Todd Gilliland has restored his full-time status in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2023, with the addition of April's event at Talladega Superspeedway to his schedule.
The 22-year-old driver will attempt to qualify for the event in a third entry for Front Row Motorsports, No. 36, which will be led by NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series crew chief Chris Lawson.
Sponsorship for the effort will come from a long-time support of Gilliland, Carl Ruedebusch, owner of N29 Capital Partners and Ruedebusch Development and Construction.
"I really want to thank Carl Ruedebusch for everything he has done for me," said Gilliland. "It is not just this year, but last year, and being a good friend to our family. Also, it's important to be clear that Bob Jenkins has put more resources into my career than anyone outside my family. It was unfortunate that I can’t race all 36 races with FRM, but the team is working hard to build my program for the future. For now, I want to thank all our partners and especially Carl Ruedebusch for working together to make this happen. We will now put this behind us and go race to win.”
Carl Ruedebusch, his Ruedebusch Development and Construction company, and his partnership with gener8tor Skills will now support Gilliland for one third of his 2023 season. He wanted to complete the season for Gilliland.
“I wanted to ensure that Todd raced the full season in the NASCAR Cup Series this year,” said Ruedebusch. “He has proven that he can compete with the best of the best and be successful. We are thankful to Front Row Motorsports for making this opportunity available for Todd to reunite with his old teammates and friend Chris Lawson to race for a win at Talladega.”
Contesting a second full-season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Gilliland will split time between Front Row Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing. The North Carolina-native will debut in the RWR No. 15 at Phoenix.
“Carl Ruedebusch has been a champion for Todd the past two seasons,” said Freeze. “He immediately stepped up to make this happen for Todd and we’re thankful for that. We have seen success with our third entry at the superspeedways in the recent past. We know that Todd and Chris working together again is a great opportunity to win at Talladega.”
Photo Credit: Ben Earp, NKP, Courtesy of Ford Performance