Todd Gilliland will move away from his No. 38 car at Front Row Motorsports, taking over the No. 34 car for Michael McDowell in 2025.
[autotag]Todd Gilliland[/autotag] will have a new car number at [autotag]Front Row Motorsports[/autotag] for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. On Tuesday morning, Front Row Motorsports announced that Gilliland will move to the No. 34 Ford with sponsorship from Love’s in 2025. Michael McDowell, who previously drove the No. 34 car, joins Spire Motorsports’ Cup Series lineup.
Gilliland has spent the last three Cup Series seasons at Front Row Motorsports but made select starts with Rick Ware Racing in 2023 after the organization demoted him to a part-time schedule. Now, the son of former Front Row Motorsports driver David Gilliland will follow in his father’s footsteps with sponsorship from Love’s.
As for the rest of Front Row Motorsports’ lineup, Noah Gragson’s car number is uncertain, and the third entry is still vacant. Zane Smith is the favorite for the ride, but it has been a slower process as the organization continues its lawsuit against NASCAR. For now, Gilliland is the only driver with a locked in car number, solidifying his place at Front Row Motorsports for years to come.
Todd Gilliland will drive the No. 34 at Front Row Motorsports in 2025 and carry the Love’s Travel Stops colors. Gilliland had driven the No. 38 for the organization, but he takes over the flagship No. 34 Ford Mustang after the departure of Michael …
Todd Gilliland will drive the No. 34 at Front Row Motorsports in 2025 and carry the Love’s Travel Stops colors.
Gilliland had driven the No. 38 for the organization, but he takes over the flagship No. 34 Ford Mustang after the departure of Michael McDowell.
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“It is really humbling to race the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang beginning next season,” Gilliland said. “It’s just another cool moment in my career to race for a company that represented my father at FRM. The 34 Ford is what started FRM in the Cup Series and there is a lot of history with Love’s, FRM, and my family. I still remember watching my dad race the Love’s Ford.
“I do not take this next step lightly. I have seen the rise of the team and the new level of expectations. It is an honor that Love’s is putting their trust in me to continue to grow this team and compete for wins and get into the playoffs. I am gracious for this opportunity and look forward to 2025.”
David Gilliland drove the Love’s car for the first time in 2013 in the Daytona 500. The older Gilliland competed with Front Row Motorsports for the 2014-2015 season.
Todd Gilliland, however, has raced under the Love’s Travel Stops banner himself – but he carried the Speedco colors, not Love’s – in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2020 and 2021.
A crew chief for Gilliland was not announced. He will be the longest tenured Front Row Motorsports driver beginning next season.
Gilliland will be teammates with Noah Gragson. The car number and team for Gragson has not been announced. The organization is also working through plans to expand to a third car.
Looking at the odds for Sunday’s 2024 Cook Out 400, with NASCAR expert picks and predictions.
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The NASCAR Cup Series is back after the Olympic break, returning Sunday for the 2024 Cook Out 400 at to Richmond Raceway. Green flag is slated to drop shortly after 6 p.m. ET (USA Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the 2024 Cook Out 400 odds, and make our expert NASCAR picks and predictions.
2024 Cook Out 400: What you need to know
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, the Chesterfield, Va. native, won the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond back on March 31 earlier this season, leading just 17 of the 407 laps. He is on the pole for Sunday
Hamlin has 5 checkered flags at Richmond, while posting 19 top-5 finishes and 2,243 laps led in 35 Cup starts with an 8.3 Average-Finish Position (AFP)
Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with a 7.4 AFP (min. 3 Cup starts) and 6 wins at Richmond, although most of that production came as a member of JGR. He goes off from the 12th spot
Team Penske’s Joey Logano has 2 wins in 30 career Cup starts with 14 top-5 finishes, 951 laps led and a 9.7 AFP at Richmond. He starts 9th on Sunday
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson has 2 career Cup wins at Richmond, while posting 5 top-5 runs and 9 top-10 showings with 329 laps led and a 10.8 AFP in 19 starts. Larson starts 15th in the grid
TrackHouse Racing’s Ross Chastain will start 22nd Sunday. He has just a single top-5 finish in 11 Cup tries at Richmond with a dismal 20.7 AFP
23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace is starting 8th Sunday. His best-career finish at Richmond is 12th, posting a 21.8 AFP in 12 Cup starts
DENNY HAMLIN (+350) is the best bet for Sunday’s race. He normally gets up for these races on his home track and he is difficult to beat.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson (+700) is a better value, but he doesn’t have the advantage of picking his pit stall first. Pit road is cramped at Richmond, and picking an advantageous pit stall can be the difference between contending, and simply having to struggle to get a top-10 finish.
