Chandler Smith joins a growing list of Daytona 500 open competitors, as he will field a fourth entry for Front Row Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway.
Smith enters the field in the team’s No. 36 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The Talking Rock, Georgia native competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full-time with Front Row, winning two races in 2025. Before embarking on his second full season with the team, Smith hopes to make his debut in “The Great American Race.”
“I’m really excited to take a shot at the Daytona 500 with the FRM Cup Series program,” said Smith. “This organization is known for its speed at superspeedways, and I am going to give it my best shot to win the Harley J. Earl Trophy or help my teammates if I am in the position to do so in the end.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity and will do my part to get FRM off to a great start to the 2026 Cup season, while I pursue my primary goal this year in winning the 2026 Truck Series Championship.”
One year ago, Smith finished sixth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Daytona. He also has a pair of top-five finishes in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Daytona, both coming in the 2024 season.
Smith marks the fourth entry for Front Row in the 2026 Daytona 500, alongside full-time competitors Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith.
Previously, Smith has made two attempts to start the Daytona 500. In 2025, Smith was involved in a multi-car incident in the first Duel at Daytona, driving for Garage 66, thwarting his bid. He finished 18th in his Duel in 2023, driving for Kaulig Racing.
He has made three prior NASCAR Cup Series starts, all coming in 2023. Smith’s best finish of 11th came at Talladega Superspeedway, and he finished 15th at Daytona in the August event that year.
Smith finished eighth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings in 2025, recording two wins, five top-fives and 16 top-10s. The Georgia driver recorded wins at Bristol Motor Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2025.
His teammate, Layne Riggs, also won three races in 2025, finishing fifth in the final standings.
Front Row Motorsports will be seeking its second victory in the Daytona 500. In 2021, Michael McDowell drove to the win in “The Great American Race” for the team.
The 68th Annual Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, February 15 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Coverage of the event is on FOX, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
