It is officially February now, which means the NASCAR season is about to kick off. While The Clash is this weekend, there are only 13 Days to Daytona left until the Cup Series hits the high banks of Daytona. Unlike last year, the #38 Front Row Motorsports team should not receive shocking news right before Speedweeks. Todd Gilliland is running the full schedule in the 38. After a strong start in 2023, can Gilliland and the 38 team put together an entire season as strong as 2023’s start?
#38 Front Row Motorsports
Driver: Todd Gilliland
Crew Chief: Ryan Bergenty
Sponsors: Ruedebusch, Frontline Enterprises, Georgia Peanut Commission, Boot Barn, Speedy Cash
2024 Season Preview
Justify the Selection
The term justify might be a bit strong, but it does fit the 2024 narrative for Todd Gilliland. Front Row Motorsports had a log jam for their driver lineup. The team was not going to run a third Cup entry, but Zane Smith was not going to stay in the Truck Series. In the end, Front Row picked Todd Gilliland over Zane Smith. Now, Gilliland needs to show why Front Row made the correct choice. Great strides were taken last season, as Gilliland was the only Cup sophomore who improved upon his rookie season. For criticism to stay at a minimum, Gilliland running well will play a huge part in silencing critics.
Comparison to Zane Smith
By nature of the binary choice Front Row made, Zane Smith and Todd Gilliland will be compared all season long. Front Row decided to keep Gilliland at the expense of Smith leaving. Not only will Gilliland’s performance determine how loud the criticisms will be, but so will Smith’s. Gilliland can take another solid step in his progression in 2024. Score a few Top-5s, maybe get close to double digit Top-10s. However, if Zane Smith puts on a clinic of a rookie season, then people will say Front Row made the wrong choice. Gilliland should have the edge due to his two fulltime seasons and equipment. However, that Spire/Trackhouse alliance is a mystery that could tip the scales in Smith’s favor.
Consistent Throughout 2024
Todd Gilliland turned heads to start the 2023 season. After an expected pedestrian rookie season, Gilliland started off hot last year. In the first 10 races, Gilliland racked up 3 Top-10s. Through the first 15 races, Gilliland had 7 Top-20s. By comparison, his entire 2022 saw 2 Top-10s and 11 Top-20s. The team looked faster as well, especially at Martinsville, Darlington, and Richmond. However, the summer slump hit Gilliland. After WWT Raceway, Gilliland failed to notch another Top-10 until Martinsville. Overall, his 2023 was a great improvement upon his rookie season. However, both driver and team need to demonstrate said improvement across the majority of the 36 races.
Matching the 34 Team
Since Michael McDowell has joined Front Row Motorsports, the 34 team has steadily improved to the point where they are annual playoff contenders. Meanwhile, the 38 has lagged significantly in those years. Now, that could be chalked up to the constant driver changes. McDowell started driving fulltime in the 34 car in 2018. During that tenure, the 38 car has seen 5 different drivers. Only once did the same driver run the full season in back-to-back years, which was David Ragan in 2018-19. With Gilliland staying in the 38, maybe the consistency of driver will help the 38 be more competitive for 2024 and beyond.
Daytona 500 Chances
Todd Gilliland has yet to finish a Cup Series race at Daytona. In fact, Todd Gilliland has only completed one race at Daytona in 7 starts between Cup and Trucks. Rather than talk about potentially winning or finishing inside the Top-10, what are the odds that Gilliland finishes the Great American Race? You would think that eventually he will complete a race. However, Daytona can be cruel.
Speedweeks Outlook
Unless the new alliance with Team Penske drastically alters things, do not expect Todd Gilliland to break through into the second round of qualifying. However, Gilliland will likely make up ground in his Bluegreen Vacations Duel race. If there is the right Ford help, Gilliland could surge ahead in the starting lineup. For the Daytona 500, will Todd Gilliland finish the race? His history says no, but 5 DNFs in a row would seem unreasonable.
Previous Days
40-36 Days: 40 – #12, 39 – #5, 38 – #24, 37 – #20, & 36 – #11
35-31 Days: 35 – #45, 34 – #17, 33 – #6, 32 – #1, & #31 – #9
30-26 Days:Â 30 – #19, 29 – #22, 28 – #4, 27 – #8, & 26 – #34
25-21 Days: 25 – #34, 24 – #23, 23 – #54, 22 – #99, & 21 – #48
20-16 Days: 20 – #16, 19 – #10, 18 – #41, 17 – #2, & 16 – #31
