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Zane Smith is set to part ways with Trackhouse Racing at the end of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. Rumors suggest that the former Truck Series champion is considering a return to Front Row Motorsports for the upcoming year.
Unlike many aspiring stock car drivers, Smith's racing journey began on two wheels. However, go-karts quickly captured the attention of the California native. After achieving success in various local and national karting competitions, he eventually transitioned to racing in the ARCA Menards series.
Smith made his debut in NASCAR in 2018 with Tricon Garage in the Craftsman Truck Series. After spending four seasons and shifting between two teams, the 25-year-old won his first NASCAR championship in 2022 with FRM. Smith joined Trackhouse Racing for the 2024 Cup Series season. He was loaned to Spire Motorsports for the year, with a return to Trackhouse expected in 2025.
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However, the team has now announced its decision to part ways with Smith at the end of the 2024 season. In addition to this announcement, rumors of Smith joining Front Row Motorsports have been circulating among fans. He is expected to drive the #36 car (charter acquired from Stewart-Haas Racing) for the 2025 season.
"With more determination than ever, I will continue to do what I know best and that is to work hard, race my heart out, and prove myself," Zane Smith wrote in a heartfelt post on X.
A brief look at Zane Smith's 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season with Trackhouse Racing so far
After two back-to-back disappointing seasons (2022 and 2023) as a part-time driver, Zane Smith began his first full-time NASCAR Cup Series season with Trackhouse Racing this year. The 25-year-old racer finished sixth at Daytona (his first race of the 2024 season).
However, the Californian driver was unable to continue the momentum. Driving the #71 car for Spire Motorsports (on loan from Trackhouse Racing), Smith consistently finished out of the Top 10 in the first fifteen races.
Apart from Daytona, the highlights of his season so far are the races at Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway, where Smith finished second and seventh, respectively. What made these races special was the fact that he started both races outside of P20 (36th and 27th position, respectively).
Currently, the American driver is ranked 33rd in the driver standings with only two Top 10 finishes, one Top 5 finish, and 292 total points. For reference, he is 522 points behind the championship leader Tyler Reddick.
With just two races left in the regular season, Smith's time with Trackhouse Racing will soon come to an end. The talented young driver is expected to reunite with his former championship-winning team, Front Row Motorsports, for the 2025 season. For the time being, he remains a free agent in the NASCAR Cup Series driver market.
