AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 05: Todd Gilliland, driver of the #38 Frontline Enterprises Inc Ford, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway on November 05, 2021 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 05: Todd Gilliland, driver of the #38 Frontline Enterprises Inc Ford, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway on November 05, 2021 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Front Row Motorsports Sets 2022 Lineup; Todd Gilliland Moves to Cup Series

By Dustin Albino

Front Row Motorsports has officially set its 2022 driver lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series, a source with knowledge of the situation has confirmed to Jayski.com.  

Defending Daytona 500 champion Michael McDowell will return to pilot the No. 34 Ford for a fifth season. For the fourth straight season, however, he will have a new teammate. This time, McDowell will be joined by Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Todd Gilliland, who will move up to Cup from the Truck Series. 

Meanwhile, Zane Smith, who was a part of the Truck Series’ Championship 4 earlier this month with GMS Racing, will make the move to compete in FRM’s No. 38 truck.  

McDowell is coming off a career year, which included career highs in top 10s (five) and average finish (20.5). For the first time in his career, the Phoenix native made the postseason, virtue of his win in the Great American Race.

Gilliland has spent the past four full-time seasons in the Truck Series, splitting time between Kyle Busch Motorsports and FRM. He, too, had his standout season in 2021, picking up his second career Truck Series victory in the inaugural race at Circuit of The Americas in mid-May. His 16 top-10 finishes were tied with series champion Ben Rhodes and John Hunter Nemechek for the most in the series. He will move to Cup without ever turning a lap in the Xfinity Series. 

After two consecutive Championship 4 appearances with GMS, Smith will swap over to Front Row after having an uncertain future earlier this month. The 22-year-old has three career victories, including a must-win race in late October at Martinsville Speedway. 2022 will mark the third season in which FRM has fielded a full-time truck.

The crew chief lineup will remain the same across the three teams, with Drew Blickensderfer returning to lead McDowell, Seth Barbour leading the No. 38 Cup Series team and Chris Lawson working with Smith in trucks.