Zane Smith wrapped up his rookie NASCAR Cup Series season in 30th place in the driver standings and, as it stands, doesn’t have a ride lined up for the next season. Despite having hoped to secure a spot for three years, Trackhouse Racing in partnership with Spire Motorsports declared that Smith would not be part of their lineup in the coming year.
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With Shane van Gisbergen stepping into the team to compete in the Cup Series next year, Smith finds himself sidelined. Reflecting on his uncertain future, he mentioned:
“It’s been an absolutely miserable three-four months, I’m just figuring out what’s next obviously there’s not much available and there’s a lot going on in the sport right now. And I wish I was I could have known sooner that I was I was going to be like go to, so, we could maybe work towards that goal of figuring out what was next just because things fill up here.”
Denny Hamlin, however, has been vocal about Smith’s potential, noting, “I think he’s taken it to the next level from what I’ve seen… He’s already turned the corner to being twice as good as he was at the beginning of the season… I think he’ll get picked up by somebody who sees it.”
Despite these endorsements, no new opportunities have emerged and Smith is understandably downcast. It remains to be seen if an opportunity opens up in the sport’s highest echelon for the 25-year-old California native. His resume from the Craftsman Truck Series with nine victories to his name certainly proves his abilities.
Is Smith’s potential spot also hanging by a thread?
The ongoing lawsuit between NASCAR, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports has cast a shadow over the futures of both current and prospective drivers of these teams. During the initial hearing of the lawsuit, NASCAR’s attorney, Chris Yates, made it clear that the number of charters has been reduced by NASCAR from 36 to 32, and there are no plans to sign any new contracts with the two teams involved.
This means that future prospects of current drivers from the teams such as Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Todd Gilliland, and Lyane Riggs but also potential newcomers like Smith hang in the balance. He had been tipped to join FRM as they expanded their team to include another charter, but now faces the reality of possibly being left without a ride next year.
During the 2024 NASCAR Cup season, Smith finished two races in the top 5 and four in the top 10, highlighting his short stint in the highest echelon of the sport.
