Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Front Row Motorsports reveals 2021 driver lineup

TudnslC4jih_
From familiar faces and redemption runs to Michael Jordan's brand new racing team, NASCAR on NBC takes a look at the top storylines going into the 2021 season.

Front Row Motorsports has confirmed driver lineups for its 2021 NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series programs.

Anthony Alfredo moves up to the Cup Series and joins FRM, partnering with the team’s veteran driver, Michael McDowell.

McDowell will drive the No. 34 Ford for a fourth consecutive season, while Alfredo replaces John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 38 Ford.

After running his 2020 Cup rookie campaign for FRM, Nemechek announced in November that he would return to the Camping World Truck Series and run the full 2021 season for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Alfredo will work with crew chief Seth Barbour, while McDowell remains paired with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer.

“This is really an unbelievable moment,” Alfredo said in a team release. “When you start out racing karts as a kid, you dream of making it to the sport’s top level.

“I want to thank (team co-owner) Bob Jenkins and everyone at Front Row Motorsports for making this dream a reality. I know the challenges ahead, but I’m here to work hard and prove myself.”

Alfredo made 19 Xfinity Series starts last season for Richard Childress Racing, posting nine top-10 finishes.

He earned his season-best finish of third in his final start of 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway.

“We met Anthony and spent time with him when last season ended,” Jenkins said in the release. “We wanted another young driver and someone that fit well into our team. We feel that Anthony is a great match and we look forward to this season together.”

McDowell finished 23rd in last season’s Cup standings. He posted a career-best four top-10 finishes, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

He also earned top-10s at Pocono Raceway (first race), the Daytona International Speedway road course, and the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“Despite all of its challenges, our 2020 season was one of the best in FRM history,” McDowell said in the release. “I feel like we’ve really been able to hit our stride and I’m excited to channel that momentum into a new season.”

FRM also announced Wednesday that it will run a third entry, the No. 36 Ford, for David Ragan in February’s season-opening Daytona 500. Derrick Finley will serve as crew chief.

Ragan, who stepped away from full-time racing at the end of the 2019 season, finished fourth at last year’s Daytona 500 for Rick Ware Racing.

Additionally, Todd Gilliland will return to FRM as driver of its No. 38 Ford in the Truck Series. He will again work with crew chief Chris Lawson.

Last season, Gilliland made the Truck playoffs and earned 10 top-10 finishes. His best results were three finishes of fourth place, achieved at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Dover International Speedway.