2024 Brickyard 400 – Contender
RCR’s KYLE BUSCH (+4000) just hasn’t been himself in the No. 8 machine, but you have to keep playing him, even of a little bit of money, at the tracks he has traditionally dominated.
While Busch ended up just 20th in the Toyota Owners 400 back in late March, he goes off 12th Sunday. Don’t be surprised to see Busch challenge for a win, and a potential playoff spot.
If you’re a little more conservative, KYLE BUSCH — TOP-10 FINISH (+135) at plus-money is still a value.
JOSH BERRY — TOP-10 FINISH (-155) is moderately priced, but still worth a roll of the dice for this prop.
Berry will go off from the 3rd spot Sunday after posting a speed of 117.601 mph in qualifying. He is the top qualifying Ford in the field. He doesn’t have a lengthy Cup history at Richmond, but he was 2nd and 11th in his 2 previous starts. A top-10 showing would not be surprising in the least.
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Front Row Motorsports announced on Wednesday that Todd Gilliland has a signed a multi-year contract extension in 2024.
[autotag]Front Row Motorsports[/autotag] will have a new look for its NASCAR Cup Series program in 2025; however, [autotag]Todd Gilliland[/autotag] won’t be going anywhere. On Wednesday morning, Front Row Motorsports announced that Gilliland will return to the organization after signing a multi-year contract extension. A number wasn’t announced for the 24-year-old driver.
As of June 2024, Gilliland sits 22nd in the point standings, which is two spots higher than Michael McDowell, who is leaving for Spire Motorsports. The driver of the No. 38 car only has one top-10 finish but has a 21.3 average finishing position and four straight top-17 finishes. Gilliland has also led 101 laps, which ranks 16th in the Cup Series.
This was a great decision for both Gilliland and Front Row Motorsports. After losing McDowell, the NASCAR team needed to secure Gilliland as he continues to improve in his third full-time season. Gilliland has been better during the 2024 NASCAR season, and another jump in performance wouldn’t be shocking as the team’s leader next year.
Todd Gilliland believes the speed his Front Row Motorsports team has shown the first few weeks of the NASCAR season is a sign of things to come regardless of the racetrack. “I think we have a lot of new exciting partnerships, whether it’s the Tier 1 …
Todd Gilliland believes the speed his Front Row Motorsports team has shown the first few weeks of the NASCAR season is a sign of things to come regardless of the racetrack.
“I think we have a lot of new exciting partnerships, whether it’s the Tier 1 program with Ford or our new alliance with Team Penske,” Gilliland said this week. “I think all of that stuff has been helping us, pointing our team in the right direction to make these decisions, but at the same time, I think it’s even past the speed of it. It’s the speed plus how good my car drove, even at Daytona.”
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Gilliland not only led laps but could put his No. 38 Ford in front of different lanes and take pushes in the Daytona 500. He led 16 laps but finished 35th after being involved in the lap 191 multi-car crash.
A week later, Gilliland started a career-best fourth at Atlanta Motor Speedway and was the class of the field. Gilliland led a race-high 58 laps. Again, however, the finish (26th place) did not indicate the team’s performance and speed, as Gilliland was caught in an incident that damaged the car.
In the past, Gilliland’s team had to pick between either having a car that drove well or had speed. In the first two weeks of the 2024 season, the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse has had both.
