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Todd Gilliland teaming up with former ARCA, Truck Series crew chief for 2025

JHby:Jonathan Howard•12/12/24•

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Todd Gilliland
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Next season, Todd Gilliland will have a familiar face on the pit box. Chris Lawson has been named crew chief for 2025. Lawson returns to Front Row Motorsports after working with the team previously in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Lawson will move to Front Row after spending the last year at Rick Ware Racing with Justin Haley and Corey LaJoie. Prior to 2024, Lawson won a Truck Series championship with Zane Smith and Front Row.

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When Todd Gilliland was in the K&N West Series (now ARCA West) he worked with Lawson. The two won 12 races total and two championships in 2016 and 2017. Front Row Motorsports sees something in Lawson and is excited to bring him back.

In 2024, Chris Lawson scored two top-10 finishes with Justin Haley and Rick Ware Racing. That is massive for RWR. Better yet, Lawson and Haley did it at Darlington and Gateway, not on a superspeedway.

With a Truck Series championship and a really solid rookie year in the Cup Series as a crew chief, Lawson is a good get for Front Row. Todd Gilliland is taking over the No. 34 car and is the new face of the organization. Teaming him up with a crew chief he is comfortable with and has had success with could be very important to his growth next season.

Todd Gilliland prepared for big 2025 season

Michael McDowell is off to Spire Motorsports. Todd Gilliland is now the senior driver at Front Row. That means a lot more pressure than he has faced in his first three seasons in the Cup Series.

Gilliland is the one driver of the three drivers in his rookie class. Austin Cindric has won twice, including a Daytona 500. Harrison Burton even has a win, although he has lost his Cup ride and is racing in the Xfinity Series in 2025.

The 2024 season was an improvement. But let’s not forget the shoes that McDowell left to fill. A Daytona 500 win and a win at the Indy Road Course. He just led the Cup Series in pole awards with six on the season.

Only three DNFs in 2024 was major. That helped propel Todd Gilliland to 23rd in points. Finishing in the top-20 has to be the goal next season. Earning more top-10s and top-5s will be important as well.