NASCAR: 5 Cup teams with open seats for 2023
By Asher Fair
Teams with open seats for 2023: No. 3 – Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports generally don’t announce their driver lineup for the following season until late in the current season, or even in the offseason, and that appears that it will be the case again in 2022.
Michael McDowell is in his fifth season as the driver of the #34 Ford, and joining him this year is rookie Todd Gilliland behind the wheel of the #38 Ford.
It is interesting to note that since the team began competing in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2005, they have never carried the exact same driver lineup from one year to the next.
That could very well be the case again as they move into 2023, as Zane Smith has been impressive in his first year with the organization’s Truck Series program after two consecutive runner-up championship finishes with GMS Racing.
Smith also made an impressive Cup Series debut for RFK Racing at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway back in June when he was called upon to replace Chris Buescher behind the wheel of the #17 Ford due to COVID-19 protocols.
But who would Smith replace? McDowell is in the midst of a career year after an impressive 2021 season saw him win the Daytona 500 and qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his career, and Gilliland is seen as a long-term investment.
Definitely keep your eye on the #34 Ford and the #38 Ford as silly season progresses.