Todd Gilliland 2026 Report Card: A B- Without a Top 5
Welcome to the Happy Hour Racing 2026 Season Report Cards, where every full-time Cup Series driver gets a grade computed from all 36 races, not opinion. Next up: the number 34, and a driver whose grade beat his points finish.
The Short Version
Todd Gilliland did not have a top 5 in 2026, and he finished 21st in points. He still graded out ahead of Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski and Michael McDowell, who all finished above him in the standings. The reason is simple: he started deep in the field almost every week, gained 4.7 spots per race, 2nd best in the Cup Series, and crashed out only twice, both in the first two races. His computed season grade is a B-, 18th of 35 full-time drivers.
Why the Todd Gilliland 2026 Grade Is a B-
Every HHR report card grade comes from the same math. After every race, each driver gets a score out of 100 based on where they finished in the field, how many spots they gained or lost from the start, how many laps they led, and a penalty for not finishing. The season grade is the average of all 36 race scores, curved against the 35 drivers who ran the full year.
Gilliland's season score ranked 18th of 35, which lands at B-. Points reward where you finish. The report card also rewards how far you came to get there, and that is where the number 34 was one of the best in the sport. His average start was 25.2 and his average finish was 20.5.
He also kept the car in one piece. After crashing out of the first two races, he was running at the end of the last 34. Two DNFs ranked 3rd fewest, and his finish spread ranked 3rd, so he was one of the most predictable finishers in the field.
Todd Gilliland by the Numbers
Here is where Gilliland ranked among the 35 full-time drivers in 14 stats. The bar and the circle show his rank (1 is best). The number on the right is the actual stat.
This card is upside down compared with most. The consistency section is full: 2nd in positions gained (+4.7), 3rd in DNFs (2) and 3rd in finish spread. He was 17th in lead lap finishes with 21.
The speed section is thin. He ranked 27th in average driver rating (56.6) and average running position (22.6), 25th in percentage of laps in the top 15 (24%) and 29th in fastest laps (71). Zero top 5s ranked 29th and three top 10s ranked 28th. He led 27 laps all year, 23rd.
A Crash-Filled Start, Then Bristol
The year opened badly. Gilliland crashed out of the Daytona 500 and finished 39th, then crashed out at Atlanta a week later and finished 25th. He arrived at Bristol on April 12 sitting 28th in points with one top 20 on the season, a 12th at Phoenix.
At Bristol he started 35th and finished 6th. It was his first top 10 of the year and his best finish of the season. Two weeks later he ran 11th at Talladega.
On July 17, Front Row Motorsports announced he had signed an extension to stay in the No. 34 for 2027. Two days later he started 18th and finished 8th at North Wilkesboro. His first-half average finish was 21.7.
A Better Second Half
Gilliland did not make the 16-driver Chase, but his results improved after the summer. His average finish was 19.2 over the second half of the year and 18.7 over the final 10 races, his best stretch of 2026.
- Daytona, Aug. 29: started 33rd, led 8 laps, finished 19th.
- Darlington, Sept. 6: started 21st, led 5 laps, finished 16th.
- Talladega, Oct. 25: started 35th, led 6 laps, finished 7th.
- Martinsville, Nov. 1: started 22nd, finished 15th.
Talladega is where he finished 2nd in October 2025, and the superspeedways remain his best shot at a breakthrough. He closed the year 18th at Homestead after starting 25th.
What 2027 Looks Like
Gilliland returns to the No. 34 Ford with Front Row Motorsports in 2027. Some reports describe the extension as one season. Chris Lawson was his crew chief for all 36 races in 2026, and no crew chief change has been announced. Track every move on our 2027 silly season tracker.
The 2027 Daytona 500 is Feb. 21. Start times and channels for every race are on our race TV guide, and every other driver's grade is on the 2026 report cards page.
The Bottom Line
Gilliland made the most of where he started almost every week, and the B- rewards that. To move up in 2027 he needs to start closer to the front and turn some of those 15th-place days into top 10s. A first top 5 since Talladega 2025 would be a good place to begin.
Gear Up for 2027
We do not have Todd Gilliland gear in stock right now. These are the easiest ways to keep the hats and shirts coming through the offseason.
- NASCAR Fan Cap Subscription
- Winner's Circle Shirt Subscription
- Pit Stop Surprise Subscription
- The newest NASCAR gear
Sources: NASCAR official race results and loop data for all 36 2026 points races; Bristol via Frontstretch and Heavy; contract extension via NASCAR.com and Speed Sport; Talladega 2025 via theScore.
