Front Row Motorsports will add a third car for 2025.
The team announced Wednesday that it had purchased a third charter to expand to three cars next season. While the team’s statement did not say where the charter came from, it is almost certain that the charter is one of four that Stewart-Haas Racing is selling. Stewart-Haas announced Tuesday that it would close at the end of the 2024 season and that FRM had been named as the buyer for one of the charters.
“We have a very positive outlook on the future of NASCAR and as the sport plans for success, so do we,” Front Row owner Bob Jenkins said in a statement. “Today that means we have a plan to expand back to three cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. I always have the vision to continue growing and improving our team and that dedication and desire never changes. I am committed to the sport and its passionate fans and partner.”
Front Row currently fields two cars in the Cup Series for Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland. McDowell has already announced he will be joining Spire Motorsports in 2025. That would leave Front Row with two vacancies for next season if Gilliland returns to the team.
Gilliland currently sits 22nd in the Cup Series points standings and is three points ahead of McDowell in 23rd.
Front Row has slowly improved in recent seasons after its first Cup Series start in 2005. A Front Row driver had never finished in the top 25 of the points standings until Chris Buescher won a shortened race at Pocono in 2016 and won the play- took offs. . Since then, McDowell has won two races, including the 2021 Daytona 500, and the team’s drivers have finished in the top 25 five times.
The team had three full-time cars in 2019, but was reduced to two full-time cars in 2020. With Stewart-Haas needing four drivers for the 2025 season, the team will have no shortage of options in the coming months.
