Who owns Front Row Motorsports? Exploring all about NASCAR team owner Bob Jenkins

Front Row Motorsports recently announced the purchase of a new charter. This decision by team owner Robert "Bob" Jenkins showcased his commitment to NASCAR, catering to both partners and fans alike.

Jenkins is popular in the hospitality business, primarily due to his involvement with the Yum! Brands chain of restaurants. He currently owns and manages multiple franchises of Long John Silver's, A&W Restaurants, and over 260 outlets of the global Mexican fast food joint, Taco Bell, in the US. With a keen interest in motorsports, Jenkins began his NASCAR journey as a co-owner of Means-Jenkins Motorsports. The established restaurateur partnered with the retired stock car racer Jimmy Means to enter the lucrative world of racing.

In 2005, Jenkins became the full owner of Front Row Motorsports, one of the most popular small-budget teams in the NASCAR Cup Series. Since then, the 55-year-old entrepreneur has become one of the younger majority owners in motorsport.

In an interview with Sports Business Journal in 2018, Jenkins opened up about investing more in NASCAR.

"As my businesses have grown and race team has stabilized, I continue to invest more because you want the return to be there. I try to not rely on swinging for the bleachers all the time and instead just have a gradual goal of getting better each year," he said.

Apart from purchasing a new charter, Jenkins also expressed his opinion on a manufacturer spending cap, rather than a team spending cap.

"What I’d like to see is a cap for the manufacturers. And this is something I’ve lobbied the ownership group on," he said.

Jenkins further added:

"It’s not a popular idea among the top teams, because you’re kind of getting into their honey hole."

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Front Row Motorsports looking at growth under Bob Jenkins' leadership

Under Bob Jenkins' leadership, Front Row Motorsports is aiming to expand its presence in the NASCAR Cup Series next season. The team will run three Ford Mustang Dark Horses in the Cup Series. However, it will not be making any changes to the Truck Series team, running just one Ford F-150.

Bob Jenkins said (via Front Row Motorsports' press release):

"We have a very positive outlook on the future of NASCAR and as the sport plans for success, so do we. Today that means having a plan for expanding back to three cars in the NASCAR Cup Series."

This announcement comes after the team decided to extend and increase its relationship with Ford Performance, aligning with Jenkins' vision to improve and grow Front Row Motorsports into a big player in NASCAR.

As of now, FRM has competed in 758 races (581 in the Cup Series, 102 in the Truck Series, and 75 in the Nationwide Series) and managed to amass 12 wins, 7 pole positions, and one championship (2022 Truck Series) in total.