The Front Row Motorsports (FRM) NASCAR Cup Series teams were in action this past weekend at the Richmond (Va.) Raceway. After solid runs in Austin, Texas, the duo of Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland were ready to tackle their next test- 400 laps at the Richmond short track.
GILLILAND STRUGGLES EARLY, REBOUNDS TO FINISH 25th
Todd Gilliland started the weekend at the Richmond Raceway with a career-best qualifying effort. The No. 38 Black’s Tire Ford Mustang team started the event in the 22nd position. But, once the green flag dropped the team struggled to find grip.
Gilliland fought hard early in the race. He stayed on the Lead Lap and raced inside the top-25. However, loosing grip and being tight in the center, made it difficult for Gilliland to advance any higher. The pit crew continued to make adjustments during green flag stops and made the Black's Tire Ford Mustang better.
This allowed Gilliland to maintain his position during the the final stage. Patience was key, as the car came to life and the team raced lap times that were close to the top-10 cars. Gilliland finished the 400-lap event in 25th.
GILLILAND ON RICHMOND
“Yeah, that was a long race for us and a lot of guys. I’m proud of our Black's Tire Ford Mustang team for never giving up throughout the race. You didn't see too many teams today on the Lead Lap. We didn't have a lot of cautions, so you had to take care of your car and manage the tires. I learned a lot that I can take into Martinsville this Saturday night."
McDOWELL FIGHTS HARD ALL RACE, FINISHES 30th
This past weekend, Michael McDowell debuted the Navage Nasal Care Ford Mustang on the track. The car looked great on the track and the teamed started the race from the 24th position. With weather taken into consideration, the expectation was for a loose car that would favor the track conditions early in the race.
After an early race pit stop, the team played the strategy game to get back with the leaders. Without may cautions, the team was forced into running long during the stages in hopes of catching a caution and advancing their position.
The cautions never came. This meant no opportunities for taking advantage of the strategy. However, by capitalizing on the mistakes of others, McDowell was able to run clean to the end and finish in the 30th position.
McDOWELL ON RICHMOND
“The race didn’t go the way we wanted. The Navage Nasal Care Mustang looks great, but it wasn't our day on the track. In a race that is normally 50/50 on cautions to green flag runs, we saw mostly the latter today. We learned more about the car and hopefully we can take that into this weekend."
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
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TEAM CONTACTS:
Michael McDowell
John Dragonetti
E-mail: jdragonetti@frontrowmotorsports.com
Mobile: 704-578-9937
Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith
Chris Murdock
Mobile: 740-861-4534
E-Mail: cmurdock@frontrowmotorsports.com