Michigan: Gilliland - Ford Saturday interview

David Gilliland will be making his second career start at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. His debut, last August, also marked his first ever race as driver of the No. 38 M&M's Ford Fusion.

Gilliland, who produced a Cup series career-best fourth-place finish at Talladega six races ago, will start 20th tomorrow.

DAVID GILLILAND -- No. 38 M&M's Ford Fusion

WHEN DRIVERS TALK TO OTHER DRIVERS ABOUT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, WHAT IS DISCUSSED? "Just the multiple grooves and lines you can run. It's a racer's race track, I think, because you have so many options on the race track of where to run, for where to set your car up. I was talking to Mark Martin yesterday and he was saying he's one of the few guys who runs the bottom the whole race. He said he could never get his car to work up high. That's the biggest thing -- all the different lines you can race throughout the race."

"I just think, from a racer's standpoint, you can run multiple lines and race. You're not going to block a guy here, you know? It's a big track, two miles, and people get strung out throughout the race, and there's probably not a lot of cautions because you can move around so much -- there's not one specific groove you've got to run and if you get out of it you're going to wreck. It's not like that."

LAST AUGUST AT THIS TRACK WASN'T YOUR FIRST CUP RACE, BUT IT WAS YOUR FIRST CUP RACE AS A FULL-TIME DRIVER. "I'll never ever forget coming to this track for the first time, with Robert Yates Racing and wearing the M&M's uniform and driving the M&M's Ford Fusion. It was a big day, one of the biggest days of my life. That is a day that I'll never forget."

WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE GARAGE WEARING THE UNIFORM OF AN ESTABLISHED TEAM FOR THE FIRST TIME, DOES IT SEEM LIKE PEOPLE WERE TREATING YOU DIFFERENTLY? "No, not really. I've kind of told everybody that all through last year I felt out of place a little bit, just because the new guy on the block, kind of. Now, this year, I've gotten to know a lot of the drivers better and I feel like I belong here, and that's a great feeling to have."

DOES ONE MEMORY STAND OUT FROM THAT WEEKEND HERE LAST AUGUST? "Yeah. I remember the first practice session before qualifying we were fifth-fastest. And that was cool -- to be here and do that and be fast right off the bat, that was a good feeling."

TOMORROW IS FATHER'S DAY. ANYTHING SPECIAL PLANNED? "My family's here -- my wife and two kids are here, and we're going to race -- and maybe have a Father's Day breakfast. Racing doesn't leave a lot time, but there's nothing I'd rather be doing."

-credit: ford racing