Zane Smith, the driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is entering the next phase of the NASCAR Cup Series season following a strong third-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway last Saturday. As part of a Ford media call, Smith discussed the impact of that result on his team’s spirit and performance, as well as their aspirations for the remaining seven races of the year.
Building Momentum After a Key Bristol Performance
Zane Smith described the Bristol finish as a pivotal moment for himself and the entire Front Row Motorsports team, highlighting its role in generating positive momentum heading into the closing weeks of the season. He acknowledged the difficulties they faced recently, including several wrecks over the past month that hampered their points standing. Despite sitting around 27th in the rankings, Smith feels that the strong performances they’ve shown, capped by Saturday’s result, better reflect their capabilities.
“I think it was a great result for myself and our whole team, and I think it will allow us to really just build some good momentum to not only end this year and hopefully score that first win we’ve been looking for, but something to just build off of and some excitement for the offseason. I feel like we’ve had some great runs this year, but last month was just really mean to us, getting wrecked I think like three weeks in a row, so I don’t believe we’re where we need to be in the points. I think I’m 27th or something like that, but runs like we had on Saturday night are what I feel we deserve and it was great to finally have one of those.”
– Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver
Goals for Upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Events
Smith is optimistic about the team’s chances at several tracks on the schedule, naming New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon) as a particular highlight due to the team’s collective background in modified racing. He also expressed confidence in upcoming races at Kansas, Las Vegas, Martinsville, Talladega, and Phoenix, citing previous top-10 finishes and competitive runs as encouraging signs that a first win of the season is within reach.
“I think there are some great tracks coming up for us. Some that come to mind, Loudon. I feel pretty much my whole entire team has in some way, some form, a modified background, so I’m excited for this weekend. Kansas, Vegas, Martinsville, Talladega is in there, Phoenix we had a great run in the top 10 earlier in the year, so I definitely feel we can go get our first win of the year. We just need to execute on one of these weekends.”
– Zane Smith
Challenges Associated with Racing at New Hampshire
This weekend marks only Smith’s second start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a track he describes as deceptively rough and bumpy. Managing the car’s handling over the unpredictable surface will be crucial. Having spent a significant portion of last year’s race competing in wet conditions, he is also mindful of the different dynamics that come into play during such variable weather. Smith believes qualifying will be especially important given the difficulty of overtaking on this circuit, and his team is drawing insights from previous races on similar tires at Iowa and Gateway to better prepare.
“My list is gonna be small, like I said, because this will only be my second time ever there, but it’s a really bumpy place. I feel like it’s underrated with how bumpy it really is, so your ability to get through the bumps and keep a well-handling car is super important. And then even last year I spent half of the race in the rain, so I think I was second-quick or something like that in practice and my car drove pretty good at that time, and then in the race I just had something completely different. I hope to qualify well. I think qualifying can be incredibly important as it is every weekend, but it’s tough to pass – a little bit different tire there, so we’re kind of trying to take some notes from what we’ve had at Iowa and Gateway maybe, where we’ve had this tire, so I’m excited to see what it brings.”
– Zane Smith
Adapting to Past Experiences and Team Changes
Reflecting on his previous race at New Hampshire, which featured extended rainy conditions, Smith mentioned that while the experience will be valuable, the switch to a new team means that past data may not fully apply. Nonetheless, he remains hopeful that the strong performance demonstrated by Front Row Motorsports at this track last year will carry over to the current effort.
“I just think the experience that I got there and the time I had in the dry will be important to remember and look back on, but I’m with a different team now, so I can’t really look through those notes on what was good for me and what wasn’t, but I know the 38 group ran pretty well there last year, so hopefully it translates.”
– Zane Smith
Integrating Artificial Intelligence Within the Team Environment
Amid recent news focused on artificial intelligence, Smith acknowledged his own personal experiments with AI tools such as ChatGPT for creative purposes, including editing photos humorously involving his teammates. He suspects AI also plays a role behind the scenes among the engineering staff at Front Row Motorsports, although the specifics remain unclear.
“It’s so funny you asked that because I just downloaded ChatGPT and I have been addicted with the photo editing. We have a joke that my teammate, Noah, is short and so I made him shrink to like two-feet tall in this picture of Todd and I and him. Honestly, in a joking way I guess I’ve used it, but I’m sure that it’s used upstairs throughout the engineers in some way or form. I know that my crew chief has joked about it, that he’s used it on some things. I’m not exactly sure what, but it is insane on how fast and how it knows everything.”
– Zane Smith
Mastering Restarts and Tire Management at Bristol
<pSmith recounted the critical role restarts played in his success at Bristol Motor Speedway, where accelerating effectively off the line and managing tire wear were decisive factors. He described the challenges of navigating the “marbles” on the track and how being the leader at the start of restarts means cleaning that section first, which can cause the car to become loose temporarily. Despite running on older tires, Smith felt his tire-cleaning strategies on restarts allowed him to reduce the gap on competitors and maintain strong positioning.
“Passing is made on restarts, pit road. I feel like those are your main opportunities because everyone runs the same pace in that middle portion of the run it seems, unless you’re at a really wore out place. Even at time at that, we’re still somehow running the same lap times, but I felt all night what I was doing on restarts and my tire cleaning was working out pretty well for me. Everyone that I lined up behind, whether I was in third or fourth, I felt like I was rolling to their bumper more so than the guys that I had seen and, fortunately, that last one was a pretty good one. I tried getting in there and pretty much all of the restarts before that, especially once everyone started having their tire issues, once they were cleaning the track they blow the marbles into the PJ1 and so that bottom lane hits it. When you’re the leader, you’re the first to clean it up and so I just got super tight right then and you’re pretty much loose and out of the racetrack it seems for the next lap or two, and we were on older tires. I think just a product of that and two guys going for their first Cup win.”
