Front Row Motorsports Drivers Struggle at Circuit of the Americas

Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, and Zane Smith finish outside the top 20 in Texas race

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Front Row Motorsports drivers faced a challenging day at the Circuit of the Americas race, with Noah Gragson finishing 22nd, Todd Gilliland finishing 21st, and Zane Smith finishing 33rd. The team struggled with overall handling and pit road issues, but were able to finish the race and gain some points despite the disappointing results.

Why it matters

As a smaller NASCAR team, Front Row Motorsports is looking to build momentum and compete for playoff spots this season. Struggles at a key track like Circuit of the Americas could impact their ability to gain ground in the points standings and qualify for the postseason.

The details

Gilliland said the team "struggled with overall handling and had a mishap on pit road," but was still able to finish Stage Two and the race. Gragson noted they "didn't hit on what we needed off the hauler" and had to make adjustments during the race. Smith started off "really loose" and "just no rear grip," before getting caught up in an incident on a restart that ended his day.

  • The race took place on March 2, 2026 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

The players

Noah Gragson

A NASCAR Cup Series driver for Front Row Motorsports.

Todd Gilliland

A NASCAR Cup Series driver for Front Row Motorsports.

Zane Smith

A NASCAR Cup Series driver for Front Row Motorsports.

Front Row Motorsports

A NASCAR team competing in the Cup Series.

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What they’re saying

“While it's not where we want to be, it's nice to have finished a race. We struggled with overall handling and had a mishap on pit road, but we were still able to finish Stage Two with some points and brought home a top-25. There's some things we need to clean up before Phoenix, but I'm confident we can continue to chip away at the points gap.”

— Todd Gilliland, NASCAR Cup Series Driver (Speedway Digest)

“It was a battle all weekend. We didn't hit on what we needed off the hauler on Saturday and had to take some swings to make it better during the race. Not the finish we hoped for, but I was proud that we kept fighting throughout the day. We will move on and get ready for Phoenix next week.”

— Noah Gragson, NASCAR Cup Series Driver (Speedway Digest)

“Tough day overall. Started off really loose, chattering the tires, just no rear grip. Worked on it all day, got inside the top ten and thought we would manage a decent points day and just got cleaned out in Turn 1 on a restart. Thankfully we got off to a hot start in points, and I believe we can rebound from this weekend at Phoenix where we had some good speed last season.”

— Zane Smith, NASCAR Cup Series Driver (Speedway Digest)

What’s next

The Front Row Motorsports team will look to rebound at the next race in Phoenix, Arizona on March 16, 2026, where they hope to have better speed and results.

The takeaway

This race highlighted the challenges smaller NASCAR teams like Front Row Motorsports face in competing with the top organizations, as they struggled with car setup and handling issues throughout the weekend. However, the team remains confident they can bounce back at upcoming races and continue to chip away at the points gap.