Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is making several changes to its Competition Department ahead of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series campaigns, the team confirmed on Friday.
Drew Blickensderfer will transition from his previous role as shot-caller of Noah Gragson’s No. 4 Ford Mustang to become Competition Director for Front Row Motorsports. In this role, Blickensderfer will work alongside Technical Director Seth Barbour, who will continue to lead the team’s technical direction and engineering efforts.
New year, new roles.
2026 will see Drew Blickensderfer step into the role of Competition Director, while Grant Hutchens becomes the new No. 4 Crew Chief for Noah Gragson. Seth Barbour remains Technical Director, and Jonathan DeHart joins us as Aerodynamics Manager. pic.twitter.com/5d7l3qUm3y
— Front Row Motorsports (@Team_FRM) January 9, 2026
A veteran crew chief of more than 15 years in the NASCAR Cup Series, Blickensderfer will leave the pit box with four victories, most notably two wins in the DAYTONA 500 with Matt Kenseth (2009) and Michael McDowell (2021).
With Blickensderfer stepping off the box, Front Row Motorsports has tapped Grant Hutchens to serve as the crew chief for Noah Gragson and the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in 2026.
Hutchens, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, brings extensive experience in the NASCAR world to Front Row Motorsports, beginning his career with Evernham Motorsports and working for organizations such as Richard Childress Racing and Team Penske.
Front Row Motorsports also announced that Jonathan DeHart has joined the organization to serve as Aerodynamics Manager, overseeing all of the team’s aerodynamic operations.
DeHart brings a strong background with him to Front Row Motorsports in 2026, having previously held roles as the IndyCar Aero Car Chief for GM Racing and as a Body Production Manager for Hendrick Motorsports.
“We are very fortunate, and I am extremely excited to add experienced, talented people like Grant and Jonathan to leadership roles in the organization”, said Front Row Motorsports team owner, Bob Jenkins. “With the inclusion of our Truck Series teams, we operate (5) full-time teams, and I’m equally as excited to have Drew turn his attention to providing direction and guidance to our crew chiefs and competition group as a whole. Having Drew in this new role for us and Seth being able to focus on the technical aspects within our team, it puts us in a better position to execute on the track and achieve our goals in 2026.”
All changes will go into effect immediately, as the organization has two tests planned for the month of January – first at North Wilkesboro for the NASCAR Cup Series, and later this month at Rockingham Speedway for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Gragson, in his second season with Front Row Motorsports, will look to have a more consistent campaign in 2026, after the Las Vegas, Nevada-native collected one top-five and three top-10 finishes to finish 34th in 2025 NASCAR Cup Series point standings.
