Tricon Garage Overview
Tricon Garage, stylized as TRICON Garage, is an American professional stock car racing team headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and expanded into the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2025. Owned by David Gilliland and Johnny Gray, Tricon Garage fields Toyota vehicles and has built a reputation for developing young talent and competing at the front of the field across national stock car racing.
The team has accumulated two drivers’ championships and 49 total race victories across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West. Fielding cars numbered 1, 5, 7, 11, 15, 17, 54, and 56, Tricon Garage remains a fixture in Toyota’s NASCAR development pipeline.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The team’s roots trace back to David Gilliland Racing, which debuted in 2014 in the X-1R Pro Cup Series with a No. 98 entry for Todd Gilliland. From 2015 to 2017, David Gilliland Racing fielded Super Late Models for a variety of drivers, including Todd Gilliland, Raphaël Lessard, Tanner Thorson, and Chase Purdy. These early years established the organization’s foundation in grassroots and late model racing, building the operational base that would later support a national series effort.
In early 2017, David Gilliland and fellow team owner Bo LeMastus merged their operations, combining David Gilliland Racing with Crosley Sports Group to form DGR-Crosley. The merger brought together personnel, equipment, and sponsorship resources, with the goal of creating a multi-car effort capable of competing across NASCAR’s national and regional series. The newly formed group purchased Red Horse Racing’s assets to accelerate its entry into the Truck Series.
Growth Into NASCAR Competition
DGR-Crosley fielded Toyota entries in 2018 and 2019, marking the team’s transition from late model racing into NASCAR’s national series. During this initial stretch, the organization built a development ladder that included the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team earned its first victories in 2018, including Todd Gilliland’s last-lap pass at New Smyrna Speedway and Tyler Ankrum’s four-race win streak in the ARCA Menards Series, where he clinched the championship with a race to spare.
In late 2019, DGR-Crosley announced a switch to Ford beginning in 2020, expanding its car count in the ARCA ranks with entries for Hailie Deegan, Tanner Gray, and Taylor Gray. The team reverted to the David Gilliland Racing name in 2021 after Johnny Gray became a co-owner, with Bo LeMastus continuing in a sponsorship and marketing role. On October 27, 2022, the organization announced a return to Toyota Racing Development in 2023 and rebranded as Tricon Garage, with the new name derived from the prefix tri- and the word icon.
Tricon Garage Competitive Journey
Tricon Garage’s competitive journey reflects steady growth from a part-time Truck Series entrant to a multi-series operation with a championship pedigree. The team has produced race winners in the Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West, while continuing to develop future Cup Series talent through its late model and ARCA programs.
Early Seasons and Development (2018-2020)
The team’s first NASCAR national series start came in the 2018 NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona in the Truck Series, with the No. 17 entry. Throughout 2018, DGR-Crosley fielded Toyotas across several trucks, with drivers including Tyler Ankrum, Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, and Bo LeMastus sharing seat time. The 2019 season saw the team’s first Truck Series victory when Tyler Ankrum won at Kentucky Speedway after Brett Moffitt ran out of fuel on the final lap.
The organization expanded its ARCA footprint during this period, claiming the 2018 ARCA Menards Series East title with Tyler Ankrum and fielding full-time ARCA entries for drivers such as Todd Gilliland, Drew Dollar, and Hailie Deegan. Hailie Deegan was announced as the driver of the No. 4 Ford for the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season, and team owner David Gilliland won the ARCA race at Phoenix Raceway in 2020.
Breakthrough in the Truck Series (2021-2023)
Hailie Deegan piloted the No. 1 truck in her 2021 rookie season, with the team earning additional Truck Series milestones, including Ryan Preece’s debut win at Nashville Superspeedway. In 2022, the team fielded Tanner Gray, who improved to six top-ten finishes, and a developing Taylor Gray. Preece won again at Nashville in 2022, signaling the team’s growing competitiveness.
