Front Row Motorsports (FRM) has exercised its options on both Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland, which will see the two-car organization maintain an unchanged lineup for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
“Both Michael and Todd are like family to me,” said Bob Jenkins, owner of Front Row Motorsports. “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, a 15-plus-year veteran of the NASCAR Cup Series, will return to his role as the pilot of the No. 34 Ford Mustang in 2024, as he continues his so-far successful quest of pushing the organization further up the grid.
A native of Phoenix, Arizona, McDowell joined Front Row Motorsports on a full-time basis in 2018, where he was named the full-time driver of the team's flagship No. 34 entry.
In the six seasons since joining the organization, McDowell has recorded seven finishes inside the top-five, and 29 inside the top-10, including a landmark victory for the organization in the Daytona 500 in 2021.
As he's shown glimpses of in recent years, McDowell has once again carried Front Row Motorsports into being a playoff-caliber organization. With just three races until the post-season, the driver of the No. 34 sits 17th in NASCAR Cup Series points, three markers below the cutline.
Todd Gilliland, currently in his second season of competition in NASCAR's premier series, will get a third campaign to showcase his talents with Front Row Motorsports, driving the No. 38 Ford Mustang.
A three-time winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Gilliland has easily been the most-improved in the NASCAR Cup Series this season, having picked up eight finishes inside the top-15 - double his total from 2022.
The Sherrills Ford, North Carolina native has already prospered with a career-high three finishes inside the top-10 this season, with stellar results at Circuit of The Americas, Bristol (Dirt), and Talladega Superspeedway.
For Gilliland, the announcement comes just days before the series returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Road Course, the site of the 23-year-old driver's career-best fourth-place result last season.
Despite having a long-term contract with Front Row Motorsports, Zane Smith has been granted the ability to explore other options in NASCAR's top-three series, including options with Front Row Motorsports for 2024.
However, the organization says that it is committed to competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2024, with announcements surrounding the driver lineup for that entry being forthcoming.
Photo Credit: Jared East, NKP, Courtesy of Ford Performance
