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Press Release |
For Immediate Release |
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Front Row Motorsports
Ford 400 Race Report
Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1.5-mile oval, Homestead, Fla. |
 | | David Gilliland |
David Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Starting Position: 38
Finishing Position: 33
NASCAR fans were on the edge of their seats Sunday night as they watched Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards take it down to the wire to decide the winner of the 2011 Sprint Cup. In an exciting season finale that also included a red-flag rain delay, Stewart claimed his third championship by winning the race and edging out Edwards by virtue of tiebreaker (most wins in season). Edwards finished second in both the race and the championship.
David Gilliland finished 33rd in the event, after front-end damage sent him to the garage mid-way through the race. The No. 34 team started in 38th and Gilliland kept reporting the same concern he had all weekend -- that the car would not "roll through the center" of the turns. After four pit stops, his No. 34 Ford Fusion was handling better. But on Lap 109, rain brought out the red flag for an hour and 14 minutes. When the weather cleared and the track was dry, Gilliland restarted in 29th ready to gain some more ground.
But on Lap 141, the No. 48 car lost control right in the path of Gilliland. The nose of the No. 34 tagged the sliding car's rear corner and Gilliland wound up with a punched-in radiator. The team had to take it to the garage and lost 20 laps while they made repairs.
Gilliland returned to the track in 36th and picked up three more positions over the last 100 laps to finish 33rd. He finished the season 30th in the driver standings and the No. 34 car ended the season 31st in owners' points.
Comments from Front Row Motorsports Ford driver David Gilliland after the Homestead race:
"Our car really wasn't great all weekend, but we were making some progress on it and getting it a little better. But then when the 48 lost it in front of me, I had nowhere to go and got some damage to the radiator. Fortunately we were able to get back out so we didn't end our season with a DNF.
"Our season has had a lot of ups and downs. We were hoping to end it more on an 'up' than this, but I'm still proud of this team for all we've learned and accomplished this year." | |
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Travis Kvapil |
Travis Kvapil, No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford
Starting Position: 40
Finishing Position: 22
Travis Kvapil ended the No. 38 team's season on a strong note, earning a top-25 finish in the Sprint Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The team started in 40th, knowing they had their work cut out for them. But the 1.5-mile oval offers multiple grooves and lots of room for passing, so Kvapil knew he could cover plenty of ground over the course of the 400-mile event.
The race had barely gotten started when it had an early interruption. Rains brought out an early yellow flag on Lap 12, allowing Kvapil to lead a lap and collect a bonus point under caution. He told his crew chief he needed "drive," so the team went to work on subsequent pit stops to help give him that push off the corners. With some positive adjustments, and some smart calls by Jay Guy atop the pit box, Kvapil was in 22nd by a Lap-87 restart.
The team was still running in the top 25 after the mid-race red flag, but slipped back several positions as the No. 38 Ford Fusion tightened up under the changing conditions. Guy continued to call for changes to keep Kvapil competitive and on the lead lap for almost the entire race.
By the final restart of the race on Lap 230, Kvapil was in 26th. Thanks to some fuel-saving efforts under caution, he had plenty in the tank to finish the race while others had to peel off for a splash of gas in the final laps. Kvapil gained four more positions in the final stretch of the race to finish 22nd. The result cemented the No. 38 car's position in the top 35 in ownership points, guaranteeing the entry a starting spot in the first five races of 2012.
Comments from Long John Silver's Ford team driver Travis Kvapil after the Homestead race:
"Our Long John Silver's Ford wasn't bad today. Our biggest issue was grip. We were just sliding around a lot. But I have to give my guys credit for sticking with it and getting us a decent finish to cap off the season. It was a long, hard year for this team, being out of the top 35 early and having to qualify on speed for so many races. I'm proud of everybody for fighting to get back into the top 35 and ending the season really strong." | |
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About Front Row Motorsports:
Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.
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