“Taught us the importance of hard work, honesty, and the joy of giving back.” Imagine saying goodbye to someone who gave so much more to her family as well as the community! As Front Row Motorsports bids farewell to their cherished sponsor and a businesswoman at the age of 87, they can only look back with gratitude on her legacy that helped shape their organization into what it is today. This loss of sponsor comes at a particularly challenging time for Front Row Motorsports, as they are already embroiled in a tense legal battle.

Especially for someone who started from scratch and then built an empire of her own, it is certainly worth remembering her legacy and celebrating the same. Judy Love was the co-owner of Love’s Travel Stops and the primary sponsor of Front Row Motorsports.

Judy Love, born in 1937 in Chicago to Ed and Ruth McCarthy, co-founded a family-owned empire with her late husband, Tom, whom she met at Oklahoma State University in 1956. Her financial insight and unwavering dedication fueled the company’s remarkable growth, while her community contributions were equally impactful. Judy championed causes close to her heart, serving on nonprofit boards, co-chairing a campaign for Oklahoma’s only school for children experiencing homelessness, and supporting women’s sports and concerts at Scissortail Park. With the company’s sponsorship of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Judy’s legacy endures as a shining example of business acumen.

Speaking of the camaraderie between Love’s Travel Stops and Front Row Motorsports, it goes way back, right to 2013. The philanthropist and co-founder has also been the longest-standing sponsor for the team. A highlight point of this sponsorship was seen when in 2016, Love’s ended up sponsoring 18 races for FRM, which included races at the Daytona 500, the Texas Motor Speedway, and even a finale run at the Homestead Miami Speedway.

With the passing away of Judy Love, it seems as though Front Row Motorsports is also having a tough time, as they reposted the official announcement from Love’s Travel Stops account on X. The post read, “With a heavy heart, we announce Judy Love, co-founder of Love’s Travel Stops has passed away at age 87.” 

Additionally, the FRM owner, Bob Jenkins, back in 2021, also shared his gratitude and insights on the relationship the two organizations shared beyond the sponsorship boundaries. As Love’s came back with the collaboration and sponsorship for the No. 34 and Michael McDowell, Jenkins added, “Love’s has been such an integral part of Front Row Motorsports and our team has made tremendous strides with our time together – and a big part of that is because of their partnership. My employees at MDS Trucking have been stopping at Love’s Travel Stops for a hot shower, good food, rest and fuel, long before their involvement in NASCAR and I can’t thank them enough for the excellent service that they’ve continuously shown my drivers.”

Her family will miss her presence

The Love family also released an official statement for all the admirers, which was then reposted by Front Row Motorsports. “Our mother, Judy Love, was the heart and soul of our family. She cared deeply for us and those who worked alongside her and Dad. Her tenacity, strength, and focus will guide us forever. While we will miss her dearly, her spirit will live on through the countless lives she touched.”

However, with Judy Love traveling to the other side of eternity, it seems as though misfortune is not leaving Front Row Motorsports’ side. The death news mounts to the disturbing NASCAR lawsuit that Front Row Motorsports has been fighting along with Team 23XI. This is an antitrust lawsuit that calls out NASCAR for “unlawfully maintaining monopoly position over the top-tier stock car racing series in the United States.”

These are the only two teams till now that have not signed the new charter with the NASCAR federation. In a time marked by profound losses and relentless legal battles, Front Row Motorsports now faces the difficult task of honoring Judy Love’s legacy while navigating a turbulent future.

Meanwhile, the NASCAR lawyer argues that Team 23XI cannot reap chartered team benefits 

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The times seem to be tough for Front Row Motorsports, and the recent court hearing has added fuel to the same. Currently, both Team 23XI and Front Row Motorsports are open teams, given that they have not yet signed the charters. In such a scenario, it was seen that NASCAR attorney Chris Yates pushed back against the teams in the first hearing session.

The perils of being in an open team are that they do not get guaranteed spots in the weekend race, and the revenue is also not the same as compared to the chartered teams. The two teams could not benefit from the sport’s charter system while being in an antitrust lawsuit with NASCAR. Citing this, Yates said, “Teams can’t enjoy the benefits of being a charter team — which he said includes about 50 percent of NASCAR’s television revenues going to Cup teams — while making antitrust claims.” 

NASCAR has also ended up filing for an injunction in the meantime, the fate of which is yet to be decided. The court adjourned, mentioning that it will pass the decision on the injunction request on Friday.

With 23XI driver, Tyler Reddick making it to the Championship 4, this is indeed quite a sensitive matter at the moment. What seems to be more perplexing is that the teams are supposed to hit Phoenix for the grand finale on Sunday by Friday.

Do you think that things might go haywire and impact the current standing?