In the latest Front Row Motorsports Watkins Glen race report, drivers Zane Smith, Noah Gragson, and Todd Gilliland faced a difficult outing at Watkins Glen, working to turn setbacks into improvements on the historic New York road course. Despite struggles during practice and qualifying, the team managed to achieve respectable finishes, adapting strategies to salvage positive results as the season heads into critical events at Richmond, Darlington, and Daytona.
Challenges from Practice to Race Day
Zane Smith began the Watkins Glen race weekend facing adversity, struggling in both practice and qualifying sessions. Eluding trouble during the race, Smith showed determination by making the most of limited pit stops, finishing 17th after starting deep in the field. Todd Gilliland also dealt with a challenging setup. He recorded 29th and 26th positions in the first two stages and ultimately finished 28th, having started at a disadvantage after a tough qualifying session in Group A.
Noah Gragson encountered his own share of difficulties. Qualifying did not go as intended following a misjudged adjustment during practice. Despite battling grip issues throughout the race, Gragson achieved forward progress, moving up significantly during Stage Two and eventually bringing his car across the line in 21st position. All three drivers focused on staying clear of incidents on the demanding road course.
Driver Reactions Reflect Determined Team Attitude
Reflecting on his improving effort, Zane Smith stated,
“I’m happy we were able to finally get a clean race under our belts after the last month we’ve had. The car definitely wasn’t what we needed on Saturday, and it put us in a hole, but our guys did a great job making gains with the limited stops we had today to get a decent run.”
—Zane Smith, Driver
Noah Gragson described the team’s resilience, saying,
“Practice didn’t go as planned, and we made an adjustment that went the wrong direction for qualifying. During the race, we just didn’t have any lateral grip and the car was pretty loose. With the way our season has been going, we’ve got to find the little wins where we can and build on that momentum. I’m really proud of the team for fighting all day and bringing home a 21st-place finish.”
—Noah Gragson, Driver
Todd Gilliland also spoke about the weekend’s challenges,
“It was another one of those races where we just couldn’t quite get the car where it needed to be on Sunday. We had top-10 speed in practice, but being in Group A for qualifying meant the track wasn’t as quick for us as it was for Group B, so our starting position suffered. In the race, we made some adjustments during our limited stops, but it wasn’t enough to make big gains. On a positive note, we stayed out of trouble and brought home a clean Overplay Ford.”
—Todd Gilliland, Driver
Looking Ahead to Final Critical Races
With the Watkins Glen event now behind them, Front Row Motorsports prepares for pivotal races at Richmond, Darlington, and Daytona. These upcoming events will be decisive for drivers like Smith, Gragson, and Gilliland as the playoff push intensifies. Despite setbacks at Watkins Glen, the team remains focused on incremental progress and aims to capitalize on the lessons learned from this demanding race weekend. Each driver’s perseverance and teamwork at Watkins Glen will be vital as Front Row Motorsports competes in the next rounds, striving for stronger results and gaining momentum in the closing stage of the season.
