TEAM AND RACE NOTES:
Fr8Auctions.com will support Michael McDowell during his kickoff to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series race season this weekend. It’s the eighth consecutive season that the Atlanta, Georgia-based asset recovery business has supported Front Row Motorsports (FRM).
McDowell will race the No. 34 Fr8Auctions.com Ford Mustang during The Clash at The Coliseum at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum- a purpose-built track inside the famous stadium. The two-day exhibition event will begin Saturday, February 4 at 6:00 p.m. ET with a practice session televised live on FS1.
Qualifying will also be Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET live on FS1.
Sunday will feature qualifying heats (25 laps), two last-chance qualifying races (50 laps), a pre-race concert by Cypress Hill, and finally a 150-lap feature race that will start 27 of the 36-entered teams. The race will feature a mid-race break highlighted with a perfomance by Wiz Khalifa.
All of Sunday’s coverage will be televised live on FOX.
COMPETITION NOTES:
The Clash at The Coliseum will mark the first track test for new faces on the No. 34 team. The team is now led by Travis Peterson who moved over to FRM from Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. Peterson has new members in place for his road crew that include two new engineers and a car chief. However, the team is poised to be even stronger in 2023.
CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:
“We’re not going to miss a beat from the success that we saw out of Michael last season. We’re going to pick up where the team was at the end of last season and our goal is only to improve on what has been built. The Clash is a chance for us to knock off some rust and get back into the rhythm of traveling, putting in full days at the track, and working on our communication with Michael.
“Our goal is to leave The Clash with a top-10 result. Michael enjoyed The Clash last year and had some success passing cars and he had good speed. As a team, we expect nothing less than the same effort with an even better result.”
DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:
“The Clash is really the first chance that everyone can really get together and see how you stack up against one another. I don’t know if it’s the perfect test, since this event is such an anomaly, but it gives you an idea of where your program may be.
“I agree with Travis, I don’t see us really slowing down from where we’ve come. Sure, we know we have some new faces to the team, but I’ve really enjoyed working with Travis and trust that he’s working hard to give me what I need in the car. We both have lofty goals this year and it’s good to start off with an exhibition event where you can work out any bugs.
“Finally, we’re not getting to The Clash without Fr8Auctions and Marcus Barela. Their unwavering support to the sport, Front Row Motorsports and myself is special. It’s rare you see partners stay so committed for so long. We all want to have a great night for them to say thanks for their support.”
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @Team_FRM and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
