Reigning NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Zane Smith is enjoying a rarefied run of competition. He’s succeeding in everything he drives.
Smith, who won the Phoenix Truck Series season finale from pole position to claim his first big NASCAR title in November, started the 2023 year off co-driving to victory with NASCAR Cup Series’ driver Harrison Burton in the IMSA-sanctioned Michelin Pilot Challenge race on the Daytona International Speedway road course in January.
On Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway, he raced to a top-10 finish in the Duel 150 qualifying race earning his first ever start DAYTONA 500 start on Sunday.
And on Friday night, Smith drove his No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford F150 to victory in the 2023 season-opening NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race – his second consecutive in the race.
“That was something we kind of joked about,” Smith said smiling. “I mean, really from the final half of the year last year and then rolling into this year, I just felt like we just had so much momentum.”
Smith conceded, it has been an incredible run to the biggest start of his career coming Sunday.
“In all honestly, yes, I’m nervous, but I’m just so ready for Sunday to be here,” Smith said. “Obviously [Thursday night] was a ton of fun getting into the 500. And that [Friday night] was a win for us with literally the same group on our truck, the same group we have on the Cup car.
“I’m so excited for Sunday,” he added. “It’s going to be such a cool experience, obviously with two of my really good friends that we grew up together in Noah [Gragson] and Riley [Herbst] and it’ll be awesome.”
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