Next season, Zane Smith will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports alongside Noah Gragson and the returning Todd Gilliland. Smith returns to the company he helped win a Craftsman Truck Series title for in 2022. After being leased to Spire Motorsports for a year under a Trackhouse development contract, he rejoins Front Row. Smith was able to find a home at Front Row, which grows to three cars with the addition of a charter bought from Stewart-Haas Racing, after that deal was unable to last beyond 2025.
Smith remarked, “I’ve always felt at home with Front Row Motorsports.” When I joined with them to compete in the Truck Series in 2022, they had faith in me, and we had a great deal of success together, winning six races and a title in two seasons. Unfortunately, when I was ready to advance full-time last season, Front Row Motorsports only had two Cup cars available, so everyone had to make difficult choices.I can’t conceive of a better lineup of teammates, and Front Row has truly elevated their Cup program going into next year. I’m good friends with Todd and Noah, and as young Cup Series drivers, we all have a lot to prove. It is a great time to come back and continue to build my career with an organization where I know I can win.”
Smith had a sluggish start to his Cup career, but he had some really strong runs at Spire in the second half of the season, finishing second at Nashville in June and seventh at Watkins Glen in September. At the highest level, he has five top-10s and seventeen top-20s. Ryan Bergentry will be the crew chief, and Smith will be driving the No. 38 car. Smith and Bergentry have a well-known relationship; in 2023, Smith made six starts in a part-time Front Row vehicle and finished 10th in the Coca-Cola 600. Bergenty stated, “Our team is thrilled to be working with Zane.” “He is a tremendous talent who infuses the group with a fierce spirit of competition.”
Gragson and Gilliland, two of Smith’s real best buddies, join him. Drew Blickensderfer is slated to be the crew chief for Gragson’s No. 4 car, which will mostly consist of the No. 10 group he competed with the previous year. Chris Lawson, the crew chief who has worked with Gilliland since they were young and helped Smith win his Truck Series title, will be rejoining Gilliland. The squad already possesses a high degree of unity.
