"I'm still getting used to it, honestly," laughed Todd Gilliland when asked how he feels about being introduced as the driver of the No. 34. "Michael (McDowell) left such a lasting impact on Front Row so it's going to be a challenge to replicate that but I'm ready for it."
After finding success with Front Row Motorsports (FRM) NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team, Gilliland joined the NASCAR Cup Series grid at the beginning of the 2022 season, where he got behind the wheel of the No. 38 Ford Mustang.
"The timing felt right for me to move up to Cup," said Gilliland. "It was going to be the first season with the Next Gen car, leveling the playing field for everyone, and I had great support from partners who wanted me to make the jump, we felt like it was time to make the move."
As the 2022 season approached, NASCAR veteran Seth Barbour was paired with Gilliland to crew chief the rookie driver in his first Daytona 500.
With a new ride and proven crew chief, Gilliland traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida for his first career Speedweeks and Daytona 500. "My first Speedweeks was something I had never experienced before," said Gilliland. "The media, the hype, the anticipation was all new to me and I was so excited to be a part of it," said Gilliland. "Even qualifying in a Cup car was a whole new experience, especially with the new 'Next Gen'."
In his first Cup qualifying session, Gilliland qualified 29th for the prestigious race. In his Cup debut, Gilliland raced his No. 38 as high as the Top-10 before beginning collected in a multi-car accident on Lap 190.
"It wasn't the result I wanted, but it was still a memorable experience," said Gilliland. "Racing at any level isn't easy, and it wasn't going to be different in Cup. We had a long road ahead of us."
Gilliland's best finish came at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard. In his debut at the track, Gilliland qualified ninth for the event. "It was a breath of fresh air," said Gilliland. "We were in the thick of the season and I wasn't producing the results we wanted, so to go out there and qualify in the Top-10 was a good feeling."
Gilliland finished fourth in the race, earning not only his first Top-5 finish of the season, but the first of his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Gilliland ended the 2022 season 28th in the Driver Championship points standings with four Top-15's, two Top-10's, and one Top-5. He had an averaging finishing position of 23.2.
Heading into 2023 for his sophomore season, Gilliland was paired with a new crew chief. Ryan Bergenty, who had served as the car chief for Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team, transitioned roles to call the shots for Gilliland and the No. 38 team.
"There's always a lot of unknown when you get paired up with a new crew chief," said Gilliland. "Not only do you have to get to know them on a personal level, but you have to learn how they operate professionally so you can work together."
"Ryan (Bergenty) brought a different mentality to the team. He coined a term that we all lived by that season, 'Lion Mode,'" said Gilliland. "His style was to just get after it and be aggressive, whether that was on the track or in the shop. As long as you gave 110%, you didn’t need to be the biggest, fastest, or smartest. Just have that lion mentality—believe you're going to be the king of the jungle, and you will succeed."
With a wealth of knowledge and success, the rookie crew chief helped lead Gilliland to a career-best season in the NASCAR Cup Series, finishing 28th in the Driver Championship points standings with four top-10, 11 top-15, and 15 top-20 finishes.
Entering his third Cup Series season in 2024, Gilliland was excited to build on the previous years momentum. "I really liked the spot we were in heading into 2024," said Gilliland. "Ryan (Bergenty) had brought on some great people to make our program better. We meshed well together and I had a good feeling heading to Daytona," he continued.
Having earned the trust of fellow competitors as a reliable drafting partner, Gilliland turned heads in the Daytona 500, leading a total of 16 laps and controlling the draft. While running in the Top 10 with just nine laps remaining, Gilliland's Daytona 500 dream came to an end after being collected in the "Big One".
"It was disappointing, but to not only lead laps but also command the race was truly impressive and was something positive to take home and build off of," said Gilliland.
The team took their momentum to the Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway the following week where Gilliland qualified fourth, his best career qualifying effort. "I knew our cars had speed, we saw it at Daytona with Michael (McDowell) qualifying on the front row, I just had to go out and execute," said Gilliland.
Lining up behind the pole sitter and teammate, Michael McDowell, Gilliland worked McDowell to control the race, eventually taking the lead. Gilliland lead a race high 58 laps, but after scraping the wall and suffering a broken toe link, Gilliland and the team were forced to settle with a 26th place finish.
"It's frustrating when you leave the track with a result like that knowing you had the fastest car there," said Gilliland. "I knew we had speed, we just had to be better on an execution front to get the result we wanted."
In 2024, Gilliland earned four Top-10 finishes, with his best finish, sixth-place, coming at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the return of the Brickyard 400. The highlight of the season however came at the Daytona summer race where he sat on the front row next to his teammate, Michael McDowell, for a first ever "Front Row on the Front Row."
Out of 102 races in the No. 38 FRM Ford Mustang, Gilliland earned one Top-five, nine Top-10s, 23 Top-15s, and 44 Top-20s. He led 141 laps and had an averaging finishing position of 21.8. He had a nine race streak of Top-20 finishes in 2024, spanning from the spring Kansas race to the Chicago Street Race.
Gilliland gives his thoughts on transitioning to the No. 34 Ford Mustang and his time in the No. 38.
"It's definitely a mix of emotions," said Gilliland. "Driving the No. 38 like my father was incredibly special to me and my family, and I'll always cherish the memories made. But now, it's time for the next chapter, and I'm excited for what lies ahead."
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