Yahoo Autos Front Row gains Penske technical alliance, Ford Tier 1 status
Front Row Motorsports has become a Tier 1 Ford program and will have a technical alliance with Team Penske beginning this season.
“I am proud to wear the blue oval and be associated with an iconic American brand in Ford,” team owner Bob Jenkins said. “Our relationship with Ford has continued to build over the past decade, and we’re now showing our success over the past several seasons in the Cup and Truck Series, and that is something that I’m very proud of.”
Front Row Motorsports has been a Ford team since 2004, and its four victories in the Cup Series have been with the manufacturer. The same can be said of its Craftsman Truck Series efforts, which began in 2020 and have netted eight victories for Ford. Zane Smith won the series championship driving a Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 in 2022.
Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland are the organization’s full-time entries in the Cup Series. Layne Riggs, a rookie, will be behind the wheel of the Front Row Motorsports truck.
By extending and strengthening their relationship, Front Row becomes a Tier 1 program, giving it access to additional resources and support. Ford Performance will also work with the team to assist in developing Riggs and future drivers.
On Wednesday night, McDowell earned a front-row starting spot for the Daytona 500 by qualifying second to new technical teammate Joey Logano. The technical alliance will see Front Row Motorsports collaborate with Team Penske on engineering, aerodynamics, race setup, strategy, pit crew development and other projects.
“A racer’s mindset isn’t suited to be patient,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “We all want results immediately, but the way Bob Jenkins and Jerry Freeze have built Front Row Motorsports through the years is a model for how it should be done. We’ve always been proud of our partnership and can’t wait to see how much higher they can go with this new Team Penske alliance.”
