NASCAR Cup Series seat filled for 2027 as new | Sports News

A NASCAR Cup Series seat for the 2027 season has been filled after a new contract settlement was reached.

Front Row Motorsports introduced on Friday that Todd Gilliland has signed a contract extension to stay behind the wheel of the staff’s No. 34 Ford within the NASCAR Cup Series.

The 26-year-old has turn into a key half of Front Row Motorsports’ long-term plans and can proceed as a cornerstone of the group’s three-car operation. Now in his fifth Cup Series season, Gilliland sits twenty fourth within the standings with a best end of sixth in 2026 and is presently 93 factors under the playoff cutline. Reacting to the information, Gilliland stated: “So back. Let’s keep building.”

Originally from California, Gilliland joined Front Row Motorsports for the 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, driving the No. 38 Ford. During his two years within the sequence, he earned one victory, certified for the playoffs in each campaigns and established himself as a rising prospect earlier than transferring up to the Cup Series in 2022.

Gilliland impressed during his rookie Cup season, recording two top-10 finishes, together with a career-highlight fourth-place consequence on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway highway course. He continued to make progress in 2023, accumulating 4 top-10 finishes whereas splitting time between a number of entries and groups.

After returning to the No. 38 Front Row Ford full-time in 2024, Gilliland achieved a career-best Twenty second-place end within the championship standings and added 4 more top-10 outcomes. Following Michael McDowell’s departure to Spire Motorsports, Gilliland moved into Front Row’s flagship No. 34 car in 2025, teaming up with crew chief Chris Lawson. He loved his strongest season thus far, posting a career-best 20.8 average end, 5 top-10s and narrowly lacking out on victory at Talladega Superspeedway.

Gilliland is set to compete within the semifinal spherical of the In-Season Challenge at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, together with his best consequence of the 2026 marketing campaign up to now being a sixth-place end at Bristol Motor Speedway.

He entered the event with out the identical stage of consideration as championship contenders such as Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell. However, after three rounds, the Front Row Motorsports driver has emerged as the shock contender of the event.

Gilliland is now one win away from reaching the $1 million last, with simply two victories separating him from claiming the general prize. Standing in his approach is Chase Elliott, one of NASCAR’s largest stars and a former Cup Series champion, who superior to the semifinal after defeating Noah Gragson, Michael McDowell and Chase Briscoe.

Elliott enters the matchup as the clear favorite on paper, however Gilliland has already confirmed succesful of overcoming the percentages in each spherical of the competitors up to now.

Gilliland comes from a robust racing background as the son of former NASCAR driver and Truck Series staff proprietor David Gilliland. The 26-year-old has claimed victories with each his father’s Tricon Garage staff and Kyle Busch Motorsports within the Truck Series, whereas additionally changing into a two-time ARCA Menards Series West champion. He started his racing profession at simply 5 years previous.