Todd Gilliland lands full-time NASCAR Cup drive with Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports has promoted Todd Gilliland to the NASCAR Cup Series alongside Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, and added Zane Smith to run Trucks as part of its 2022 season driver lineup.
McDowell, the 2021 Daytona 500 champion, will return to FRM and continue to drive its No. 34 Ford along with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer. It will be their fifth year together.
This past season they set new records for the organization with five top-10 and two top-five finishes along with their Daytona win.
Gilliland, who drove for FRM in the Truck Series the past two seasons, will move up to Cup next year and drive the team’s No. 38 Ford.
In 2021, Gilliland had one win, 16 top-10 and 10 top-five finishes, resulting in a career best year. Gilliland, 21, will be paired with crew chief Seth Barbour. Gilliland’s father and now a NASCAR team owner, David, once drove the No. 38 for FRM.
“I feel like I’ve found a home at FRM,” said Todd Gilliland. “I’ve been around the team when I was growing up and watching my dad race. I joined the truck team here and it has been a good place for my career.
“I can’t wait to step up into the NASCAR Cup Series. I know the challenges ahead, but I’m planning to be here and help grow with this team for a long time.”
Race winner Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports, Ford Mustang Love's Travel Stops
Photo by: Stephen Arce / NKP / Motorsport Images
Added team owner Bob Jenkins: “Todd has been a part of the FRM family before he even started his own racing career. We know that Todd is committed to helping our No. 38 program. He helped us launch our truck program into a winning team and that’s our goal for him and the No. 38 Cup team.”
While Gilliland moves into the Cup ride, two-time Truck Series championship runner-up Zane Smith will take over the organization’s No. 38 ride in the Truck Series.
In two fulltime seasons in Trucks, Smith, 22, has three wins and 27 top-10 finishes. He will be paired with crew chief Chris Lawson.
“I’ve been watching Zane the past few seasons,” said Jenkins. “He’s a young driver who is a proven winner and he shows a lot of promise. We want to get him that championship in 2022, but also, we want to have Zane with us for a long time. We see a bright future for him.”
Added Smith: “Bob Jenkins has given me a wonderful opportunity to race for the Truck series championship again. More importantly, there is an opportunity to grow with them in the future.”
Related video
NASCAR's Chase Elliott to compete in Nitro RallyCross finale
New deal aims to revitalize Nashville Fairgrounds for NASCAR
Tickford unveils first 2023 livery
Tickford Racing has unveiled its first livery ahead of the 2023 season with the covers coming off Brad Vaughan's Super2 entry.
“Proper send-off” for MacNeil after Rolex 24 win in GTD Pro
Jules Gounon says that winning at Daytona was an appropriate way for co-driver Cooper MacNeil to retire from racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
HPD boss "amazed" by GTP reliability in Rolex 24 at Daytona
The boss of Honda Performance Developments has expressed his amazement at the high levels of reliability demonstrated by the all-new GTP prototypes in last weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored the pattern of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's previous DPi era. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing.
The ex-F1 driver taking on NASCAR with a new team
Saddled with uncompetitive Minardi machinery, Tarso Marques didn't manage to score points in his three partial seasons of Formula 1. But now the Brazilian has the chance to show what he can do in NASCAR, and explains the story of his comeback with new Cup Series entrant Team Stange
The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car
NASCAR’s new stock car generation is encouraging an influx of fresh blood into its top tier. But there are concerns that parts are in short supply as the entire paddock tries to build up stocks at the same time
How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style
After holding his nerve and hip-checking his teammate on the run to the line, Austin Cindric made a perfect start to life as a full-timer in the NASCAR Cup Series by winning the Daytona 500. Here's how the Penske Ford man emerged first across the line in the first points-scoring race for the much-anticipated Next Generation cars
Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season
There are plenty of uncertainties ahead of the 2022 NASCAR Cup season as an all-new fleet of cars take to the track for the first time. Ahead of this weekend's Daytona 500, our experts explain what you need to know
How NASCAR had to learn a harsh lesson ahead of Next Gen arrival
The NASCAR Cup kicks off with the Daytona 500 this weekend, but a major engine overhaul and a subsequent mountain of work has been required to be ready for the arrival of the Next Gen cars.
How Larson took the long way round to NASCAR Cup glory
From villain to hero, Kyle Larson had to reach his lifelong goal the hard way and go through a very public shaming after a ban for using a racial slur, but his talents shone long before his name grabbed the headlines...
How NASCAR is gearing up for its "biggest change" in 2022
It’s not just Formula 1 that’s set for upheaval in 2022, as the NASCAR Cup series adopts its Next Gen cars that will cast any in-built advantages aside and require teams to adopt a totally new way of operating. Far more than just a change of machinery, the new cars amount to a shift in NASCAR's core philosophy
Why Bubba Wallace’s Talladega win is such a big moment for NASCAR
Bubba Wallace claimed his maiden NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega on Monday to become the first Black victor in the category since Wendell Scott in 1963. Both Wallace and Scott had faced obstacles and racism in their paths to their breakthrough wins, and NASCAR is trying to put it right with its range of diversity programmes
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.