Todd Gilliland Bio
Todd Jeremey Gilliland, born on May 15, 2000, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports. Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall, Gilliland is the son of former NASCAR driver and Tricon Garage owner David Gilliland, carrying on a family tradition rooted in American motorsports.
Raised in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, Gilliland began his racing journey at an unusually young age and quickly established himself as one of the most promising young talents in the sport. Over the course of his career, he has competed across the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the NASCAR Cup Series, building a reputation as a versatile and determined competitor.
Early Life and Background
Todd Jeremey Gilliland was born on May 15, 2000, in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina. His parents, David and Michelle Gilliland, introduced him to motorsports at a very early age. Gilliland first sat behind the wheel at three years old, when his parents purchased a pink Barbie Corvette that was later repainted black, fitted with modified pedals and an additional battery to increase its speed. From that first moment, his passion for racing was clear.
He soon graduated to a quarter midget on a neighborhood dirt track, and by the time he was five, he was racing competitively. He paused his racing for two years at his father’s decision but returned with strong results. In 2012, Gilliland won championships in the North Carolina Quarter Midget Association, the USAC World Formula National Quarter Midget Championship, and on the West Coast, finishing his quarter midget career with 34 wins.
The following year, he began limited late model racing, running three races. In 2014, he earned his first limited late model victory from the pole position at Ace Speedway and later won his first late model race at Southern National Motorsports Park, signaling a smooth transition toward the upper levels of stock car racing.
Path to NASCAR
On May 17, 2015, just two days after his fifteenth birthday, Gilliland became the youngest driver ever to compete in the ARCA Racing Series when he made his debut at Toledo Speedway with Venturini Motorsports. After leading practice and qualifying fifth, he held off Tom Hessert and Josh Williams to win, becoming the youngest winner in ARCA series history.
Later that year, on November 12, Gilliland ran his first race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West for Frontline Enterprises and Bill McAnally Racing at Phoenix International Raceway. He took the lead with five laps remaining and defeated William Byron on a green-white-checkered finish to win, becoming the youngest race winner in track history. In 2016, he joined Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Super Late Model team and was named to the 2016-17 NASCAR Next program, an initiative designed to spotlight the next generation of racing talent.
He clinched the K&N Pro Series West championship on October 15, 2016, and won the title again on November 4, 2017, cementing his reputation as a future star. These achievements paved the way for his move into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and eventually the premier Cup Series.
Todd Gilliland Career
Early Career (2014-2015)
Gilliland’s early career was defined by rapid advancement through the short tracks of the American Southeast. In 2014, he captured his first limited late model race at Ace Speedway from the pole position and added a late model victory at Southern National Motorsports Park later that season, giving him a strong foundation heading into stock car racing’s national ladder.
In 2015, he made headlines by becoming the youngest driver to win an ARCA Menards Series race at Toledo Speedway. The victory confirmed that Gilliland possessed the talent and composure to compete at higher levels, and it drew the attention of major teams looking to develop young drivers.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series Breakthrough (2016-2017)
Gilliland moved to full-time competition in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2016, driving the No. 16 Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing. He won the season opener at New Smyrna Speedway with a last-lap pass and added victories at Irwindale Speedway and Kern County Raceway Park, tying a record set by Dan Gurney 50 years earlier with four K&N Series wins in four consecutive starts.
He clinched the 2016 K&N Pro Series West championship on October 15, becoming one of the youngest champions in series history. The following year, he repeated the feat, winning his second consecutive Pro Series West title on November 4, 2017, while also running a partial Camping World Truck Series schedule with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Camping World Truck Series Breakthrough (2018-2021)
On January 17, 2018, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that Gilliland would compete for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year in 2018, driving the No. 4 Toyota Tundra beginning at Martinsville Speedway. The series granted him a waiver to remain playoff-eligible with a win, despite not running every race.
