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Front Row Motorsports
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Front Row Motorsports is team that competes on NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partnership with Jimmy Means and restaurant entrepeneur Bob Jenkins, with Jenkins became the full team owner in 2005. The team fields the #34 Chevrolet for John Andretti, and the #37 car for Tony Raines. Beginning in 2009, It has been announced that the Sprint Cup Series team has entered into a collaboration with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, obtaining a top-35 points position and receiving technical support.
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Encyclopedia
Front Row Motorsports is team that competes on NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partnership with Jimmy Means and restaurant entrepeneur Bob Jenkins, with Jenkins became the full team owner in 2005. The team fields the #34 Chevrolet for John Andretti, and the #37 car for Tony Raines. Beginning in 2009, It has been announced that the Sprint Cup Series team has entered into a collaboration with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, obtaining a top-35 points position and receiving technical support. In 2008, Front Row added a team to the Nationwide Series, and in 2009 Tony Raines will drive the #34 entry for the team.
Cup Series
Car #34 History
The 34 car made its debut on 2004 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Todd Bodine driving the car as the #98 Lucas Oil Ford. At the time, the team was owned by Chris Edwards and was known as Mach 1 Racing. He finished 41st after dropping out within sixteen laps. Bodine drove in eight races with the team that year, as well as his brother Geoffrey, Larry Gunselman, Randy LaJoie, Chad Chaffin, and Derrike Cope filling out the driving duties that year, driving a total of 26 races.
In 2005 the team changed numbers to #34 and planned to run full time, but due to sponsorship limitations and lackluster performance by LaJoie, the team only ran a limited schedule. Although it attempted many races, two drivers (Ted Christopher and P. J. Jones) qualified for a race with the team that year, each with a start apiece.
In the fall of 2005, announced that the team was up for sale, but that was quickly rescinded. Later that year, Front Row Motorsports moved into their shop to operate the #34 in addition to their current team. In January 2006, it was announced the team's remaining equipment will be auctioned off, and the combined team began running at the 2006 Daytona 500. Randy LaJoie attempted the first two races, under #64, but was replaced by Chad Chaffin for the next eight races. Chaffin would then go to the newly acquired #61 team after Kevin Lepage's departure for BAM Racing and Chad Blount would take over the #34 car for two races, however he was unable to get into the field and was released. Carl Long, Greg Sacks, Mike Skinner would attempt the next three races with Skinner making the 3M Performance 400 and finishing 37th on the lead lap. Johnny Miller returned to FRM to run the road course at Infineon. After Blount's release, Long, Sacks, Chaffin, Brian Simo, Kertus Davis, Skinner, and Joey McCarthy attempted races for the team, with Long qualifying at Bristol. Lepage drove the car for the rest of the season but did not qualify for any race.
The car attempted full time status in 2007 with Lepage, but after missing the first 4 races, the team decided to go part time with John Andretti and Chad Chaffin. Lepage swapped places with Andretti and Lepage at the #37 so that Lepage could continue full time. Chaffin later left the team in early 2007. They tried to make another attempt to run the #34 at Texas Motor Speedway with myAutoloan.com as the sponsor, but they failed to qualify for the race.
The 2008 season began with the #34 planning to run a full season. They made the Daytona 500 with Andretti behind the wheel and Makoto's Ginger Dressing brand as the associate sponsor, and manufacturer's support From Chevrolet. Andretti left the team to race in the Indianapolis 500 with Roth Racing and eventually decided to continue in the Series. Tony Raines qualified for his first race of the season in the #34 Chevrolet Impala SS at Dover but finished 40th after transmission failure. The #34 Chevy ran part-time after that, with Chad Chaffin making the most recent attempts of the season.
In 2009, John Andretti has been announced as the full-time driver for the car, and the team has entered into a partnership with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. The #34 team will receive owner's points from one of EGR's defunct 2008 teams. For the Daytona 500, Window World will join as the primary sponsor, EGR's Steve Lane will be the crew chief for the team, and some of EGR's crewmen will tend to the car. It is unsure exactly how this alliance will exist beyond the Daytona 500, however the team will likely at least receive cars and engines from EGR.
Car #37 History
In April 2006, Front Row Motorsports purchased Peak Fitness Racing, and would continue to field the #61 full-time in 2006 with Lepage driving. However, just weeks after this merge was announced, Lepage left Front Row Motorsports, heading to BAM Racing and the #49 Dodge Charger. Chad Chaffin took over the #61 car after Lepage's departure. Brian Simo drove the #61 car for the road course at Infineon, and Boris Said at Watkins Glen International. Chaffin ended the season for the team.
The team partnered with #37 of R&J Racing in 2007, however the deal fell through early in the season, although Front Row retained the team's owner's points. Bill Elliott attempted Daytona for the team and John Andretti and Chad Chaffin planned to race the car full time. After race 4, Front Row Motorsports announced the #34 would run full time, and that Andretti and Chaffin would swap positions with Lepage so that Lepage could continue full time. Lepage failed to qualify twenty-five times and left before the end of the season.
The team's attempted the 2008 Daytona 500 with Eric McClure, but the team failed to qualify.
The team returned to the track for the 2009 Daytona 500 with Tony Raines driving, inheriting the points from the #34 from the year before as a result of the merger with EGR. Unfortunately the car was lacking power and the team finished 18th in their gatorade duel, missing the race. It is likely the #37 team will attempt more races as the season progresses.
Car #92 history
FRM fielded the #92 Chevy for multiple drivers in 2005. It debuted at the 2005 Daytona 500 with Stanton Barrett driving, but it did not qualify. After missing the next three races, the team finally got into a race at the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Barrett finished 41st after suffering oil pressure problems. After the spring Dover race, Tony Raines drove the car at the Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond International Raceway, finishing 35th. Then Hermie Sadler and Eric McClure began sharing the ride, although McClure did not qualify for a race in the car. Johnny Miller ran the car at Watkins Glen, finishing 29th. Another driver, Chad Chaffin, also took over driving duties, failing to qualify in his initial attempt at Martinsville Speedway, and then qualifying 43rd the next week at Atlanta Motor Speedway before surrendering the car to Bobby Hamilton Jr.. Late in the year, the team formed an equipment-sharing partnership with Mach 1 Racing, and that eventually turned into the team moving into Mach 1's shop and hiring their old crew.
Chad Chaffin began the 2006 season with the #92 team, however after two races he was moved to the #34 team. Chad Blount would then take over the car until Talladega where FRM decided the team shut down the #92 operation. The team just made one of the eight races it attempted and cited lack of performance as a reason for the team's shut down. It returned briefly at Watkins Glen with Johnny Miller driving, but he failed to qualify.
Nationwide Series
In 2008, Front Row Motorsports focused their efforts to the Nationwide Series, with Eric McClure driving the #24 Hefty Chevrolet, with a best finish of 15th at Talladega Superspeedway. The team also attempted to buy out the fledging Specialty Racing team, for a time fielding the #61 Cone Solvents Chevrolet with driver Kevin Lepage. However, after the July race at Daytona, Specialty Racing hired Brandon Whitt to drive the #61, and returned to Ford, disregarding the supposed buyout, leading Front Row Motorsports & Kevin Lepage to file a lawsuit against the team. McClure, meanwhile, finished the year 21st in points. McClure left the team at the end of the 2008 season, bringing sponsor Hefty and the #24 to Rensi/Hamilton Racing.
In 2009, Front Row Motorsports will run the #34 with veteran Tony Raines returning to the series full time.
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