NASCAR driver makes pit stop at new sponsor's Tilton headquarters

TILTON — Todd Gilliland raced at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend, and on Friday, the NASCAR driver stopped at Nucar Automall to meet fans.

Gilliland's No. 34 car raced in the Dollar Tree 301 Sunday, earning a 21st place finish. 

“Days like this are some of the most fun days,” Gilliland said, in between signing autographs Friday. “Laid back, new partner in the sport for us, line of people. For me, it’s super special to be able to do this.”

Nucar Family of Dealerships was Gillibrand's primary sponsor in Sunday’s race, racing his Ford Mustang stock car and earning 16 points. Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag for his second straight win in Loudon.

Gilliland hails from North Carolina, and loves coming to New Hampshire to race, knowing there is a huge racing culture in the area, with some of the most passionate of sports fans. This was apparent Friday, when fans of all ages lined up to chat with the racer, and come away with a signed souvenir and photo.

One fan was Coleman Perkins, 13, who has been watching races since he was 3 years old. Perkins is fan of Gillibrand, and said he really likes the Grillo’s Pickles car he raced this season.

Not only was Coleman heading to the speedway for the weekend with his family, they also have plans to see races at the Daytona International Speedway, and Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.

“I go to a lot of races,” Perkins said.

Jennifer Alger brought her two grandchildren — Christopher and Harmony Prentice — to Nucar to meet Gilliland. She said their father is an employee at the dealership, and clued them in about the visit.

Christopher, 7, said he likes watching the cars go around. The kids were excited to meet the driver and pose for photos.

Jason Robinson, general sales manager at Nucar, brought his 10-year-old son, Grayson, to the dealership for the meet and greet. Robinson said it was great, and it isn’t every day the Lakes Region has a racecar driver offering his time to meet fans.

Sunday was Grayson’s first race, although he said he knew it would be a great time, as he’s a fan of speed and fast cars.

Ron Branchi, of Nashua, was with his friend Dakota Decourcy, of Milford, at Nucar, to meet Gilliland. Branchi said they were amped up about their yearly trip to the speedway. They planned to see a weekend’s worth of races with a group of friends.

Decourcy said he’s been slowly but surely getting his 3-year-old son into NASCAR, and when he heard about the meet-and-great, decided to grab some autographs.

Branchi said it was fun to meet a NASCAR driver before heading to the track.

“I’m a fan of his,” Branchi said. “It’s good to meet some of the low budget racers.”

This was Gilliland’s third time racing in Loudon, in the NASCAR Cup Series, finishing 19th in 2025, and 12th in 2024. Gillibrand won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, and also placed third at the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, both at NH Motor Speedway.

“This is a very challenging racetrack,” Gilliland said. “It’s a mile in length, but it’s very flat. I think the entries are the hardest part.”

Gilliland said there are some big bumps in turn three that are challenging, and then it is all about hitting the gas to make a push.

Gilliland is ranked 23rd in the NASCAR Cup Series this season, placing in the top 10 twice, and leading the way in eight laps. He also had a big race last month in Indianapolis, where he won the NASCAR In-Season challenge, a bracket tournament putting racers head-to-head for five events.

While it has been an up-and-down season, Gilliland said it is important to finish strong and keep improving.

“Overall, we’re always athletes, and always just wanting more,” Gilliland said Friday. “I think that’s the tough part. From last year, our progression’s been really big, and I’m pretty happen with that. With a third of our season left, if I can finish strong, it still has potential to be my best Cup Series ever.”