Photo courtesy of Tim Nwachukwu | Getty Images
2022 Camping World Truck Series regular-season champion Zane Smith will return to Front Row Motorsports next season. He will continue to pilot the No. 38 Ford full-time in the Truck Series but the 23-year old will have an expanded role with the team as FRM announced Thursday that Smith will compete in select Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500, and potential Xfinity Series races with the Ford program.
“We have been thrilled with the performance by Zane this season,” Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins said in a statement. “We always felt that he was the next breakthrough star in the sport, and he has been proving that this season. We have a plan laid out for him and our next step will be to put Zane and that team in NASCAR Cup Series races where we know we can be successful. We also want to give Zane the opportunity to win more races and a championship with our Truck Series program, and we are excited to see what he will do next season.”
FRM will field a third car for Smith that will be an open entry for races it competes in. While Smith could appear in select Xfinity races next season, FRM said it currently has no plans to enter its own entry in the series.
This season, Smith owns three wins, 10 top fives and 15 top-10 finishes in 18 truck races. He’ll head to Kansas Speedway Sept. 9 46 points above the playoff cutline in the final race of the Round of 10.
Smith owns six career wins in the Truck Series, four in the ARCA Menards Series and finished 17th in his Cup Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway after filling in on short notice for Chris Buescher in the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing No. 17 Ford.
“Front Row Motorsports has a lot of great momentum now, not only with their Truck Series program, but also with their Cup Series program,” Smith said in a statement. “While I’m 100% focused now on the Truck Series playoffs and racing to win a championship for our partners, I’m excited for what the future holds next season as I get the opportunity to also compete at the next level and continue to grow as a race car driver.”
