NASCAR influencer perfectly clear about FRM's "odd" decision forging a "strange" internal shakeup

Renowned NASCAR influencer Eric Estepp recently touched upon FRM's decision to hire Zane Smith for their 2025 Cup Series line-up. Speaking about the 25-year-old's appointment as the driver of the #34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Estepp said that he found FRM's internal shake-up regarding driver change a bit "odd."

After winning the crucial injunction for the 2025 season, Front Row Motorsports made good use of it and hired Zane Smith for their third car. However, they put him in the #38 car, which was driven by Todd Gilliland all these years.

On the other hand, FRM moved Gilliland to the #34 car vacated by Michael McDowell, who moved to Spire Motorsports for 2025. Estepp, in his recent YouTube video, pointed this out and argued why he found the internal shake-up an "odd one."

"[Zane Smith] He will drive the number 38 Ford. It appears Ryan Bergenty, who was Todd Gilliland's crew chief on the number 38 last year, will stay on the 38 to work with Zane Smith. It's a little odd to me that if the team was always planning on keeping the 38 branding, why not leave Todd Gilliland in the 38? He and Ryan Bergenty worked really well in 2024," Smith said.

"Why not keep that relationship together? Wouldn't it make more sense to move Zane Smith to the 34? Team him up with Chris Lawson? They won a truck series championship just two years together. Just thoughts off the top of these combos seem a little strange to me. What do I know?" he added. (2:23-3:03)

Notably, in the 2024 Cup Series season, Gilliland and Bergenty worked together at FRM, where they claimed 630 points in 36 races, along with four Top 10s, with an average start position of 22.111 and an average finish position of 20.861.

On the other hand, Zane Smith won the 2022 Camping Truck Series championship, where he drove for Front Row Motorsports and worked with Chris Lawson (crew chief). He clinched the title ahead of the likes of Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith, and Ty Majeski.

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Eric Estepp hailed Zane Smith ahead of his FRM journey

Eric Estepp, the renowned NASCAR influencer, hailed Zane Smith ahead of his reunion with Front Row Motorsports. The former Spire Motorsports driver joins the Bob Jenkins-owned team after his successful Truck Series stint with FRM two years back.

"What I see on the racetrack is an extremely talented young driver," Estepp said. "First half of his rookie year was a disaster; he didn't let that get him down. The second half of 2024 was pretty darn good; he had an average finish around 18th and ran similarly to Rookie of the Year Carson Hocevar. Zane Smith figured it out second half of 2024."

Smith will join Todd Gilliland in the #38 and Noah Gragson in the #4 for the 2025 Cup Series season. Front Row Motorsports retained Gilliland from last year and brought in Smith as a replacement for Michael McDowell.