NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points leader Chandler Smith has been called upon by Hettinger Racing to pilot the No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the next two events in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
The 23-year-old driver will get behind the wheel of the entry for the first-year operation at Phoenix Raceway (March 7) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 14), both of which are racetracks he’s found success at in the past.
The current @NASCAR_Trucks point leader takes the wheel of our No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the next two @NASCAROReillyAP races at @PhoenixRaceway and @LVMotorSpeedway. Welcome to the team, @CSmith_Racing! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/TiSC0wGhkv
— HettingerRacing (@HettingerRacing) March 2, 2026
Smith will serve as a veteran-like presence for the Hettinger Racing team over the next couple of weeks, who, over the course of the season’s first three races, had drivers Luke Fenhaus and Tyler Gonzalez attempting to make their debut in NASCAR’s second-tier series.
“It’s been a pretty steep learning curve so far this season, and putting Chandler in our racecar will hopefully make the curve a little less steep these next two weeks,” said team owner Chris Hettinger. “Chandler’s young, but he brings a lot of experience to our organization. He knows how to win, and he just proved it a few weeks back at Daytona. His expertise and his feedback will be a major plus for us so we can get better, faster.”
Saturday’s GOVX 200 at Phoenix Raceway will mark Smith’s 70th career start in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event.
“I love to race, and with the Truck Series off these next two weeks, the opportunity to race in the O’Reilly Series was an easy one,” said Chandler Smith. “Plus, anytime you can step into a new program and help it grow is pretty rewarding. It’s impressive to see Chris’ commitment to competing at this level. He wants more, and I want more for him. Definitely looking forward to seeing what we can do together.”
Smith competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Front Row Motorsports, driving the No. 38 Ford F-150. After three races, the Talking Rock, Georgia-native leads the point standings, after winning the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway and scoring two top-fives and three top-10s.
“Right now, I feel like I’m in a really good place as a driver,” said Smith, who has Truck Series wins at Phoenix (2021) and Las Vegas (2022). “Winning at Daytona and leading the points gives you a lot of confidence. Our Truck program at Front Row has a ton of momentum, and when you’re in that rhythm, you want to keep racing. I’m looking forward to these next two weeks with Hettinger Racing.”
The GOVX 200 at Phoenix Raceway will take place on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00 PM ET on The CW, Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
