Zane Smith, who has finished second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship standings in each of the last two years while running for GMS Racing, will move to Front Row Motorsports for the 2022 NCWTS season.
According to a Front Row Motorsports representative, the deal with Smith is multi-year and team owner Bob Jenkins stated in a team release that the team would love to keep Smith for years to come.
“I’ve been watching Zane the past few seasons,” said Jenkins in a team release. “He’s a young driver who is a proven winner and he shows a lot of promise. We want to get him that championship in 2022, but also, we want to have Zane with us for a long time. We see a bright future for him.”
Smith will slide into the No. 38 Ford F-150, which will be vacated by Todd Gilliland, who Front Row announced on Tuesday as the new driver for their NASCAR Cup Series No. 38 car for 2022.
Over the last two seasons, Smith has scored three victories in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition. While battling for wins himself over the last couple of seasons, Smith got a firsthand look at how fast the trucks from Front Row Motorsports are.
Seeing that raw speed from the No. 38 truck, and there being a real potential for moving up the ladder with FRM are the keys that led Smith to moving from the Chevrolet pipeline to the Ford Front Row Motorsports team.
“I competed against Front Row for wins this past season and I know how competitive the team is,” said Smith. “Bob Jenkins has given me a wonderful opportunity to race for the truck series championship again. More importantly, there is an opportunity to grow with them in the future.”
While the path seems paved to move Smith into a NASCAR Cup Series ride for Front Row Motorsports down the road, for now, Smith will be content to battle for a Truck Series championship in 2022, while FRM has Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland to help them build their Next Gen program in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Smith is the latest driver move confirmed for the 2022 silly season. To keep track of all the faces in new places for the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, check out the TobyChristie.com Driver / Team Chart:
2022 NASCAR Driver / Team Chart: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
