Jun
Zane Smith, the current NASCAR Truck winner, has had a challenging few weeks, but a great showing in the demanding Coca-Cola 600 gave him a surprise boost.
Even though Smith has already claimed two victories in the Trucks division this season, he has placed 22nd or worse in all three of the recent events, notably 23rd on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway after getting caught up in a late-race accident.
For Front Row Motorsports, Smith’s weekend was already done.
One of his intended Cup appearances this season in the team’s No. 38 Ford was the Coca-Cola 600, but due to weekend weather delays, he was left waiting until Monday afternoon to get in the vehicle.
Smith finished the race on Monday without being involved in any of the 16 cautions, and by the fourth stage, he had broken the top 10.
Before dropping behind the racers who had new tires on the restart, Smith actually gained the lead by staying out for a round of pit stops. During the last 20-lap run to the finish, he was able to recover and move up to 10th.
“I am so happy, as happy as could be, really. I was worried when we didn’t take tires there and were running really good and had a really good day,” said Smith, 23. “It just worked out, so just a great job by this whole team.
“We got our Mustang better and better every single stop and that’s so cool. We run on half the budget, if that, then a lot of these guys, so to finish top-10 in our sixth (career) start at the Coke 600 is really cool.”
The finish in Monday’s race, which was Smith’s highest finish among his six Cup Series appears, was an impressive morale booster, he added.
“It’s been a rough three weeks for me. The Cup Series is a different level and obviously I’m trying to prove I belong here and it’s just an outstanding run,” he said. “Ryan (Blaney) does an outstanding job and it’s so cool to finish this race, but better yet with a top 10.”
Smith claimed that even though it was the longest race of his career—both in terms of miles and projected finishing time—because of weather delays, he felt fantastic.
“I did a lot of preparation for the past month of just trying to prepare myself for this one. I feel like I could go another 100 more, so I did a good job there,” he said.
“I’m just so proud of everyone at FRM and on this No. 38 car. It’s an outstanding job, I thought.”
We bring out some of the most well-known NASCAR drivers’ apparels , all of which are available at reasonable costs. Visit our link now if you are interested in the racing clothing collection!
Nascar, NASCAR Cup Series, Nascar 2023, Xfinity, Coca-Cola 600, Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports
