Noah Gragson | Todd Gilliland | Zane Smith
Darlington Raceway Race Report
Goodyear 400
Date: April 6, 2025
Event: Race 9 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Darlington Raceway (1.3-miles)
Length of Race: 297 Laps over three hours, 21 minutes, and 14 seconds.
FRM Finish:
Zane Smith (Started 16th, Finished 12th / Running, completed 297 of 297 laps)
Todd Gilliland (Started 12th, Finished 14th / Running, completed 297 of 297 laps)
Noah Gragson (Started 26th, Finished 19th / Running, completed 297 of 297 laps)
FRM Points Standings:
Zane Smith (22nd)
Todd Gilliland (23rd)
Noah Gragson (32nd)
Zane Smith Key Takeaways
Stage One: 9th / Stage Two: 23rd / Race Result: 12th
Zane Smith qualified 16th for his third Darlington Raceway NASCAR Cup Series start. An early caution on lap five set the tone for “The Track Too Tough to Tame”. Smith fought his way into the top-10, running 8th and finishing Stage One in ninth. Stage Two brought an unlucky caution during the pit cycle, putting Smith and the No. 38 team in a tough hole to climb out of. Smith finished Stage Two in 23rd. Pit strategy and elbows-out racing in the final stage put Smith back within the top-15 in the closing laps. A caution with just four laps remaining brought Smith to pit road for fresh tires and fuel. In the overtime shootout, Smith held on to the 12th position to earn his fourth top-15 finish of the season.
Smiths’ Thoughts:
“Car was way better than a 12th place finish,” said Smith. “Our guys brought an awesome piece but that debris caution on the pit cycle in the second stage put us in a tough hole to climb out of. But overall, super encouraged by the speed we’re showing up to the track with.”
Todd Gilliland Key Takeaways
Stage One: 14th / Stage Two: 25th / Race Result: 14th
Todd Gilliland qualified 12th for his seventh NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, while paying tribute to Raymond Lee Fox, Sr.—a renowned engine builder, NASCAR car owner, and NASCAR engine inspector. Gilliland spent Stage One within the top-15 while battling with the handling of his Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Gilliland finished the stage in 14th. In Stage Two, a poorly timed caution during the pit cycle hindered Gilliland and the No. 34 team’s race strategy. Gilliland spent Stage Two in the top-30, finishing the stage in 25th. Cycling into the top-15, Gilliland survived the overtime shootout to finish the race in 14th, his fourth top-15 finish of the season.
Gillilands’ Thoughts:
“It was a pretty average result for how hard we fought,” said Gilliland. “We made some adjustments during the first pit stop that made me too tight and we just couldn’t get the handling to a good spot. The caution in Stage Two during the pit cycle didn’t help our day either. I’m still really proud of this 34 team, though. We’re bringing some good speed to the track, and it will be no different at Bristol.”
Noah Gragson Key Takeaways
Stage One: 13th / Stage Two: 21st / Race Result: 19th
Paying tribute to Dale Jr’s first Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) race for the Darlington Raceway’s throwback weekend, Noah Gragson qualified 26th for Sunday’s race. In Stage One, Gragson and the No. 4 team made significant gains to put themselves within the top-15. Gragson finished Stage One in 13th. Similar to his FRM teammates, Gragson also got the short end of the stick when the caution was thrown for debris during the Stage Two pit cycle. Gragson finished Stage Two in 21st. Battling back from the adversity in the final stage, Gragson was hit with a pit road penalty after not entering pit road in single file order. The penalty didn’t stop Gragson from making the most of the day, crawling his way to the top-20 to finish the race in 19th.
Gragsons’ Thoughts:
“We’ve got the speed to run inside the top-10, but the results aren’t there,” said Gragson. “It was a tough weekend, but I’m proud of this team for continuing to fight. We’ll reset and get after it at Bristol.”
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @teamfrm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
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