Coke Zero 400
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Brett Moffitt | No. 34 CSX ‘Play It Safe’ Ford
“This will be my first superspeedway race, so I’m pretty excited about it. Obviously I’ve watched a lot of the Daytona and Talladega races on TV, and they’re always exciting to watch and full of action and lots of strategy involved. So, I can’t wait to get in the CSX ‘Play It Safe’ Ford and be a part of it. Front Row Motorsports always brings some pretty stout cars to these races, so a win is definitely within reach for this team. David Gilliland and Cole Whitt have proven to be good restrictor-plate racers, so I’ll have some good teammates to work with.”
JUST THE FACTS: Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400 will be Moffitt’s first appearance at Daytona International Speedway and his first superspeedway race … CSX returns as primary sponsor of the No. 34 Ford for the Independence Day weekend race, promoting the “Play It Safe” railroad safety initiative.
Cole Whitt | No. 35 Speed Stick Ford
“Night racing is always fun, and it usually gives you a little more grip. It gives you a little more security and keeps you a little bit fresher as a driver. And when you’re racing 200 miles an hour, inches apart, you need to be on your game for sure. The guys have worked hard to bring a fast Speed Stick Ford to the track this week. We’re looking forward to running up front like we know we can. I think we proved in February in Daytona that we can run with the best of them.
“It’s going to be cool to go to Daytona and see all the changes happening with the track. A lot of other sports are building new stadiums with all kind of amenities. These racetracks are our stadiums. So it’s great to see they’re putting all this work into updating the facility for the fans.”
JUST THE FACTS: Whitt has three Sprint Cup career starts at Daytona International Speedway … His best finish is 17th (2014) … Speed Stick returns as primary sponsor of the No. 35 Ford … Whitt will make appearances at the Daytona Beach Hooters on Saturday from 12:30 to 1 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30 to 2 p.m.
David Gilliland | No. 38 Florida Lottery Ford
“I’ve been really eager to get back to Daytona. We always run well there, and we started from the pole at this race last year, so we know it’s always a good opportunity for us. We’ve got the Florida Lottery on board with us for this race. So, a different look for our Ford Fusion, but we know it will be just as fast a car as the guys always put together for us. Daytona and Talladega are tracks that we excel at, so it’s a big race for us.
“This is a great race weekend every year. I’ve always been at the racetrack on Fourth of July weekend my whole life, either racing with my dad or watching him race. I think 99 percent of my July Fourths have been spent at the racetrack. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
JUST THE FACTS: Gilliland has 14 Sprint Cup starts at Daytona International Speedway … His best Datyona finish is third (2011) … Gilliland has two poles at the Daytona Beach superspeedway, including the pole award for last year’s Coke Zero 400 … The Florida Lottery joins the No. 38 team as primary sponsor for the holiday weekend … Gilliland will be at the Florida Lottery display in the Midway Fan Zone on Saturday from 3 to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m., and at the Florida Lottery display in the Infield Fan Zone on Sunday from 3 to 3:30 p.m.
About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports is a race-winning organization competing in NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup Series, fielding the No. 34, the No. 35 and the No. 38 Fords. The team is owned by Bob Jenkins and is headquartered just outside of Charlotte, N.C. FRM was named to INC Magazine’s “INC 5000” list in 2012, recognizing the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. The team’s partnership base is representative of more than $200 billion of the U.S. economy and includes organizations such as Ford Motor Company, Love’s Travel Stops, Colgate-Palmolive, CSX Transportation, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s. Visit teamfrm.com.
