Front Row Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports has become known as one of the more prominent small-budget teams in the Cup Series, operating with around 60 employees on a fraction of the budget of larger teams, and with equipment often coming second-hand from other Ford teams the team has a technical alliance with such as RFK Racing (from 2016 to 2023) and Team Penske (from 2024 onward).^[3][4][5] The team has struggled on most intermediate tracks, however since 2011, the team has become noted for its performance at superspeedways and to a lesser extent short tracks, which rely less on aerodynamic performance. This reputation has grown since the signing of noted restrictor-plate racer David Ragan in 2013, who won the team's first race at Talladega the following year with the help of another skilled plate racer and teammate David Gilliland.^[1][4] FRM has also won with Chris Buescher at the rain-shortened 2016 Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway and Michael McDowell at the 2021 Daytona 500. McDowell dominated and won the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard in a breakthrough moment for the team, the first time Front Row led the most laps in a race.


The team has received equipment from RFK Racing since 2010 and began a technical alliance with Roush in 2016. The team also began receiving technical support from Ford starting in 2016, after receiving limited data from Ford since 2010. In 2024, FRM switched its technical alliance from RFK Racing to Team Penske.^[6]


The team was awarded the assets of BK Racing on August 21, 2018, after former owner Ron Devine and a trustee from Union First Bank put the team up for bidding. After purchasing the assets, they ran a No. 23 car for the rest of the season, driven primarily by J. J. Yeley from NY Racing. After the 2018 season ended, this team became the No. 36 team in 2019.

Bob Jenkins[edit]

Robert "Bob" Jenkins,^[7] the full owner of the team since 2005, resides in Dandridge, Tennessee,^[1] and is known for his involvement with in the Yum! Brands family of restaurants. He is not to be confused with the motorsports announcer of the same name. Jenkins currently owns around 150 franchises, including many Taco Bell, Long John Silver's, and A&W locations.^[3][4][8] Jenkins also owns Morristown Driver's Services (MDS), a full-service, Logistics Provider, specializing in all phases of transportation management.^[1][7] His family is also the owner of Jenkin's Insurance in Dandridge.


Jenkins began his NASCAR career as a sponsor for a then-Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) entry driven by Brad Teague and fielded by longtime owner Jimmy Means. Jenkins began fielding Cup Series entries in 2004 with Means, taking full ownership of the team in 2005.^[1][2][9]


The Yum! Brands, most notably Taco Bell and Long John Silver's, as well as MDS often appear on the Front Row cars when the team does not have an outside sponsor, with funds coming from Jenkins himself.^{[1][3][4][10]}


The team shop is currently in Mooresville, North Carolina in the shop that used to house MDM Motorsports and Ranier Racing.