"Definitely it's not that easy": Todd Gilliland opens up about starting and finishing 10th at COTA

From being the highest-finishing Ford entrant in qualifying to delivering his first top-10 of the season, Todd Gilliland’s day at COTA was quite a bumpy ride. He later appeared in an official Front Row Motorsports video on Instagram and shared his feelings following the 95-lap event.

Son of former Cup Series competitor David Gilliland, Todd had qualified 10th for Sunday’s race. Although he did try working his way up the ladder at COTA, several track positions were lost when fellow racer Chase Elliott got spun by Ross Chastain in Turn 1.

Recalling the same, the North Carolina native said,

“Finished 10th here at COTA. Started 10th finished 10th but definitely it's not that easy. Lost all of our track positions in corner one; the 9 (Chase Elliott) got spun and I just parked it right there with him. Felt dumb about that and then from there just battled.”

Todd Gilliland currently pilots the No. 34 entry in the NASCAR Cup Series. He used to drive the No. 38 previously, but after Michael McDowell left Front Row Motorsports, Gilliland moved to the No. 34 team. 2025 marks his fourth year in the Cup Series.

“I think that’s probably the coolest part to me about moving into the Front Row Love’s car,” Gilliland said in an older interview (via Toby Christie). “It’s a much more identifiable car I feel like, whether it’s the actual visual brightness of it on the racetrack and on myself too.”

Gilliland’s next race is scheduled for March 9. Named Shriner Children’s 500, the 312-lap race will be held at Phoenix Raceway and televised on Fox Sports 1 from 3:30 pm ET onwards. Radio updates will be available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

---

Todd Gilliland follows in the footsteps of his father carrying iconic livery in 2025

As Love’s Travel Stops entered its 13th consecutive year with Front Row Motorsports, Todd Gilliland was chosen to carry the brand’s livery in 2025 and beyond. He had previously driven for their Speedco brand in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2020 and 2021.

Todd Gilliland’s father David was the first to drive Love's livery in the 2013 Daytona 500. He even got FRM its first pole and top-five finish in the following years.

Reflecting on the opportunity, Gilliland said in an interview from November 2024,

“It's just another cool moment in my career to race for a company that represented my father at FRM. The No. 34 Ford is what started FRM in the Cup Series, and there is a lot of history with Love's, FRM and my family. I still remember watching my dad race the Love's Ford.”

Todd Gilliland is the longest-tenured driver currently at Front Row Motorsports. With 111 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series to his name, the 24-year-old is currently vying for his first career win in the series.