“Let’s say we wanted to go qualify really well at Atlanta — we would probably have had to give up quite a bit of handling, so, to me, there’s more layers to it,” Gilliland said. “I’m hopeful that we’re going to show more speed here at (Las) Vegas, but on the same foot, I think we finished 28th and 31st there last year, so we have tons to improve on. But I’m really excited and very hopeful that this weekend will at least be a couple of steps in the right direction.”
The speed, specifically, is “like I’ve never had before in the Cup Series,” said Gilliland. With 74 laps led through the first two weeks, Gilliland has already set a new single-season mark for himself. He didn’t lead a single lap in 2023.
Front Row Motorsports teammates Todd Gilliland (left) and Michael McDowell are liking what they’ve been seeing this year. Motorsport Images
Gilliland and teammate Michael McDowell ran at the front in the Daytona 500 and Atlanta. For the 23-year-old Gilliland, now in his third year as a Cup Series driver, running at the front with some of the best in the series has been “awesome.”
“As still a youngerish guy that is still trying to find my way and make a name for myself, racing against the best of the best is just a huge confidence booster for myself,” Gilliland said. “I think I can do it and expect to be able to run well in those positions, but you never know what the other guys or the industry is going to think of yourself when you’re up there.
“So, for me, it’s been really awesome, just have to put those experiences in the memory bank. This is a huge confidence sport.”
The 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the season’s first intermediate racetrack, making it the first chance for Cup Series teams to get an idea of where they stack up. Will Gilliland and the Fords be just as fast when not on a superspeedway? Gilliland will need to draw on all the confidence he has in his car and team to hold it nearly wide-open right from the start of the race.
“I really think the expectation of our team this year, even if it’s through the first two races, we’ve seen the potential of what we can do at these types of racetracks, and that needs to be the expectation going forward,” Gilliland said. “It’s confidence-inducing for me as well as my whole team.”
Todd Gilliland’s schedule and paint scheme for Frontline Enterprises in 2024 has been revealed. Check out the scheme and schedule for 2024!
Front Row Motorsports continues to announce sponsors and paint schemes for the 2024 NASCAR season, with [autotag]Todd Gilliland[/autotag] up to bat. On Wednesday afternoon, Front Row Motorsports announced that Gilliland will continue his partnership with Frontline Enterprises in 2024. This is the third straight year that Frontline Enterprises has sponsored the No. 38 car.
Throughout Gilliland’s career, Frontline Enterprises has sponsored him in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Truck Series. As for the Cup Series, it is the same look from 2023. The company will sponsor Gilliland at Sonoma on June 9 and Bristol on September 21. It is the same number of races compared to 2023, but different race tracks.
Gilliland has gradually improved over the last two years and could be on the verge of competing alongside teammate Michael McDowell as he nears his 100th start. The No. 38 team will have Gilliland behind the wheel for the entire campaign, unlike 2023. Front Row Motorsports has the resources available, so Gilliland could be ready to take the next step.
Todd Gilliland had a solid year with Front Row Motorsports in the Cup Series. Here, you can check out Gilliland’s 2023 season in review!
[autotag]Todd Gilliland[/autotag]’s status entering the 2024 NASCAR season was uncertain due to his part-time schedule with Front Row Motorsports, but he made the best of it. Gilliland closed the campaign with four top-10 finishes and a 22.0 average finishing position, both up compared to last year. The driver of the No. 38 car finished 28th in the point standings for a second straight season.
Gilliland’s year was highlighted by a best-finish of eighth place at Bristol Dirt, but he showed improved performances all around. The Front Row Motorsports driver did all this despite running for Rick Ware Racing in select races to complete the full schedule. Luckily for Gilliland, this won’t be the case in 2024.
The 23-year-old driver will run full-time in the No. 38 Cup car for Front Row Motorsports with no races left off his schedule. This is major for Gilliland coming off a difficult situation in 2023. With another season under his belt, Gilliland could start competing at a higher level next to race-winning teammate Michael McDowell.
Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland will remain at Front Row Motorsports next season as the organization has exercised its option on both drivers for the NASCAR Cup Series. “Both Michael and Todd are like family to me,” said Front Row Motorsports …
Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland will remain at Front Row Motorsports next season as the organization has exercised its option on both drivers for the NASCAR Cup Series.
