Toward the end of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Chandler Smith, in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing and second as a full-time driver in the series, revealed uncertainty about his future in NASCAR. He mentioned that, if no opportunities materialized for 2025, he had a fallback option to work at his father’s company, Smith Construction.
The influence of money over talent is a recurring issue in motorsport, even outside the NASCAR Cup Series, and Smith’s situation exemplifies this. Despite securing two wins and making a strong playoff push with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team chose not to extend his contract for the 2025 season.
Instead, Joe Gibbs Racing opted to bring back veteran Brandon Jones, who raced for the team from 2018 to 2022, and signed rookies Taylor Gray and William Sawalich for the upcoming year.
However, Smith recently confirmed that he would remain in NASCAR for 2025, even though a return to Joe Gibbs Racing was not an option. His new destination has now been announced: Smith will join Front Row Motorsports in the Truck Series. He is set to drive a second truck (number to be determined) for the Ford team, alongside Layne Riggs, who will return to pilot the No. 38 Ford after a two-win rookie season in 2024.
This move represents an expansion for Front Row Motorsports, as the team has never fielded more than one full-time truck since entering the Truck Series in 2020 under owner Bob Jenkins.
For Smith, this marks the second time in three years that he has departed from Toyota. His association with the manufacturer began with a part-time ARCA Menards Series stint for Venturini Motorsports in 2018. He then spent two full Truck Series seasons with Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2021 and 2022 before transitioning to Chevrolet to advance to the Xfinity Series. Initially signed to a multi-year deal with Kaulig Racing, which included select Cup Series starts, Smith’s contract was later bought out by Joe Gibbs Racing, bringing him back to Toyota for the 2024 season.
