User blog:Ajaxcupseries/Why the Ford Development Program Hiring Jack Fronwell May Have Been....Genius

By: Charles Fallon, asca.com - Written Preseason 2020

While Ford certainly took a step back on the Cup side of things last season, only scoring 4 wins all of Season 5 after scoring 9 wins in Season 4, there’s no doubt the Ford Development Program owned the Craftsman Series last season.

Plus, over the seasons, the Ford Development Program has been known for the potential young stars they’ve developed now racing in the Ajax Cup Series.

The entirety of CJ Barrymore Racing (Caleb Henderson Jr, Ryan Dixon, and Chris Barrymore) all got their start and each won a Craftsman Series driver’s title for the Ford Development Program. And considering these guys have now combined for 9 Cup Series wins in their careers to date, these aren’t just a bunch of nobodies Ford has been developing the past 6 seasons.

While the development program has churned out three young Ajax Cup stars and potentially a fourth in Cup rookie and defending Craftsman champion Henry Brady, they’ve also had some notable busts over the years. Grant Von Duvedel and Alex Harper from the cursed #16 car come to mind.

So when the Ford Development Program acquired the rights to Devin Smith, they knew they had something special on their hands. The local kid from Livonia, Michigan had been tearing up the short track scene, and had an impeccable 30 race winning streak during his last late model season.

“We’ve had a ton of talent come thru and drive our cars every season.” said Ford Development Program competition director CJ Barrymore. “But this kid Devin (Smith) is something special. I don’t think I’ve seen a guy adjust and adapt so fast to a car in my life. He certainly has a bright future ahead of him.”

So what the hell does all this have to do with Jack Fronwell you ask?

Well, when the Ford Development Program signed the 38 year old to a one season contract, many people were confused. After all the team has Development in the name, yet they’re signing a 38 year old former Cup driver.

So why did they sign Fronwell?

Well the Ford Development Program is obviously in a win now mode. And while Fronwell, an 8 time Ajax Cup winner mind you, has struggled mightily over the past three seasons at Tico Bowden Motorsports, there’s no doubt this opportunity will give him the chance to have one last hurrah per se in great equipment. Fronwell has looked extremely competitive as well in Tico Bowden Motorsports Craftsman Series equipment over the past three seasons.

However, the even bigger reason why the Ford Development Program wanted to hire Fronwell was to mentor their top prospect in Devin Smith. Back in Seasons 1 & 2 when Caleb Henderson Jr. and Ryan Dixon were just starting their Ajax Cup careers at CJ Barrymore Racing, Fronwell was that longtime veteran presence on that team at the time. Henderson Jr. and Dixon have stated in interviews that Fronwell mentoring them definitely helped them get acclimated to Cup racing a lot sooner than if he hadn’t been there.

That might explain some of the Cup Series struggles for Chris Barrymore due to a lack of a dedicated mentor, but it also shows that having a mentor is definitely a major positive. And with the Ford Development Program having a prospect like Devin Smith in the fold now, giving him everything it takes for him to succeed is vital for him to reach his full potential.

So even if Jack Fronwell runs in 15th place every week in Season 6, if you see Devin Smith out front and winning races, just know Fronwell is doing his job.