Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partnership with Jimmy Means and restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, with Jenkins becoming the full team owner in 2005. In the Cup Series, FRM currently fields two Ford Mustang Dark Horse teams full-time: The No. 34 for Michael McDowell and the No. 38 for Todd Gilliland as well as the No. 36 part-time for Kaz Grala. In the Truck Series, they field the No. 38 Ford F-150 for Layne Riggs.
| Owner(s) | Bob Jenkins Brad Jenkins |
|---|---|
| Base | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series |
| Race drivers | Cup Series 34. Michael McDowell 36. Kaz Grala (R) (part-time) 38. Todd Gilliland Truck Series 38. Layne Riggs (R) |
| Sponsors | Cup Series 34. Love's Travel Stops, Horizon Hobby, Quincy Compressor, FR8 Auctions, Long John Silvers, A&W Restaurants, Stage Front, Chicago Pneumatic Compressors, The Pete Store, Benebone, Martin Transportation Systems, Margaritaville at Sea, B’laster Holdings 36. Ruedebusch 38. Gener8tor, Long John Silvers, Ruedebusch, Wellcare, Gary Martin Hays & Associates, Quincy Compressor, SpeedyCash, Frontline Enterprises, Serial 1, Boot Barn, Georgia Peanut Commission, A&W Restaurants, Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Truck Series 38. Love's Travel Stops, Northside Hospital, Infinity Communications Group |
| Manufacturer | Ford |
| Opened | 2004 |
| Career | |
| Debut | NASCAR Cup Series: 2005 Food City 500 (Bristol) Nationwide Series: 2008 Camping World 300 (Daytona) Craftsman Truck Series 2020 NextEra Energy 250 (Daytona) |
| Latest race | NASCAR Cup Series: 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (Phoenix) Nationwide Series: 2010 Food City 250 (Bristol) Craftsman Truck Series 2023 Craftsman 150 (Phoenix) |
| Races competed | Total: 733 NASCAR Cup Series: 567 Nationwide Series: 75 Truck Series: 91 |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 1 NASCAR Cup Series: 0 Nationwide Series: 0 Truck Series: 1 2022 |
| Race victories | Total: 12 NASCAR Cup Series: 4 Nationwide Series: 0 Truck Series: 8 |
| Pole positions | Total: 5 NASCAR Cup Series: 1 Nationwide Series: 0 Truck Series: 4 |
Front Row Motorsports has become known as one of the more prominent small-budget teams in the Cup Series, operating with around 60 employees on a fraction of the budget of larger teams, and with equipment often coming second-hand from other Ford teams such as RFK Racing. The team has struggled on most intermediate tracks, however since 2011, the team has become noted for its performance at superspeedways and to a lesser extent short tracks, which rely less on aerodynamic performance. This reputation has grown since the signing of noted restrictor-plate racer David Ragan in 2012, who won the team's first race at Talladega the following year with the help of another skilled plate racer and teammate David Gilliland. FRM has also won with Chris Buescher at the rain-shortened 2016 Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway and Michael McDowell at the 2021 Daytona 500. McDowell dominated and won the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard in a breakthrough moment for the team, the first time Front Row led the most laps in a race.
The team has received equipment from RFK Racing since 2010 and began a technical alliance with Roush in 2016. The team also began receiving technical support from Ford starting in 2016, after receiving limited data from Ford since 2010. In 2024, FRM switched its technical alliance from RFK Racing to Team Penske.
The team was awarded the assets of BK Racing on August 21, 2018, after former owner Ron Devine and a trustee from Union First Bank put the team up for bidding. After purchasing the assets, they ran a No. 23 car for the rest of the season, driven primarily by J. J. Yeley from NY Racing. After the 2018 season ended, this team became the No. 36 team in 2019.