Uses Overtime Restart and Fresh Tires to Get Top-15 in Love's Travel Stops Ford
Smith Makes Another NASCAR Cup Series Start in Wellcare Ford. Finishes 31st
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) completed its NASCAR Cup Series West Coast swing on Sunday at the Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway in front of a capacity crowd.
A beautiful, sunny day welcomed teams on Sunday after a practice session on Friday and qualifying on Saturday. Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love's Travel Stops team qualified seventh and finished 13th. The team suffered a pit road penalty for speeding in Stage Two, but quickly got back on the lead lap and raced up to 13th at the end.
Zane Smith made his first NASCAR Cup Series start in the No. 38 Wellcare Ford. The team had to change power steering the morning of the race and started in the rear. Smith jumped inside the top-30 early in the race, but the leaders had clean air and put Smith a lap down. Limited cautions didn't allow the team to get the lap back. They tried different strategy, but it didn't pan out. Smith finished 31st.
William Byron won the race in the overtime period.
Michael McDowell, Driver No. 34 Love's Travel Stops Ford Mustang:
“It was a good, solid day. I hate that I sped again. We were able to get back on the lead lap with a really fast Love's Travel Stops Ford Mustang. We had a good final restart and it was a good way to end the west coast trip. Now, onto Atlanta and the hometown race for Fr8 Auctions."
Zane Smith, Driver No. 38 Wellcare Ford Mustang:
"It was a rough day. We went down a lap early and tried to do some strategy to turn it around. It just snowballed with no cautions. Now onto Atlanta and back in the truck."
FRM now heads to the Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway for the Fr8Auctions.com weekend. Smith is back behind the wheel of the No. 38 Fr8Auctions.com Ford F-150 for Saturday's Fr8 Auctions 208 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race. Todd Gilliland returns to the No. 38 Ford Mustang and McDowell in the No. 34 Fr8Auctions.com Ford Mustang for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race.
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series 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 CRAFTSMAN 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
Email: jdragonetti@frontrowmotorsports.com
Mobile: 704-578-9937
Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith
Jeff Dennison or Alex Minton
Email: jdennison@frontrowmotorsports.com; aminton@frontrowmotorsports.com
Mobile: 704-252-3356; 704-560-6343