DAYTONA 500 Competition Notes
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 13, 2024) – NASCAR is back and so is the Daytona 500. The Front Row Motorsports (FRM) headquarters has been hard at work getting the drivers the Ford Mustang Dark Horses they need for the high banks of the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. In addition to the 2021 Daytona 500 winner, Michael McDowell and third-year Cup Series driver, Todd Gilliland, FRM will enter a third car with 25-year-old Kaz Grala behind the wheel of the No. 36 Mustang Dark Horse.
McDowell will be attempting to make his 13th Daytona 500. The Glendale, AZ native has 5 top-10s, including a historic victory in 2021. This will be both Gilliland and Grala’s third attempt to qualify for the historic race.
Speedweeks will begin with qualifying on Wednesday, February 14 at 8:15 p.m. ET on FS1. The Duels will air Thursday, February 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The 66th running of the Daytona 500 will take place Sunday, February 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FOX. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Motor Racing Network.
No. 34 Love’s RV Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse:
DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:
“Going into 2024, I am confident that this team can put together another successful season. Everyone here at Front Row Motorsports has been working hard to get the car ready for Daytona. There were changes to the car, the safety updates, and we were all working hard once we got the chassis back for The Clash and now the Daytona 500.
“I think Travis, our engineers, and mechanics have put all their effort into giving us a good piece for Daytona. Now, it’s simply time to go execute.”
CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:
“All the guys on Team 34 have put in so much time and effort getting the Love’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse ready for the 500, I am really excited to get there! Michael is a great superspeedway racer, and I’m confident that everyone’s hard work will pay off as we look to start off 2024 with a strong performance. We grew a lot last season as a team and I’m eager to see how we build on that this year.”
No. 36 Rudebusch Development and Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse:
DRIVER KAZ GRALA:
“This being my third time going to the 500 as an open car, I know what that stress is like. I think all that we need to focus on is Front Row Motorsports bringing as fast of a Mustang as they can so that we can lock in on Wednesday night, but if we don’t, then I feel like we’ve got a really good chance to make it in through the Duels.”
“Front Row Motorsports has always raced really well on superspeedways. I think on paper we absolutely should be one of those top four Open cars that makes the race, but you can never get comfortable. You know that anything can happen, so you just have to execute everything perfectly.”
CREW CHIEF SETH BARBOUR:
“We have one job to focus on right now and that’s to put Kaz into the Daytona 500. At FRM, we’re leaning on the resources we have and the hard-working staff we have to put the car together. We also know strategy is going to be key Wednesday and during the Duels.”
“Making the 500 will be a balancing act between having enough speed in the car to lock in on time in qualifying and being able to handle well enough to race our way in through the duel. We can then focus on the 500 after that. But right now, it’s one step at a time.”
No. 38 gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse:
DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:
“The Daytona 500 is the Superbowl of our sport. The prestige, media day, the atmosphere, and even the fly over makes it so much more special. There’s no other race like it. We have a great group of guys on this team, and we worked well together at the Clash, I’m looking forward to bringing this comradery to The Great American Race and the rest of the season. Hopefully we come out of this weekend with a solid finish.”
CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:
“This is the one every crew chief dreams of winning. I’m hungry for it and I know Todd is too. We have worked around the clock since the start of the off season to give Todd the stuff he needs to go out there and give this 38 team a shot at winning it. I’m excited, Todd’s excited, our entire group is excited to get to Daytona.”
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.
