Sophomore Zane Smith makes feelings known after career-first NASCAR Cup pole on 55th attempt

Zane Smith recently shared his feelings after achieving a special milestone in his racing career by securing his first-ever pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series in his second full-time season. Driving the No. 38 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports, Smith took the top spot for the upcoming Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

The 25-year-old recorded a lap time of 52.565 seconds, reaching an average speed of 182.174 mph, narrowly beating two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch by 0.132 seconds. This also marked the third consecutive pole position at Talladega for Front Row Motorsports, highlighting the team's strong performance at drafting-style tracks.

Zane Smith, who won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship in 2022, expressed pride in his team's efforts and the speed they have in the No. 38 Ford. Speaking on pit road after qualifying, Smith shared:

"I wish I could take a lot of the credit for it, but truthfully, just a really fast FRM Ford. TitleMax on the car, so, so cool. A pole sitter in the Cup Series, that's awesome. Just a huge shout out to all these (FRM) guys, they've been doing an awesome job this year. Long race tomorrow, a great starting spot, so yeah, super stoked for this."

It wasn't just Zane Smith's Ford that was quick at Talladega. 7 of the top 10 cars were Ford Mustangs, including two Chevrolets and a lone Toyota of Ty Gibbs. Drivers joining Smith at the front include Joey Logano and Ryan Preece, who secured the third and fourth starting positions, respectively. Busch's teammate, Austin Dillon, rounded out the top 5 starting positions for Sunday's race.

---

Zane Smith gets a new primary sponsor for select races in 2025

Front Row Motorsports recently announced a sponsorship deal with Mystik Lubricants. The partnership will kick off at the Nashville Superspeedway in June, with Mystik sponsoring Zane Smith’s No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

Mystik will be a primary sponsor for the No. 38 team in two NASCAR Cup Series races while also serving as an associate sponsor for the entire season. Alongside Mystik, the CITGO brand, CITGARD Heavy Duty Engine Oils, will also support FRM as an associate sponsor.

Mystik will be the main sponsor on Zane Smith’s car at Nashville Superspeedway in June and then at Iowa Speedway in August. The 25-year-old driver is excited to have Mystik and CITGARD back with the team. He mentioned that both brands have been involved with Front Row Motorsports since 2018.

"I am excited to have Mystik and CITGARD back on board the No. 38 this season," Smith shared (via Racing America). "Mystik and CITGARD have been involved with Front Row Motorsports since 2018, and I believe we have the team and capabilities to give them some strong results this season. Our hauler drivers and mechanics are pretty stoked to have their products around the shop also."

The Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled to start at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, April 27.