Zane Smith Bio
Zane Michael Smith (born June 9, 1999) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports. He is the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, a title he earned while driving for FRM. Smith previously finished as the Truck Series championship runner-up in both 2020 and 2021 with GMS Racing. Earlier in his career, he placed second in the 2018 ARCA Racing Series standings with MDM Motorsports.
Early Life and Background
Zane Michael Smith was born on June 9, 1999, in Huntington Beach, California. He is the son of Mike Smith and Debbie Smith. His father runs Herbst-Smith Fabrication, a professional off-road racing team whose trucks have won the Baja 1000 more than ten times. Growing up around fabrication and off-road racing gave Smith an early mechanical understanding of race vehicles. This foundation helped him transition smoothly into stock car competition as a teenager.
Smith began his competitive racing journey in 2004 with go-karts, where he won championships for five consecutive years. He later moved into legends car racing before advancing to super late models in 2015. That breakout year produced victories in the World Series of Asphalt, the Pro All Stars Series, and the CARS Tour. He also earned a runner-up finish in the prestigious Snowball Derby, establishing himself as one of the most promising young short-track talents in the country.
Path to NASCAR
Smith tested an ARCA Menards Series car with Mason Mitchell Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway in January 2016, but a wakeskating injury temporarily sidelined him. He later ran two ARCA races with Venturini Motorsports that year. In 2017, he signed with Venturini for a nearly full ARCA schedule and was named to the NASCAR Next class, a program designed to spotlight rising talent. He finished that season with eight top-ten finishes in eleven ARCA races before joining MDM Motorsports late in the year, where he earned two poles and two runner-up finishes in three starts.
Re-signing with MDM for a full 2018 ARCA campaign, Smith claimed his first series victory in the second race of the season. He followed it with a historic win at Talladega Superspeedway in ARCA’s closest-ever finish, decided by a margin of 0.000 seconds. He also made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with DGR-Crosley at Gateway, qualifying tenth and finishing fifth. He ended the ARCA season as the championship runner-up and was again named to the NASCAR Next class.
Zane Smith Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Smith’s early career was defined by rapid progression through the short-track ranks. In 2015, he captured three major super late model titles, including the CARS Super Late Model Tour Rookie of the Year, and finished second in the Snowball Derby. He transitioned to the ARCA Menards Series in 2016, where he made two starts with Venturini Motorsports despite recovering from a wakeskating injury.
In 2017, Smith ran a near-full ARCA schedule with Venturini and competed part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and West. He earned eight top-ten finishes in eleven ARCA races, then moved to MDM Motorsports late in the year, posting two poles and two runner-up results. His selection to the NASCAR Next class that April cemented his status as a top prospect.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2018)
Smith’s 2018 ARCA season was a defining moment. Driving the No. 41 Toyota for MDM Motorsports, he won the second race of the year and followed it with a Talladega win decided by the closest margin in series history. He won again at Toledo Speedway with assistance from spotter Austin Theriault. Despite a mid-season incident at Salem Speedway that led to a US$5,000 fine and 100-point penalty, he finished second in the final ARCA standings. He was named the 2018 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year.
Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2020–2022)
Smith joined GMS Racing for the full 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season. He earned his first career Truck Series win at Michigan in August 2020, passing Christian Eckes on the final lap in overtime, and won again two weeks later at Dover. He advanced to the Championship 4 as the only non-playoff winner, finished runner-up to teammate Sheldon Creed, and was named the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver.
He returned to GMS in 2021 and won at Martinsville in October to clinch his spot in the Championship 4. He finished fifth at Phoenix and again placed second in the standings, this time behind Ben Rhodes. On November 30, 2021, Front Row Motorsports announced Smith as the driver of the No. 38 truck for 2022. He opened that year with a win at Daytona, won again at Circuit of the Americas after dominating both stages, and clinched the regular-season championship at Pocono. On November 4, 2022, he won the championship race at Phoenix to claim his first NASCAR national series title and deliver Front Row Motorsports its first NASCAR championship.
Cup Series Era (2022–2024)
Smith made his Cup Series debut on June 2, 2022, substituting for Chris Buescher at Gateway and finishing seventeenth. In 2023, he ran a part-time Cup schedule with Front Row Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing while continuing his full-time Truck Series campaign, where he won at Daytona and Circuit of the Americas and advanced to the Round of 8. He also made a one-off Xfinity Series start at Nashville with RSS Racing, finishing seventh.
