiled in NASCAR's regional series, a talented driver lacking the major sponsorship to break through. Working in his father Butch's race shop, he honed his craft on the West Coast. Then, in 2006, driving for a modest, family-run team, he won the Busch Series race at Kentucky Speedway. It was a stunning victory that instantly reshaped his career, landing him a coveted Cup Series ride with Robert Yates Racing. While he never replicated that singular win at NASCAR's top level, he became a respected and consistent competitor. In his second act, he leveraged his hard-earned knowledge into team ownership, co-founding Tricon Garage, which has grown into a formidable force in the Truck Series, nurturing the next generation of drivers.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored a monumental upset victory in the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series race at Kentucky while driving for an underfunded team.
- Secured a full-time NASCAR Cup Series ride with Robert Yates Racing following his surprise Kentucky win.
- Finished a career-best second in the 2011 Daytona 500, narrowly losing to Trevor Bayne.
- Co-founded and owns Tricon Garage, a winning team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Did You Know?
His father, Butch Gilliland, was a successful NASCAR Southwest Tour champion.
His 2006 Kentucky win was his only victory in NASCAR's top three national series.
He famously replaced Elliott Sadler in the #38 car for Robert Yates Racing mid-season in 2006.
His son, Todd Gilliland, is a current NASCAR Cup Series driver.
“You race every lap like it's the last chance you'll ever get.”
