After an impressive performance in Las Vegas that kicked off the Round of 8 with a P4 finish — his seventh consecutive top-five — Chandler Smith is gearing up with confidence for the upcoming races leading to the Championship 4 Xfinity race at Phoenix. He recently won his sixth pole of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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Despite this success, Smith remained modest in a pre-race interview, expressing doubts about his performance. He remarked, “Honestly I didn’t think it was that good of a lap. I even came over the radio after I was like ehh I don’t know that was really that great. And my crew kind of joked with me made the same noise and was like yeah you’re P1. I was like oh cool so I’ve had a few of those even.”
He added, “Like last year at New Hampshire, I crossed the finish line and thought, ‘Gosh, that was a horrible lap,’ but I still got the pole by about a tenth or something like that. So, I guess, whatever it is about my style or the way I drive in qualifying, it seems to work out pretty well for snagging poles, so we’ll take them.”
Smith recorded a lap time of 33.067 seconds, managing to stay ahead of his teammate Sheldon Creed, who finished just nearly a tenth of a second slower, securing the runner-up [P2] spot. Aric Almirola, the only driver vying for the Owner’s Championship, is set to start P3, right behind Smith and Creed on the front row.
Is Smith parting ways with Joe Gibbs Racing after this season?
On October 21, Joe Gibbs Racing revealed that William Sawalich would take the wheel of the #18 car. With Sheldon Creed departing at the end of the season and JGR having already assigned the part-time #19 car to Brandon Jones for 2025, the team dynamics are shifting.
Last week, JGR brought in Taylor Gray to pilot the #54, and now with the announcement of Sawalich for the #18, options seem to be narrowing for Smith.
Smith, currently racing the #81 Toyota Camry, has racked up two wins, 15 top-fives, and 20 top-tens this season. Despite these accomplishments, Smith finds himself in a precarious position, just 8 points clear of the elimination line.
Compounding Smith’s challenges is the influx of emerging talent within the Toyota development pipeline. Additionally, there are indications that JGR is encouraging drivers to bypass the Truck Series and ascend directly to the Xfinity Series, which could be squeezing Smith out of a crowded lineup.