On September 16, 2023, Smith signed a multi-year deal with Trackhouse Racing, with plans to drive Spire Motorsports’ third team in 2024 before moving to Trackhouse full-time in 2025. His 2024 Cup season was difficult, beginning with eighteen consecutive finishes outside the top ten. His breakthrough came at Nashville, where he finished second to Joey Logano for his first career Cup top-five. He parted ways with Trackhouse and Spire on August 23, 2024, finishing the year with two top-fives and four top-tens.
Front Row Motorsports Cup Era (2025–Present)
On January 2, 2025, Front Row Motorsports announced that Smith would return to the organization as the driver of the No. 38 Ford Dark Horse Mustang. He began the season with a 36th-place DNF at the Daytona 500 and later earned his first career Cup Series pole at Talladega in the spring. He recorded three top-ten finishes during the regular season but fell short of the playoffs, ending 28th in regular-season points. At the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, his car barrel-rolled during an overtime incident with John Hunter Nemechek. Smith exited under his own power and was uninjured.
Driving Style and Strengths
Smith has built his reputation on short-track discipline and road-course versatility. His Truck Series title highlighted his ability to win at a variety of track types, from superspeedways like Daytona to technical circuits like Circuit of the Americas. His Cup Series partnership with crew chief Ryan Bergenty has emphasized consistency and aggressive restarts, particularly on intermediates and drafting tracks.
Notable Races and Milestones
Smith’s signature moments include his 0.000-second ARCA victory at Talladega in 2018, his back-to-back Truck Series wins at Daytona in 2022 and 2023, and his championship-clinching win at Phoenix in 2022. He also earned his first career Cup Series pole at Talladega in 2025 and produced a career-best second-place Cup finish at Nashville in 2024.
Zane Smith Career Wins
Zane Smith has accumulated victories across multiple NASCAR national series and short-track touring series. His most significant title came in 2022, when he won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. He has also won across ARCA, Stadium Super Trucks, IMSA, and the CARS Super Late Model Tour.
Truck Series Highlights
Smith has won multiple races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, with his first victory coming at Michigan in August 2020. He has also won at Dover (2020), Martinsville (2021), Daytona (2022 and 2023), and Circuit of the Americas (2022). His 2022 championship run included a regular-season title and a decisive win at Phoenix to claim the crown. He is the 2020 Truck Series Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver, and finished runner-up for the championship in 2020 and 2021.
Other Wins and Performances
Smith claimed the 2015 World Series of Asphalt Super Late Model championship and won events across the Pro All Stars Series, CARS Tour, and ARCA Menards Series. He also made his Stadium Super Trucks debut at Road America in 2020 and, with teammate Harrison Burton, won the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge event at Daytona International Speedway.
Zane Smith Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Smith was raised in Huntington Beach, California, by his parents Mike and Debbie Smith. His father, Mike Smith, runs Herbst-Smith Fabrication, a professional off-road racing team whose trucks have won the Baja 1000 more than ten times. This off-road heritage gave Smith a strong mechanical background that influenced his development as a stock car driver.
Personal Life
Smith is married to McCall Gaulding, the younger sister of fellow race car driver Gray Gaulding. The couple has been together throughout his rise through the NASCAR ranks.
2025 Season Performance
Zane Smith’s 2025 Cup Series season marked his return to Front Row Motorsports in the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. After a 36th-place DNF at the Daytona 500, he bounced back to earn his first career Cup Series pole at Talladega in the spring. He added three top-ten finishes across the regular season but finished 28th in the regular-season standings, missing the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
A major moment came at the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, where his car was involved in a dramatic barrel-roll crash with John Hunter Nemechek during overtime. Smith walked away uninjured, and the incident drew attention to the safety performance of the Next Gen car. He continued running the remainder of the schedule to gain experience and prepare for future seasons.
With the support of crew chief Ryan Bergenty, Smith used the 2025 campaign to rebuild momentum at Front Row Motorsports. His first career Cup pole and three top-ten results signaled progress, even as the team worked to close the gap to the playoff field. Expectations for the following season center on consistency, additional top-ten finishes, and a push for his first career Cup Series victory.