On October 25, 2019, Gilliland won his first career Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. In 2020, he moved to Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 38 Ford F-150 full-time, recording ten top-ten finishes and four top-fives to qualify for the playoffs. In 2021, he won his second career Truck Series race at Circuit of of America, his first victory for Front Row Motorsports, qualifying for the playoffs and advancing to the Round of 10.
Front Row Motorsports Era (2022-Present)
On November 30, 2021, Front Row Motorsports announced that Gilliland would bypass the Xfinity Series to drive the No. 38 Cup Series car in 2022 and compete for NASCAR Rookie of the Year. His first Cup Series race was the 2022 Daytona 500, where he started 29th and finished 33rd after a lap 190 incident. In 2023, he returned full-time, scoring four top-ten finishes with a best result of eighth.
In 2024, Gilliland’s early season form improved significantly. He led a then career-high sixteen laps at the Daytona 500 and later led 58 laps at Atlanta, the most of any driver that day. A run of nine consecutive top-20 finishes in late spring and early summer earned him a multi-year extension with Front Row Motorsports. He finished 22nd in the standings, one position ahead of teammate Michael McDowell. On November 19, 2024, Front Row announced that Gilliland would move to the No. 34 in 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gilliland is known for his composure on intermediate tracks and his growing strength on drafting-style superspeedways, highlighted by his 58-lap led performance at Atlanta. He pairs a calm, analytical approach behind the wheel with a strong partnership with crew chief Chris Lawson, allowing the No. 34 team to execute on race strategy and capitalize on late-race opportunities.
Notable Races and Milestones
Gilliland’s most celebrated moments include his record-setting ARCA debut win at Toledo Speedway in 2015, his back-to-back K&N Pro Series West championships in 2016 and 2017, his first Truck Series win at Martinsville in 2019, and his breakthrough Cup Series run at Atlanta in 2024. Each milestone has marked a step in his steady rise through the NASCAR ranks.
Todd Gilliland Career Wins
Todd Gilliland has built an impressive resume across multiple NASCAR development series, with championships in the K&N Pro Series West and victories in both the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. His wins reflect a steady progression from local short tracks to the national stage of the NASCAR Cup Series.
Truck Series Highlights
Gilliland scored his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2019, and added a second win at Circuit of the Americas in 2021 driving for Front Row Motorsports. The COTA win helped him qualify for the playoffs that season, where he was eliminated after the Round of 10.
Other Wins and Performances
In the ARCA Menards Series, Gilliland became the youngest race winner in series history with his 2015 victory at Toledo Speedway. In the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, he won back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017, winning multiple races each season for Bill McAnally Racing and establishing himself as one of the top young drivers in the country.
Todd Gilliland Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Todd Gilliland comes from a deep racing family. His father, David Gilliland, formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and now owns Tricon Garage, a successful team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His grandfather, Butch Gilliland, was the 1997 NASCAR Winston West Series champion and also competed in both the Cup Series and the Truck Series.
Personal Life
Todd Gilliland is married to Marissa Holmes. The couple resides in the NASCAR heartland of North Carolina, where Gilliland was raised and continues to be surrounded by family with deep roots in American motorsports.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marks a new chapter for Todd Gilliland, who moved from the No. 38 to the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Front Row Motorsports. Paired with crew chief Chris Lawson, the team entered the year focused on building consistency and contending for stage wins and top-ten finishes on a weekly basis.
With the Next Gen platform continuing to mature and Front Row Motorsports investing in personnel and equipment, Gilliland’s 2025 campaign is centered on elevating his average finishing position and making deeper runs in the playoffs. The team has set its sights on cracking the top twenty in the final standings and securing the program’s first Cup Series victory.
Gilliland’s progression over the past three Cup Series seasons has shown steady improvement, and the move to the No. 34 is widely viewed as a vote of confidence in his long-term potential. If early-season form translates into summer momentum, he and Front Row Motorsports could find themselves in the playoff conversation by the time the regular season concludes.