Zane Michael Smith Bio
Zane Michael Smith (born June 9, 1999) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports. Smith is the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, a title he earned while driving for Front Row Motorsports. He has also competed full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for GMS Racing and made part-time appearances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Stadium Super Trucks.
Early Life and Background
Zane Smith was born in Huntington Beach, California, USA. He is the son of Mike and Debbie Smith. His father, Mike Smith, runs the professional off-road racing team Herbst-Smith Fabrication, known for its success in the Baja 1000 race. Smith began racing at a young age, starting with Racing Snails and moving to Go-Karting in 2004, where he won championships for five consecutive years. He then progressed to legends car racing before advancing to super late models in 2015.
Smith’s early success in late model racing included victories in the World Series of Asphalt, the Pro All Stars Series, and the CARS Tour, along with a runner-up finish in the prestigious Snowball Derby. These achievements laid the foundation for his transition to higher levels of stock car racing.
Path to NASCAR
In January 2016, Smith tested an ARCA Menards Series car with Mason Mitchell Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway. Despite an early injury that year, he competed in two ARCA races with Venturini Motorsports. In 2017, Smith signed with Venturini Motorsports to drive most of the ARCA Racing Series schedule, earning eight top-ten finishes in eleven races. He also competed in partial schedules in the K&N Pro Series East and West.
Smith joined the NASCAR Next program in 2017 and 2018, highlighting him as an up-and-coming talent. In 2018, driving for MDM Motorsports, he won multiple ARCA races including a historic victory at Talladega Superspeedway by the closest margin in series history. He finished second in the ARCA standings that year. Smith made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in June 2018 with DGR-Crosley, impressively finishing fifth at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Zane Michael Smith Career
Early Career (2015–2018)
Smith’s early career was marked by rapid progression through late model racing and ARCA competition. In 2015, he was named Rookie of the Year in the CARS Super Late Model Tour and won the World Series of Asphalt Super Late Model Championship. His ARCA debut years included testing and part-time racing, culminating in a full-time ARCA season with MDM Motorsports in 2018 where he secured multiple wins and finished second in the championship.
During this period, Smith demonstrated aggressive racecraft and resilience, overcoming a mid-season penalty in ARCA for an on-track incident. His performances earned him recognition as a rising star in stock car racing.
NASCAR Truck Series Breakthrough (2018–2022)
Smith made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in 2018 and joined GMS Racing full-time in 2020. He earned his first Truck Series victory at the Henry Ford Health System 200 in August 2020 and followed with a second win two weeks later. Smith finished runner-up in the 2020 championship and earned both Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver honors in the Truck Series.
In 2021, he continued with GMS Racing, winning the United Rentals 200 and again finishing second in the championship standings. In 2022, Smith moved to Front Row Motorsports, driving the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. He began the season with a win at Daytona and added victories at Circuit of the Americas and other tracks. Smith clinched the regular-season championship and won the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, delivering Front Row Motorsports its first NASCAR title.
Front Row Motorsports Era (2022–Present)
Smith debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022 as a substitute driver and began competing full-time in the Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports. In 2023, he won again at Daytona and Circuit of the Americas in the Truck Series and earned multiple top-five finishes. He also competed in select Xfinity Series races and drove for Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series.
In 2024, Smith signed a multi-year deal with Trackhouse Racing, driving for Spire Motorsports’ third team with plans to join Trackhouse full-time in 2025. Despite a challenging start to the season, he achieved his first career Cup Series top-five finish at Nashville. Later that year, he announced his departure from Trackhouse and Spire, returning to Front Row Motorsports for 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Zane Smith is known for his strong performance on superspeedways and road courses, demonstrating strategic racecraft and resilience under pressure. His partnership with crew chief Ryan Bergenty has been instrumental in his recent successes, including his 2022 Truck Series championship run.
Notable Races and Milestones
Smith’s signature victories include his 2022 Truck Series championship win at Phoenix Raceway and multiple wins at Daytona International Speedway. His historic ARCA win at Talladega and his first Truck Series victory in 2020 are among his career-defining moments.
Zane Michael Smith Career Wins
Smith has accumulated multiple wins across the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. His first major victory came in ARCA in 2018, followed by his first Truck Series win in 2020. He secured the Truck Series championship in 2022 with Front Row Motorsports.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Highlights
Smith has four career Truck Series wins, including back-to-back victories at Daytona in 2022 and 2023. His first Truck Series win was in 2020 at the Henry Ford Health System 200. He has consistently been a championship contender, finishing as runner-up in 2020 and 2021 before winning the title in 2022.
Other Wins & Performances
In addition to his Truck Series success, Smith won the 2015 World Series of Asphalt Super Late Model Championship and earned Rookie of the Year honors in the ARCA Racing Series in 2018. He has also competed in Stadium Super Trucks and the NASCAR Xfinity Series with notable performances.
Zane Michael Smith Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Zane Smith is the son of Mike Smith, owner of Herbst-Smith Fabrication, a successful off-road racing team with multiple Baja 1000 victories. This racing heritage has influenced Smith’s career path and passion for motorsports.
Personal Life
Smith is married to McCall Gaulding, sister of fellow race car driver Gray Gaulding. His family background and personal relationships are closely tied to the racing community.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Zane Smith returned to Front Row Motorsports as the driver of the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. He began the season with a 36th-place finish at the Daytona 500 and earned his first career Cup Series pole at Talladega. Smith recorded three top-ten finishes but missed the playoffs after finishing 28th in regular season points.
During the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, Smith was involved in a dramatic crash where his car overturned after contact with John Hunter Nemechek. Smith exited the incident uninjured. He concluded the season with two top-five and four top-ten finishes, showing continued growth in the Cup Series.
