NASCAR Xfinity Series winner Sammy Smith has signed on for a four-race short-track schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this year, joining forces with Spire Motorsports to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado.
Smith, who competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, will make his first start of the year in the No. 7 Chevrolet in next weekend’s Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville Speedway.
Adding another ???????? to our lineup.
@sammysmithSS will race our No. 7 Silverado part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starting next weekend in Martinsville.Read more: https://t.co/22VKWoekC1 pic.twitter.com/fSiEuU5Rf6
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) March 27, 2024
Following his first NASCAR Truck Series event at the half-mile paperclip, Smith will return to the rotisserie entry in events at North Wilkesboro Speedway (May 18), Indianapolis Raceway Park (July 19), and The Milwaukee Mile (August 25).
A pair of long-time partners will be supporting the Spire Motorsports entry in 2024, with TMC Transportation adorning the entry at Martinsville, and Pilot/Flying J taking on the same capacity at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Golden Harvest will round out the partnership lineup for Smith in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for 2024, backing the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado at IRP and Milwaukee.
“I am looking forward to these four races with Spire Motorsports,” said Smith. “These tracks are good tracks for me, and I know that Spire knows how to bring fast trucks, capable of winning. I am thankful for the support of TMC Transportation, Pilot Flying J, Golden Harvest, and all of my partners. We hope to make them proud of our results.”
The 19-year-old driver has only made one previous start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, coming in last season’s opening race at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 17 for TRICON Garage in place of Taylor Gray, who wasn’t old enough to compete in the event.
A native of Johnston, Iowa, Smith is a two-time champion of the ARCA Menards Series East, winning eight races in two seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing. The former Toyota driver is also a six-time ARCA Menards Series winner.
The second-year Xfinity Series driver has previously won at The Milwaukee Mile, doing so in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East combination race in 2022.
“Sammy Smith is a versatile talent who is a great addition to our all-star driver lineup for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevy Silverado,” said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt. “He’s a remarkably talented short-track racer who has already won at the Milwaukee Mile and North Wilkesboro, so he’s a perfect fit for this four-race schedule. We’re excited to see him in the seat in a couple weeks at Martinsville.”
After the opening five races of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign, Smith has recorded three top-10 finishes in the No. 8 for JR Motorsports, including a season-high eighth-place result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The up-and-coming superstar will look to carry the momentum he’s established with back-to-back top-three results at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, as he looks to collect a grandfather clock for himself and Spire Motorsports.
Smith joins a driver lineup for the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado that includes two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, 17-year-old superstar Connor Zilisch, and NASCAR Cup Series full-timer Corey LaJoie.