NASCAR: Top 3 remaining free agents for 2023
By Asher Fair
Top NASCAR free agents for 2023: No. 2 – Todd Gilliland
Todd Gilliland may not have had a particularly impressive rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series behind the wheel of the #38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, but there is no reason for the team not to bring him back for a second season.
Gilliland progressed throughout the year and scored his first two top 10 finishes in the season’s second half, including a career-high fourth place finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and a seventh place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. He finished the season third in both laps and miles raced.
Front Row Motorsports have never gone a season without changing their driver lineup in some way since they began competing in the Cup Series nearly two decades ago, but that streak looks like it is going to end in 2023.
There had been discussions about Zane Smith potentially moving to the Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports, and he is set to do so, but only in select races after signing a multi-year extension with the organization.
Smith joined Front Row Motorsports’ Truck Series team in 2022 after back-to-back runner-up finishes in the championship standings with GMS Racing, and he won the title.
He made his Cup Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway with RFK Racing, replacing Chris Buescher due to COVID-19 protocols, and he is set to make his first Cup Series start with Front Row Motorsports in the season-opening Daytona 500 in February.
The fact that Smith wasn’t brought on as a full-time driver for 2023 indicates that Gilliland is a driver whom the team believe can be a key part of their future.