NASCAR Cup Series driver replaced without leaving his team

In a much-anticipated announcement, Front Row Motorsports officially confirmed that Zane Smith will be back with them, this time competing at the Cup level, after his triumphant 2022 NASCAR Truck Series championship win with the team – a comeback slated for 2025.

For the 2025 racing season, Bob Jenkins’ team has officially announced drivers for all three vehicles. Notably, the third car will operate under a charter that the team obtained from the recently disbanded Stewart-Haas Racing.

In 2025, it’s expected that Smith will take the wheel of the No. 38 Ford. Previously, Todd Gilliland was the full-time driver of this vehicle in 2024, and he has been at the helm since joining the Cup Series in 2022. However, someone else is scheduled to drive the car, but Gilliland will continue his association with Front Row Motorsports.

Prior to Smith’s confirmation, it had been announced that Gilliland would be moving from the No. 38 Ford to the No. 34 Ford in 2025.

Michael McDowell, victor of the 2021 Daytona 500, piloted the No. 34 Ford for his team from 2018 to 2024. However, he’s preparing to take over as driver for Smith in the No. 71 Chevrolet at Spire Motorsports next season. His departure from Front Row Motorsports was made public early in the 2024 racing season.

In simple terms, it’s no shock that the No. 34 Ford has become the front-runner at Front Row Motorsports, given that Gilliland is now considered the team’s most experienced driver. Additionally, Love’s Travel Stop will continue to be a major sponsor for this car.

In the upcoming season, it’s been confirmed that Noah Gragson will be behind the wheel of the third car, now known as the No. 4 Ford. Previously, this number had been associated with Stewart-Haas Racing, but during his solitary tenure with the Gene Haas and Tony Stewart-owned team, Gragson drove the No. 10. In 2025, Kaulig Racing plans to utilize the No. 10 instead of the No. 31.

On February 16, 2025, the 67th edition of the Daytona 500 will kick off the new NASCAR Cup Series season. Fox will air live broadcasts from Daytona International Speedway, beginning at 2:30 p.m., Eastern Time.

2025-01-05 16:02

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