The team fields the No. 34 and No. 38 Fords fulltime with drivers Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland.
Gilliland has been sharing the No. 38 car with reigning Truck Series champion Zane Smith for a handful of races this year, and there was speculation that Smith could replace Gilliland at FRM in 2024.
But instead, the team has decided to exercise its option on both of its current drivers. McDowell is no surprise, having won the 2021 Daytona 500 and currently sits in a position to potentially make the 2023 playoffs, even without a win.
He currently ranks 17th in points, just three points out with one top-five and five top-tens.
Gilliland has shown steady improvement in his second year as a Cup driver, already scoring more top-tens this year than he did during the entirety of the 2022 season. The 23-year-old is the son of David Gilliland, who also drove for FRM from 2010 to 2016.
The younger Gilliland's best result came at the Indy RC last year, finishing fourth. NASCAR heads back to IMS for Round 24 of the 2023 season this weekend.
What about Smith?
As for Smith, the team said in release that he is "exploring opportunities in NASCAR’s other national series, including remaining at FRM in 2024." Smith currently drives for FRM in the Truck Series.
And on the Truck program, FRM says it "remains committed and will compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2024." They expect to reveal more of those plans in the coming weeks.
“Both Michael and Todd are like family to me,” said Bob Jenkins, owner at Front Row Motorsports. “They have been determined to make the team better each season and they just keep fighting to do that. I’m proud of both and now we will be focused on the remainder of 2023 and prepare for 2024 to be even better.”
