NASCAR is competitive, and the waves of change are always coming and going. On one hand, you have a championship-winning team like Stewart Haas Racing closing its doors after a decade-long run, and on the other a fairly new team growing into a three-car team- Front Row Motorsports. 

But, it will take time and effort for Front Row Motorsports to reach where SHR is. Tony Stewart faced challenges while building his team, but he persevered and succeeded in creating it. However, reaching where SHR was at its prime is not impossible! Their top driver and NASCAR’s “rising star” has the perfect way to make it there. Interesting plans beckon?

Todd Gilliland’s strategic vision for FRM moving forward

The Bob Jenkins team is stepping up its game and they want to live up to its name and get into those front-row positions of the races next year. As such, they have made bold and big moves from snagging a third charter to bringing on Noah Gragson. Their driver, Todd Gilliland, who had a troublesome year last season, is having a great one this year. He has racing in his blood—he is a third-generation race car driver and his old man and grandad are big names on the West Coast.

Plus, he started racing when he was five—his racing pedigree was impressive. Moreover, he has an impressive record in ARCA and has a few wins on his resume. Believe it or not, he passed up the Xfinity Series and went straight to the Cup Series! 

And his run this year has been great. In his 22 starts, he was in the top 10 four times and at present is at 20th in the driver’s standings with 434 points. Gilliland has also led 121 laps, showcasing his competitiveness and skill. He was recently at the Door Bumper Clear podcast and expressed how his team Front Row Motorsports should capitalize on Tony Stewart’s team’s exit from NASCAR.

Todd Gilliland said on Door Bumper Clear, “You know, Jerry Frees and our management group at Front Row—we have to get the right people. There’s obviously a lot of good people out there right now with, you know, Stuart-Haas changing their whole thing, and it’s just about getting the right people in the right positions and obviously getting the right drivers. So, yeah, we’ll see, but I’m super excited about it.”

Whilst it is a bold statement, it is a smart one. Hiring top talent, whether drivers, crew chiefs, engineers, or pit crew members, from a team with a championship pedigree is a strategic move. Rodney Childers was deemed the “hottest commodity” in NASCAR after SHR news of folding came and Spire called it dibs.

However, many other skilled professionals remain available, and Gilliland suggests bringing in the best from these championship-caliber teams will help propel FRM to where it aspires to be. 

Gilliland reveals the tough reality of racing against fans

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Todd Gilliland has shown immense promise this year, but that’s not to say that his 2023 year was not without slumps. In 2023, he wasn’t his best, and he had to juggle between FRM and Rick Ware Racing, which wasn’t his first pick. Zane Smith took the keys to his car for a few races and although it could break anyone’s confidence, it didn’t affect Gilliland negatively. Instead, he acted professionally, and the situation was further helped because Zane was his really good friend.

But professional racing and private relations always are tough, and Gilliland agrees it was. He spoke about facing a precarious situation and said, “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.”

He continued, “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.”

Balancing friendships with the drive for competitive success is tricky, but Gilliland handled it maturely. This approach showed not just his sportsmanship but also his maturity. He also explained how, during that time of his car at FRM, he wasn’t free. Instead, he was busy with Rick Ware Racing for a few weekends, plus he spent quality time meeting new people, which taught him a lot.

And in NASCAR or any other sport or career, having that zeal to learn is what takes one forward. He has a long way to go. This is just the start.