Despite wrapping up the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity season in P5 with Joe Gibbs Racing, Chandler Smith found himself without a seat for 2025 until recently. Amidst an ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, Front Row Motorsports stepped in with a lifeline for Smith, albeit for the Truck Series — a twist in his career path that Smith quickly embraced.
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Addressing concerns about this seeming step back on SiriusXM NASCAR, Smith clarified his perspective, “As much as people probably look at this as a downgrade, I mean, the reality of it is that at one point there was a pass where I wasn’t even racing next year.”
“So for me to even be in the top three NASCAR series still to be able to be in a winning truck like Front Row Motorsports. And to be a part of a bigger organization like them and of the bigger picture start the second truck team…”
“Then second the belief on me to make that expansion full-time and it’s a belief in me and… and our abilities that we have as a group to go out and contend for wins and possibly championship means the world to me. So, I’m really looking forward to getting started at Daytona,” he added.
🤯 "At one point, there was a path where I wasn't even racing next year."
🛻 @CSmith_Racing spoke about his deal to return to the @NASCAR_Trucks in 2025 with @Team_FRM and why that was ultimately the destination.
More ➡️ https://t.co/WGRTG5gVtL pic.twitter.com/uJt3fngPqV
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) December 22, 2024
While competing in the Snowball Derby, Smith delved into the significance of the event for increasing visibility with teams and sponsors. He offered a reality check, explaining that driving, though it seems the core of his job, actually only comprises about 10% of his professional duties.
He emphasized that while he considers racing the best job imaginable, the reality is that actual driving is just a fraction of what the drivers do. That’s why having a solid partner in the sport is indispensable. And that is the reason he is embracing what he has for now.
Smith’s Track Record in the Truck Series
Chandler, who last raced full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2022, has enjoyed success in the third tier of NASCAR as well. Over the course of 62 career starts in the Truck Series, predominantly with the now-defunct Kyle Busch Motorsports, he notched up five victories, 24 top-five finishes, and 35 top-10 finishes.
His peak achievement came in 2022 when he finished P3 in the championship standings, closely tailing Zane Smith.
During his debut season in the Truck Series in 2021, Smith won two races — one at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Round of 10 and another at Phoenix Raceway to close the season.
Details regarding sponsors and the number for Smith’s Ford F-150 are still under wraps, with announcements expected in due course.
