Todd Gilliland is undoubtedly a talented driver, and the 2024 season is proof of it. The end statistics may not show it, but he is really coming into his own at Front Row Motorsports. However, like every other young driver before him, he also had to undergo several trials and tribulations.

His Cup career commenced in 2022 with the Front Row Motorsports team. He would go on to finish in 28th place that year and, in the following season, earn another contract with the organisation. What was different about the 2023 Cup Series campaign was that Gilliland didn’t complete all races with the team. Instead, he drove a handful of races for Rick Ware Racing, and it wasn’t like he had a choice.

That year, Zane Smith was handed the keys to his #38 Front Row Motorsports car for a few races. Of course, this could have been perceived as a bit of a betrayal, but Gilliland bore no grudge. What helped numb the situation was that he and Smith maintained a healthy friendship with one another. Gilliland knew how cutthroat the NASCAR world is, especially in terms of business decisions.

Todd Gilliland opened up on being forced to make way for his friend

Gilliland told Door Bumper Clear, “It was a really tough situation. Me and Zane were friends, and we still are great friends. It’s just funny, looking back you’re always going to have these type of situations. Become friends with the people you’re racing. It wasn’t between me and him, it still isn’t. Racing deal is a business. I would say that was the toughest part. Just kind of absorbing the news of not going to race these six races. Do I need to go back and run the Xfinity Series or Truck Series again and win more races. It was definitely kind of a time to reflect or guess.”

The driver acknowledged that in his early days, he was able to tick off most of his objectives. What also helped his cause was that other teams were struggling to get to grips with the brand new Next Gen car. By contrast, FRM didn’t really boast of too many gremlins, so they were able to take advantage of that fact. Gilliland himself used the opportunity to familiarise himself with the NASCAR Cup Series.

Obviously, he was absolutely gutted to miss out on those races for Front Row Motorsports in the #38 car. However, he wasn’t idle during those six race weekends, as Rick Ware Racing recruited him temporarily. That brought up another unique challenge for Todd Gilliland. To be precise, it brought him in contact with a variety of people, and that taught him a lot. Gilliland narrated a story from his early racing days when he was racing in the Late Model scene.

At the time, he worked with a fairly small and closely-knit team. However, that was both helpful and detrimental, because when he was in a new environment, he struggled. Of course, Todd Gilliland is still young, so he still has plenty to learn. He confessed that in a perfect world, drivers would work alongside one trusted person for a long time. However, in the real world, he has to be adaptable, and that was the biggest lesson he learned.