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‘That’s Why We Love It’: McCall Smith Names the NASCAR Track She and Husband Zane Smith Cherish Above All Others

Gowtham Ramalingam
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NASCAR Cup Series driver Zane Smith (38) during qualifying for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Zane Smith currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports. A key part of his job as a professional motorsports driver is to travel extensively to race tracks across the country. And just like many of his counterparts, he has a favorite venue that he looks forward to going to. Not surprisingly, his wife, McCall Smith, too, adores the same track.

McCall Smith (née McCall Gaulding) is an active person on social media and in the NASCAR fan community. She has spoken on public forums about race experiences, memories about race wins, and has also shared personal posts that showcase her support for her husband’s career. In a conversation with Haley Dillon on her podcast last month, she opened up about her and her husband’s favorite race track.

She said, “[My] favorite track is honestly Watkins Glen. Very random. You probably hear Bristol or Daytona or whatever. I went for the first time I think a couple years ago.” She had always missed out on going to the Glen, believing that it wouldn’t be worth the effort. But then, when she did go, she was utterly surprised by what the track had to offer in terms of entertainment and more.

She added, “You got hiking. You have just the cute little town. There’s lakes. There’s breweries, wineries. Like, there’s so much to do in Watkins Glen. Plus Zane and I are Bills fans. Football Bills fans, Buffalo. And all you see there is Buffalo Bills fans. And so I feel like that also contributes to why we love that place so much.” Apart from that, they also enjoy going to Daytona.

“There’s no other feeling than pulling into Daytona,” she stated.

Smith has raced twice at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Cup Series. His first appearance was for Spire Motorsports in 2024. He started the race from 19th place on the grid and finished in fifth. It was the second of his only two top-5 finishes throughout the season.

In 2025, he raced the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports at the track and started from 33rd place. He made strong gains to ultimately finish in 17th place. Notably, he also raced at the track for GMS Racing back in 2021 when he was still a Craftsman Truck Series driver and finished in sixth place. 

About the author

Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham is a NASCAR journalist at The SportsRush. Though his affinity for racing stems from Formula 1, he found himself drawn to NASCAR's unparalleled excitement over the years. As a result he has shared his insights and observations by authoring over 3000 articles on the sport. An avid fiction writer, you can find him lost in imaginary worlds when he is not immersed in racing. He hopes to continue savoring the thrill of every lap and race together with his readers for as long as he can.

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