Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports team made a remarkable statement on Friday at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, showing a clear upward trend in performance during practice ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250. Gilliland’s rapid improvement from his initial session placed him as a strong candidate for success in this inaugural race event.
Starting his day with a 10th-place finish in the first practice, Gilliland posted a lap time of 94.412 seconds. However, the adjustments made by his crew between practice sessions propelled him to the top of the leaderboard in the final practice, where he clocked an impressive 93.496-second lap time.
Positive Outlook Fueled by Team’s Quick Adjustments and Driver Skill
The sharp improvement highlighted both Gilliland’s driving ability and his team’s skill in dialing in the car on a demanding 2.42-mile road course. His final practice time was 0.140 seconds faster than Ross Chastain’s, with Ty Gibbs, Ryan Blaney, and Chris Buescher rounding out the top five spots.
Reflecting on their session, Gilliland expressed his satisfaction with the progress made and the team‘s competitive positioning.
“We’re processing the final practice and not sure how many people did, but overall I feel like we’re in the ballgame,”
Gilliland said.
“It’s really nice, my team did a really good job. We didn’t unload necessarily great, but we made a lot of good changes.”
“The first practice gave us a good idea for what to change going into the second practice, and I feel like we’re much more competitive there, so it gives me a good feeling about the rest of the weekend,”
Gilliland explained.
He credited his team’s ability to analyze data thoroughly and implement effective setup changes between sessions, a crucial factor in navigating the intricate Mexico City road circuit.
Confident Momentum Builds Ahead of Qualifying and Race Day
Gilliland’s optimism extended beyond the practices, as he conveyed confidence heading into both qualifying and Sunday’s race. The momentum generated from the team’s rapid progress during Friday’s sessions positions them well for strong results.
The driver emphasized the importance of continuous improvement and maintaining focus despite a solid showing.
“Still, we’ll keep our foot down and keep getting better, but overall very proud,”
Gilliland concluded.
With the qualifying session scheduled for Saturday, the No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford is now viewed as a potential surprise contender in the historic event at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, marking an important step in Todd Gilliland’s pursuit of breakout success in the NASCAR Cup Series.