“Both Michael and Todd are like family to me,” said Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins. “They have been determined to make the team better each season and they just keep fighting to do that. I’m proud of both and now we will be focused on the remainder of 2023 and prepare for 2024 to be even better.”
McDowell joined the organization in the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang in 2018. A victory in the 2021 Daytona 500 earned McDowell and the team their first playoff berth. Last year, he had 12 top-10 finishes.
With three races remaining in the regular season, McDowell is 17th in the championship standings with five top-10 finishes and a chance to earn a postseason spot. He has made 452 starts in the Cup Series to date.
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Gilliland will go into his third season with Front Row Motorsports in 2024. He is having his strongest year to date in the No. 38 Ford Mustang with three top-10 finishes, and ranks 27th in the championship standings.
In addition to its two Cup Series cars, Front Row Motorsports will also continue to field an entry in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2024. Plans for that entry will be announced at a late date.
Zane Smith won the 2022 championship with Front Row and begins his championship defense this weekend in Indianapolis. Smith’s future is unknown as he is exploring opportunities in all three NASCAR national series, which include remaining with Front Row Motorsports.
Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland will return to Front Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024.
Front Row Motorsports was the center of NASCAR silly season but the organization has firmly established its driver lineup in the Cup Series for 2024.
[autotag]Michael McDowell[/autotag] and [autotag]Todd Gilliland[/autotag] are returning to Front Row Motorsports in the Cup Series next year. The two drivers are in their second season together and have greatly improved with the NextGen car.
McDowell was a heavy favorite for Stewart-Haas Racing if Aric Almirola decided to retire from the Cup Series at the end of 2023. Gilliland was also mentioned as a candidate but their current organization had decided to move forward with their contracts.
On the other hand, Zane Smith, the organization’s driver in the NASCAR Truck Series, is now left without a spot in the Cup Series program. Smith has also been linked to Stewart-Haas Racing in case Almirola retires from the sport. The organization hasn’t ruled out keeping the defending Truck Series champion in the program.
Front Row Motorsports has significantly grown after McDowell’s victory in the 2021 Daytona 500. The driver of the No. 34 car has been competitive and could make the 2023 NASCAR playoffs on points with three races remaining.
The organization’s future in the Cup Series is very bright and keeping both of its drivers will be a good step toward more success. It will be interesting to see how McDowell and Gilliland perform with another season at Front Row Motorsports.
Stewart-Haas Racing has been linked to Front Row Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland as a possible replacement for Aric Almirola.
Stewart-Haas Racing’s driver lineup in the NASCAR Cup Series will certainly look different after the checkered flag flies at Phoenix Raceway in November. Kevin Harvick is set to walk away from the Cup Series and JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry will replace him in the No. 4 car.
Meanwhile, Aric Almirola has a “very high chance” of retiring alongside Harvick and it could create a very complicated situation. Busch Light, a primacy sponsor on the No. 4 car, is joining Ross Chastain at Trackhouse Racing on a multi-year deal. If Smithfield Foods, a primary sponsor on the No. 10 car, leaves in Almirola’s absence, it could prove to be a very costly NASCAR silly season.
Despite the possible sponsorship difficulties, Stewart-Haas Racing is still looking for the best drivers to round out the 2024 driver lineup and another Front Row Motorsports driver has been linked to the seat. According to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, [autotag]Todd Gilliland[/autotag] is viewed as a candidate to replace Almirola at Stewart-Haas Racing next year.
Front Row Motorsports drivers Zane Smith and Michael McDowell are also viewed as candidates; however, Gilliland is an interesting idea after Front Row Motorsports demoted him to a part-time Cup Series driver until he picked up other races with Rick Ware Racing.
The driver of the No. 38 car is worthy of a promotion to Stewart-Haas Racing but does it make sense from a sponsorship perspective? It will be interesting to see the situation play out but Stewart-Haas Racing can’t go wrong with Gilliland, Smith, or McDowell.
