Todd Gilliland and Front Row Motorsports faced a huge loss when Michael McDowell announced that he would be leaving the team in 2025 to drive for Spire Motorsports. In a move to soften the blow, the organization has given Gilliland the rights to the #34 Ford Mustang and brought back Chris Lawson, a crew chief under whom he thrived back when he drove in the Craftsman Truck Series.
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Lawson and Gilliland worked together for two seasons (2020 and 2021) from behind the #38 Ford F-150 in the junior series. They collected one win, 13 top-5s, and 24 top-10s during this period.
Following Gilliland’s promotion to the Cup Series, Lawson was paired with Zane Smith. He guided Smith to five victories in 2022 and 2023 before moving to Rick Ware Racing in 2024.
The duo returns.
Chris Lawson will return to Front Row Motorsports to Crew Chief Todd Gilliland in the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/A1HGV6IsgA
— Front Row Motorsports (@Team_FRM) December 12, 2024
He worked with Justin Haley and Corey LaJoie this past season to secure a pair of top-10 finishes. His first race as a crew chief in the Cup Series came back in 2023 at Talladega with Gilliland behind the wheel of the #36 car.
They combined to get a top-10 finish. The 24-year-old has been under training in the premier tier these last two seasons under the eyes of crew chief Ryan Bergenty.
It is bound to be interesting to watch what he can do with Lawson again. The 39-year-old crew chief is a native of Medway, Ohio. He has spent an overall of six years in the Truck Series. His first team was DGR-Crosley (now known as Tricon Garage). Before Lwason’s stint as the head of a team from atop the pit box, he was a driver for multiple teams in NASCAR and the ARCA Menards Series.
Lawson’s past before entering NASCAR as a crew chief
Lawson spent the years between 2007 and 2011 driving for underfunded start and park teams in NASCAR and ARCA. His stat list shows that he did not qualify for most of these efforts or did not finish them when he did start.
He joined forces with Gilliland under the banner of Bill McAnally Racing in the ARCA Menards Series West. They won championships in 2016 and 2017.
The long history that the duo share is what makes the reunion particularly exciting. Gilliland finished the 2024 season in 22nd place in the driver standings. It was his best season in the Cup Series by far.
2025 will be a crucial year in his development as a NASCAR mainstay.
