MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Five races into the Cup Series season, Front Row Motorsports is acting like the perfect lower middle class family who moves into a rich neighborhood -- they're fitting in and they're thriving.

And after five races, which could be considered a year in a normal life, there are "no cars on blocks in Front Row's yard" -- just three Ford Fusions that were locked into the starting lineup at Martinsville Speedway for Sunday's Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 as a result of being in the top 35 in the 2010 owners' points.

“

We've still got a lot of growth to do. We don't have a big fleet of cars -- we each got three or four cars, so we kinda gotta take care of our stuff and work really hard together.

”

-- TRAVIS KVAPIL

The result was a lot of smiling faces in the hauler of the organization's most veteran team, its No. 34 squad for driver Travis Kvapil, on a sodden Friday afternoon when Martinsville qualifying was rained-out.

And it was especially so for team owner Bob Jenkins, who hadn't planned to travel to Martinsville until Sunday, when a forecast of rain is threatening the early afternoon race start.

"We're getting all three teams to work together as one," Jenkins said. "That's what we continue to work on and we're getting there."

But truth be told, the facts entering this weekend were far from the expectation of many garage observers -- and even some of Front Row's management.

When the team's entries were filed for Martinsville, which occurred before last weekend's race at Bristol, the team entered veteran driver David Gilliland in the No. 37 usually driven by rookie of the year candidate Kevin Conway.

At that time, Conway's car was lowest of the three in this year's owners' points, which after Bristol would be used to set the locked-in top 35. But after a workmanlike 28th place at Bristol, the 37 was 35th, Travis Kvapil's No. 34 was 34th and Gilliland's usual No. 38 was 32nd.

Whatever happens Sunday, Jenkins and his hierarchy are pleased.

"We have expectations for David and Travis and their teams -- we want to see those guys in the top 25," Jenkins said. "Kevin and his team are improving, too -- they've been inside the top 35. We're moving in the right direction.

"We know our goals and expectations. Ford is a big part of helping us and their help has been great. We're moving in the right direction, but still have room to improve."

Everyone on Jenkins' team agrees, and they have a good handle on the reality of what they've achieved, and where they are. (Continued)