How David Gilliland Racing worked quickly to achieve triumph amid tragedy at Phoenix

On the morning of Tuesday, March 8, David Gilliland took a phone call no race team owner or human being ever wants to receive.

Three days later, he and his organization found themselves in Victory Lane at Phoenix Raceway after what Gilliland called “the most special win (he’s) ever been a part of” in his motorsports career.

This is the result of an astonishingly concerted and heavy-hearted effort on the part of David Gilliland Racing in the wake of a traffic accident that took the life of team hauler driver Steven Stotts early that Tuesday morning. Stotts was transporting Taylor Gray’s No. 17 Ford and DGR’s ARCA Menards Series equipment to Phoenix for the General Tire 150. Two more team members, John Zaverl and Michael Mizzelle, were injured in the accident.

Gray’s first ARCA Menards Series (national) victory Friday night was not a surprise in the context of the 16-year-old driver’s talent and career trajectory; it also marked his fourth ARCA Menards Series West victory dating back to 2020 and his 17th ARCA Menards Series top-five finish. But the context of tragedy and a tight timeline made the triumph a remarkable feat.

Just a few hours after Gilliland received that phone call Tuesday morning, another DGR hauler was on its way to Phoenix loaded with equipment and another No. 17 Ford.

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“Something like this happens, you don’t have a lot of time,” Gilliland explained. “Everything happens fast — especially in this situation. It was brought up to not go, but it was in everybody’s hearts to go and honor Steven and his family.”

Gilliland said he and team co-owner Johnny Gray (Taylor’s grandfather) were in communication in the immediate aftermath of their receiving news of the hauler accident. They quickly called a meeting with all available team members to brief them on the situation.

An important factor was gauging how Taylor Gray felt about racing so soon. Once the driver and crew chief Chad Johnston expressed their desire to honor Stotts by pushing forward and competing, the decision was made.

The question, then, was how.

The first step was to find out whether the hauler drivers who were still at the shop would be willing to drive to Phoenix on short notice. They agreed to do so and left the facility to pack bags and take naps before returning to drive that afternoon.

DGR, an operation that runs three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams, was fortunate to have plenty of equipment on-hand like additional tool boxes, gas cans and generators. With the Truck Series off on this particular week, the team was able to pack up the hauler that typically transports Hailie Deegan’s No. 1 Ford F-150.

The next step was Gray’s racing uniform, including his helmet, driving shoes, ear molds and seat liner. All had been packed in the original hauler. Gilliland said Simpson, a team partner, was able to quickly equip Gray with a new suit, a freshly wired helmet, a new HANS device, gloves and shoes.

Of course, DGR also needed to prepare a new car. Gray’s ride for the March 19 East Series race at Five Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, had already been pulled down and was available to modify. Gordy Arbitter from Gear Tech called and offered drivetrain services, and he build a new rear end gear for Gray’s car on the spot. Likewise, Harry Reed drove straight to DGR’s shop and built a new set of shocks for a Phoenix car.

“We had about five hours to get it ready,” Gilliland recalled.

Part of the car prep was peeling off logos. Gilliland said team agreed to run an all-black car given the circumstances: “If we do go, how do we do it and make sure we honor Steven in the very best way we can? That was kind of what we came up with.”

It was Gray himself, though, who came up with the idea to order new name decals to be placed above his doors. He would race at Phoenix with the names Steven Stotts, John Zaverl and Michael Mizzelle in place of his own.

Those names were the first things Gray saw when he climbed out of his car after winning the race. Parked near the start/finish line at Phoenix, the driver pointed to the sky, put his head down on Stotts’ name, and pointed to the sky again.

“The reason we’re here today is because of Steven, Michael and John,” Gray said in Victory Lane. “We wouldn’t be here if we thought they wouldn’t want us to be here. This is for them. This is all for them.”

Added Gilliland: “I couldn’t be more proud of our team and the heart they showed not only to be able to make it to the race track, but to be able to make it to the race track and perform at that level during these times.

“We never go to the race track not to win, but we were racing for something very different on Friday night. We won and we got the trophy, but we didn’t go there for the trophy. We went there for Steven. And to be able to win … it’s one that I will absolutely never ever forget.”