A new chapter beckons
Chandler Smith will not return to Front Row Motorsports for the 2027 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ending a three‑year partnership that yielded two victories at Daytona International Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway. The 27‑year‑old has posted a career‑high third‑place finish in points, a feat he achieved during his three‑win 2022 season, and he has consistently broken into the top ten in each of his full‑time Truck campaigns.
His résumé also includes a victory at Richmond Raceway in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and a ninth‑place finish in his rookie year with Kaulig Racing in 2023. After a 2024 move to Joe Gibbs Racing where he reunited with Toyota, Smith is now expected to shift to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, a step that could give him a fresh platform to chase additional wins.
Cup series reshuffles
The ripple effect of Smith’s potential departure extends to the Cup level, where Austin Hill is the odds‑on favorite to assume the full‑time seat vacated by the late Kyle Busch. Meanwhile, Layne Riggs, Smith’s current teammate, appears poised to remain with Front Row Motorsports for a fourth season, providing the team with a familiar face as they navigate the transition.
If the move materializes, it will mark another chapter in a career that has already seen multiple wins at some of the sport’s most iconic tracks, including Daytona, North Wilkesboro and Richmond. The coming months will reveal whether Smith can translate his Truck Series success into the same level of dominance in the O'Reilly Series and, ultimately, back into the premier Cup division.