Todd Gilliland struggled to translate his impressive practice performance into a strong race result at Watkins Glen. Despite showing top-10 speed during practice, his qualifying position suffered due to being in Group A, where the track conditions were slower compared to Group B. Gilliland ultimately finished 28th in the race after making limited adjustments during pit stops that failed to significantly improve his car’s performance.
Gilliland acknowledged the difficulties, stating,
“It was another one of those races where we just couldn’t quite get the car where it needed to be on Sunday. We had top-10 speed in practice, but being in Group A for qualifying meant the track wasn’t as quick for us as it was for Group B, so our starting position suffered. In the race, we made some adjustments during our limited stops, but it wasn’t enough to make big gains. On a positive note, we stayed out of trouble and brought home a clean Overplay Ford.”
—Todd Gilliland
Performance Insights of Other Front Row Motorsports Drivers
In the same event, Zane Smith showed resilience despite early setbacks, finishing 17th after starting deep in the pack. His performance included a 35th-place finish in Stage One and 36th in Stage Two. Smith expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, saying,
“I’m happy we were able to finally get a clean race under our belts after the last month we’ve had. The car definitely wasn’t what we needed on Saturday, and it put us in a hole, but our guys did a great job making gains with the limited stops we had today to get a decent run.”
—Zane Smith
Noah Gragson also faced difficulties throughout the race, ending up in 21st place. His performance showed improvement between stages, moving from 36th in Stage One to 16th in Stage Two, but he struggled with grip and car looseness. Gragson commented,
“Practice didn’t go as planned, and we made an adjustment that went the wrong direction for qualifying. During the race, we just didn’t have any lateral grip and the car was pretty loose. With the way our season has been going, we’ve got to find the little wins where we can and build on that momentum. I’m really proud of the team for fighting all day and bringing home a 21st-place finish.”
—Noah Gragson
Implications of Watkins Glen Race Results for Front Row Motorsports
The Watkins Glen race highlighted ongoing performance challenges for Front Row Motorsports drivers, especially Todd Gilliland, whose strong practice speed did not translate into race success. The difficulties in qualifying and limited improvements during the race suggest that the team needs to identify adjustments that can enhance consistency from practice through to race day. The clean finishes underscore the team’s focus on avoiding trouble, which remains critical as the season progresses.
Looking ahead, Front Row Motorsports will aim to leverage these experiences to improve their setups and race strategies, particularly at upcoming critical tracks like Richmond and Daytona, where playoff outcomes could be significantly influenced by refined performances.
