Front Row Motorsports Adds McDowell to 2018 Roster

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Michael McDowell will join Front Row Motorsports for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. McDowell became a free-agent after Leavine Family Racing added Kasey Kahne for the 2018 season. David Ragan will return to the organization, while Roush Fenway Racing ups its technical alliance.

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Ragan returns to the organization for the fifth season of his career. Ragan has tallied one victory with Front Row Motorsports back in 2013 at Talladega Superspeedway. Last season, Ragan earned three top-10 finishes.

Michael McDowell drove for FRM in 2013 at Watkins Glen
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“Bob Jenkins and I have developed a good relationship over the years, both professionally and personally,” Ragan said in the team release. “I believe in this team and am proud to have been part of its growth and its successes. I’m excited that Bob and Ford have agreed to take the program to the next level, and I’m happy I’ll be here to help the team continue to grow.”

As noted above, NASCAR veteran Michael McDowell moves from Leavine Family Racing to FRM. McDowell also transitions back to the blue oval after competing with a Chevrolet since 2015. McDowell has been competing in the Cup Series since 2008 and has secured one top-fives and five top-10s. McDowell has one career start with Front Row Motorsports going back to 2013 at Watkins Glen.

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“Since I first drove for Bob at Watkins Glen, we’ve kept in touch and have felt like there might be an opportunity to work together again, and the timing worked out perfectly,” McDowell said in the team release. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a teammate, so I’m really looking forward to working with David, whom I’ve become pretty good friends with over the years. As a team now, we go into the season knowing we have five or six races that put us in position to get a win and earn a spot in the playoffs.”

Dandridge Tennessee native, Bob Jenkins has been a team owner in the Cup Series since 2005. Despite one race in 2008 with the blue oval, the organization went full-time with Ford in 2010, Travis Kvapil, John Andretti, and Robert Richardson Jr. piloting the cars in the 2010 Daytona 500. Ever since Ford has been a cornerstone of the organization.

“Ford has been a great partner for us for the past eight seasons, and we’ve agreed to work together to step up our program quite a bit,” Jenkins said. “We’ve got a lot vested in our partnership – relationships, knowledge, data – that we’re going to build on to make improvements both in the shop and at the track."

Additional information about the team including car numbers, crew chief lineup, and partners will be announced in the coming weeks leading into the 60th Annual Daytona 500. (Koelle,2017)