Todd Gilliland faced a challenging change in 2022 during his second season with Front Row Motorsports when Zane Smith joined the team and shared driving duties. The arrangement required both drivers to alternate driving the No. 38 Ford Mustang, testing Gilliland’s adaptability as he navigated this unexpected team structure.
Building Momentum and Facing New Competition
Gilliland’s initial year with Front Row Motorsports showed promise. He secured notable finishes, including fourth place at the Indianapolis Road Course and seventh at Talladega, and was among the most consistent drivers in terms of laps completed. However, the arrival of Zane Smith, brought in by Spire Motorsports to share the No. 38 car in 2023, altered Gilliland’s race schedule. Smith took the wheel for six events, while Gilliland either drove the No. 36 car or raced for Rick Ware Racing during those weekends.
Maintaining Professionalism and Expanding Knowledge
Instead of harboring resentment over the split schedule, Gilliland focused on the positives. In an interview with Jeff Gluck, he explained how seeing the Next Gen car from a teammate’s perspective helped him broaden his understanding and improve.
You can really get down a certain path and think it’s the right way, but once you go somewhere else, I feel like you can broaden your horizons a lot,
Gilliland said.
Developing a Respectful Relationship with Smith
The tension expected in such a situation did not materialize into personal conflict. Gilliland acknowledged some initial awkwardness with Smith but emphasized that the challenges weren’t personal, and they overcame the difficulties after a few months.
Between Zane and me, it was awkward at times. But we kind of knew it wasn’t really between us personally. It took a couple of months, but we got past it.
— Todd Gilliland
Current Status and Future Prospects
Gilliland has continued his tenure with Front Row Motorsports into his fifth season. Meanwhile, Smith joined Spire Motorsports for 2024 before reuniting with Front Row in 2025. Both now drive separate cars as teammates, with Smith handling the No. 38 and Gilliland piloting the No. 34 Ford Mustang, reflecting a strengthened team structure and mutual respect born out of their earlier experiences.
This week's 12 Questions interview is with @ToddGilliland_. Always great to speak with The Toddfather. Free link: https://t.co/umkGI7jY4q
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 25, 2026