The 2023 season marked a true breakthrough. Corey Heim was announced as the full-time driver of the new No. 11 entry with sponsorship from Safelite, JBL, and SiriusXM. Heim scored his first win at Martinsville, won at Mid-Ohio, and claimed the regular season championship at Richmond. After winning at Bristol during the playoffs, Heim advanced to the Championship 4, where a late-race spin at Phoenix dropped him to third in the final standings, though he was later penalized 25 driver points for intentionally wrecking Carson Hocevar, finishing fourth.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2024-Present)
Tricon Garage expanded its full-time Truck Series presence in 2024 and 2025, with Toni Breidinger moving into the No. 5 truck full-time in 2025 and Gio Ruggiero announced as the full-time driver of the No. 17. The organization also strengthened its driver development pipeline, announcing Kaden Honeycutt for the No. 11 in 2026 and confirming contracts for Tanner Gray in 2025. Off the track, the team maintains technical partnerships and continues to operate out of its Mooresville, North Carolina shop.
In 2025, Tricon Garage made its NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Daytona 500, fielding the No. 56 Toyota Camry driven by Martin Truex Jr., with Bass Pro Shops as the primary sponsor and Cole Pearn serving as crew chief. The entry was primarily built by Joe Gibbs Racing, the team’s technical partner. Truex qualified on lap time and started 39th before an incident on lap 71 ended his race, placing him 38th.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Tricon Garage’s core identity centers on developing young drivers through a multi-tier ladder spanning late models, ARCA, and the Truck Series. The team leans on Toyota’s manufacturer support and partnerships such as its technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, producing consistent short-run pace and strong superspeedway results. Its strength in stock car development has produced winners in four of the five series it has entered.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Major milestones include Tyler Ankrum’s 2018 ARCA Menards Series championship, the team’s first Truck Series win at Kentucky in 2019, and Corey Heim’s dominant 2025 Truck Series championship, which included a record 10-win regular season surpassing Greg Biffle’s 1999 mark of nine wins, with Heim ultimately reaching 11 wins including the finale at Phoenix. The 2025 Cup Series debut at the Daytona 500 marked another organizational milestone.
Tricon Garage Achievements and Results
Tricon Garage has compiled 49 total race victories, 38 pole positions, and 2 drivers’ championships across its national and regional NASCAR efforts. The team has won races in the Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West, while expanding into the Cup Series in 2025.
Craftsman Truck Series Achievements
The Truck Series is the team’s primary competitive home, with 30 race victories, 23 pole positions, and 1 drivers’ championship to date. Corey Heim’s 2025 title run stands as the program’s defining achievement, while the team has also fielded competitive efforts for Hailie Deegan, Tanner Gray, Ryan Preece, and Toni Breidinger. The Truck Series debut came at the 2018 NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona.
ARCA Menards Series Achievements
Tricon Garage’s ARCA program has produced 3 victories and 2 pole positions, highlighted by Tyler Ankrum’s 2018 ARCA Menards Series East championship. Todd Gilliland’s win at Talladega in 2019 and David Gilliland’s victory at Phoenix in 2020 added to the team’s ARCA résumé, while the program has remained a key development step for emerging drivers.
Divisional Achievements
Across the ARCA Menards Series East and West, the team has tallied 10 East wins and 9 East poles, plus 6 West wins and 4 West poles, totaling 16 regional victories. Drivers such as Todd Gilliland, Tyler Ankrum, Tanner Gray, and Taylor Gray have all won in regional competition, reinforcing the organization’s strength in short-track and intermediate-track development.
Series Achievements
The team has made 315 total starts across the Cup Series, Truck Series, and the three ARCA Menards Series, with its most recent Cup start coming at the 2025 Daytona 500 and its most recent Truck Series start at the 2026 Navy 250 in San Diego. Tyler Ankrum’s 2018 ARCA Menards Series East title and Corey Heim’s 2025 Truck Series championship bookend a series-level resume built on driver development and consistent front-running speed.
