2024 Season in Review: Front Row Motorsports

Michael McDowell / #34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford

2024 Crew Chief: Travis Peterson

2024 Season Grade: B-

Michael McDowell and his #34 FRM crew entered 2024 with high expectations. Coming off a career season in 2023 that included a win, there was little reason to think a repeat would not be possible. As the season chugged on, and news of McDowell leaving FRM after 2024 broke, performance seemed to take a slow slide into mid-pack by the end of the season.

The Love’s Ford started the season with a bang, as McDowell would show his superspeedway prowess by starting on the front row for the Daytona 500 (McDowell would finish 36th), and then winning one of six poles for the year in Atlanta. Following Atlanta, McDowell would finish 8th (Phoenix) and 11th (Bristol). The #34 appeared to be becoming a consistent presence at the front of the field with some elevated support from Ford (before it was pulled mid-season). 

The bottom seemed to fall out starting with race six at Texas’ Circuit of the Americas, where McDowell would finish 38th due to steering issues. This would start a string of early garage time with McDowell dropping out due to issues in five of the next seven races. An up and down season would become the story for the rest of the season, collecting only two top 5 finishes in Sonoma and in the Chicago street race. McDowell would spend the bulk of the season fighting for even a top twenty finish on most tracks, despite a half dozen pole positions. The Front Row crew would have an inauspicious end to the season, finishing in the bottom of the field the final two races.

McDowell also known as a road racing ace, would shine the brightest on these tracks during the season. Following the top fives in Sonoma and Chicago, McDowell would also finish 7th in Watkins Glen. The lackluster end to the season would result in a 23rd place points finish with seven DNFs.

2025 Outlook: The upcoming season will be one of change for both McDowell and the #34 crew. While McDowell and crew chief Travis Peterson will be joining Spire Motorsports’ #71 Chevrolet team, McDowell’s FRM teammate Todd Gilliland will be moving into the flagship #34 team for 2025. A replacement crew chief has yet to be announced. 

With Gilliland being already established within the FRM fold, there is potential for a career season for the new driver of the 34. Often times during the season, Gilliland’s #38 Ford would not be far behind his teammate speed-wise. The one wild-card remaining is the integral position of crew chief and how chemistry will be built.

Todd Gilliland / #38 gener8tor Skills Ford

2024 Crew Chief: Ryan Bergenty

2024 Season Grade: C

Todd Gilliland entered his third season with Front Row Motorsports in 2024, and has now established himself as the team’s primary driver for the upcoming season. Back behind the wheel of FRM’s #38 entry full-time, the season did not start well in Daytona, with Gilliland finishing 35th due to an accident. Following the 500, the story of Gilliland’s season would be similar to teammate Michael McDowell’s. A prolific qualifier, Gilliland’s #38 had speed most weeks, results generally fell into mid-pack. Exceptions to start the season did however include a 6th in Richmond and an 8th in Talladega (race ten). 

The FRM #38 team would heat up during the summer however, as Gilliland would rip off a string of 17th or better finishes in nine straight races. This would come to an end in Chicago with a 34th place finish, but would bounce back the following week in Indianapolis with a sixth place. Indy would turn out to be Gilliland’s last top ten of the year, with finishes no better then 16th (Watkins Glen) to close out the season. 

While it seems the 38 crew had a relatively rough season, on paper the numbers support his best season yet with an average finish of 20.9, only three DNFs, and a career-best 22nd place points finish.

2025 Outlook: With Gilliland assuming controls of Front Row’s main #34 entry, there could be a consistent “Best of the Rest” story coming in 2025. The combination of an established team and Gilliland’s 2024 performance could surprise some. However, until a new crew chief is officially announced, early season team chemistry could be a problem if crew chief Ryan Bergenty does not move to the 34 also.

Already announced (though without car number), former Stewart-Haas Cup Series driver Noah Gragson could be the natural successor to the #38. The combination of Gragson and Gilliland could be potent on superspeedways, with Gragson having a strong early season run in SHR’s #10 Ford in 2024 on those tracks.

Kaz Grala / #36 Ruedebusch Development Ford (open-team)

2024 Crew Chief: Seth Barbour

2024 Season Grade: N/A (one start)

Rick Ware Racing driver Kaz Grala jumped into FRM’s part-time #36 Ford for the Daytona 500 for a one-off start. Bringing sponsor Ruedebusch on board for the race, Grala would ultimately start 26th and finish 38th due to a lap five accident. This was the #36 entry’s only appearance in 2024, despite the team running more race in previous seasons.

2025 Outlook: The status of this team for 2025 in unknown. With the other changes already going on with the team’s two primary entries, it would not be surprising if the team did not run in 2025.

** With legal issues regarding charters between NASCAR, Front Row, and 23XI Racing ongoing, both of Front Row’s cars could be running as open teams in 2025. (Read more here). This article is strictly a look at outright performance and 2025 predictions.**