The 2024 season has been rough for Cup Series rookie Zane Smith. He was thrust into the premier division in a rather awkward situation after being hired by Trackhouse Racing and fielded by Spire Motorsports via a loan. Although initially he was told that he would have a seat on Justin Marks’ team when they finally expanded to a three-car operation come 2025, the plans have changed slightly with the announcement of Shane van Gisbergen joining the fold next year, driving the #88 Chevrolet Camaro.
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This situation put Smith on the backfoot, with uncertainty looming over his head with the end of his rookie season not far ahead. However, the youngster has showcased impressive performances with a P2 finish at Nashville Superspeedway — the track where SVG joining the team was announced. Since then, Smith has finished in the top ten twice more, and five times in the top 20, including his fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen last weekend.
Smith said, “I went into this year knowing and having been told, ‘Hey, it’s going to be an awkward situation, and you guys are going to have to dig and fight through some struggles, but don’t worry about it. You’re going to have – regardless of how it goes – a seat over at Trackhouse next year.’”
But unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case any longer. Instead, the situation has turned into a fight for survival and to find a seat with some other team next season.
Smith isn’t giving up anytime soon. “It’s been an absolutely brutal couple of months but I’m fighting through it; nothing really new in my career. I’m not a guy to want anyone to feel sorry for me, by any means. It’s just been tough, but I’ll never give up, and it’s hard to beat someone that never gives up,” said the 25-year-old driver.
Hamlin on Smith — “I think the ceiling is pretty high on him”
Despite the looming situation at hand, Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin seemed to be confident of Smith‘s abilities looking into the future. Speaking on his podcast a little while ago, the JGR driver explained how he believed Smith had taken himself to the next level with the limited amount of experience he has had in the top division. Hamlin believes that the Trackhouse Racing driver would have a lot of opportunities going forward.
Hamlin said, “He’s already turned the corner to being twice as good as he was at the beginning of the season. So, what is he gonna do a year from now? Two years from now? I think the ceiling is pretty high on him. I think he’ll get picked up by somebody who sees it,”
At the moment there have not been any rumblings regarding which team Smith might end up at. But with his impressive performances at key tracks, he certainly would attract a lot of eyeballs and could get himself a new contract with another team sooner than expected.