– Zane Smith
When asked if he reviewed his launches, Smith remarked that he recognized the strength of his restarts midway through the race and chose to maintain his approach rather than adjusting it, as consistency was working to his advantage.
“I actually just recognized it like the middle portion of the race, once we kept restarting in those first couple rows, I knew my restarts had been pretty strong, so I didn’t want to change anything up from a tire-cleaning process and what I was doing with my launch, so it was working out for me and sometimes when you have those things you don’t really want to change it up.”
– Zane Smith
Positive Outlook Toward Kansas and Other Favorite Tracks
Looking ahead to Kansas Speedway, Smith shared enthusiasm stemming from his strong history at the track across different racing series. He cited Kansas, along with Homestead and Darlington, as some of his favorite tracks, especially due to their worn surfaces that allow for varied racing lines. Despite setbacks in practice at Kansas earlier this year, Smith navigated from the back to a top-10 position early in the race, demonstrating the team’s competitiveness.
“Even when I was in truck or anything, I have always been so excited for Kansas. Kansas, Homestead, Darlington, those are probably my favorite racetracks. I feel like with the package and things that have worked for us this year, that style of mile-and-a-half, where it’s kind of wore out, you can run the fence, you can move around some, those have been great places for us. Thinking back on Kansas, that was probably one of the best cars I’ve had this year. We had to start in the back from blowing a tire in practice and had some diffuser wear, so I had to start in the back and drove inside the top 10 in the first stage. Man, I really liked my car there, so hopefully we can improve on that a little bit and get another shot at it.”
– Zane Smith
Growing Confidence Amid a Competitive Field
Smith expressed rising confidence as the season progresses, fueled by recent strong qualifying efforts and rebounds from misfortunes in earlier races. He highlighted the excitement within the team as they approach the final stretches, emphasizing a shared hunger to secure a win before the season ends. Smith also noted that competing effectively against top-level playoff drivers attests to the team’s progress and resilience.
“I feel the confidence is there and I just feel like the excitement has been boosted now that we’re closing in on the end of the year, so we’re all eager to hopefully get a win before the year is over, and then just runs like we’ve been having – like qualifying in the top 10 at Gateway, rebounding in Darlington after just a bad stretch of races of just mishaps. When those happened, I think I was wrecked inside the top 10 every single time. Indy could have been another top five day. Dover, I think I lined up eighth and I was the first one on four tires. That’s what’s frustrating is I feel this stretch of good races should have lasted a little bit longer and started a little bit sooner, but it brings a level of excitement that we get to go try again at these places that we learned a little bit from the beginning of the year. One I forgot to mention was Martinsville. I had a great car at Martinsville and my old team, myself, we love that place and I feel like that’s another great opportunity to go win at, but I feel what we’re doing against these playoff guys – with them bringing the best of the best stuff that they’ve got – and to qualify up there and ultimately race up there all race long says a lot about my group and everyone at FRM. Hopefully, we can keep that going for seven more.”
– Zane Smith
Differences Between the Roval and Other Road Courses
The upcoming Roval race presents a unique test for Smith, who acknowledges that this track has historically been challenging for him despite his road racing background. He finds the Roval considerably different and more chaotic compared to other road courses like Watkins Glen or Sonoma, but remains hopeful for improved outcomes this season, especially given the high stakes for playoff contenders.
“In my opinion, it’s a lot different and, to be honest, the Roval has just not been a good place for me. I struggle there in a sense. Hopefully, this year goes a little better, but it’s chaos and there’s a lot going on for those playoff guys because it’s a cut off for them. It would be great to have a good run at home for us, but in the past it hasn’t been great to me, but, yes, I did grow up on road courses and I really enjoy them. I need to say the same hopefully here soon about the Roval.”
– Zane Smith
Leveraging Late Model Racing Experience at Tire-Intensive Tracks
Smith credits his background in late model racing for his ability to manage tire wear effectively, particularly on demanding tracks like Bristol. During the recent Bristol race, meticulous tire management and track position played pivotal roles in his performance. Smith recalled how his crew chief involved him in strategic calls, trusting his judgment to decide how long to extend stints on worn tires, evoking memories of his super late model days.
“Yeah, it’s funny you bring that up. This past weekend that brought back so many memories of super late model days, where you just couldn’t always bolt on a set of tires. We were at the end of the day going through them fast, but it was all just about saving and managing and managing your track position and then it came down to your crew chief telling you when he wanted to pit, or when you were getting close to your number and he would kind of turn the ball over to me and say, ‘Hey, this is on you now on how long you think you can last here on this set,’ so we tried to subtract that. That first run I didn’t feel any of those cords coming and all of a sudden it happened, and then after that I just went into that mode of trying to manage and save and I felt my team did a great job of painting a picture for me too about how this race is gonna play out and if you save here where it’s gonna benefit you. It worked out for us, but I really enjoyed it. That was probably one of the most fun Bristol races I’ve ever had, regardless of if we had a really good finish or not. It was still a fun night. With that said, it was a lot of fun, especially to see those guys that would come and go, especially when you were good on a long run, where my car was pretty good. That’s always a lot of fun when those guys fall off a little bit more.”
– Zane Smith
Decision-Making Under Pressure During Close Races
Explaining his thought process during critical moments, Smith detailed how he tries to view situations from his crew chief’s perspective, understanding the bigger picture outside of the immediate view on the track. He illustrated this with an example during Bristol when he was leading and communicating with his crew about how many more laps he could extend his stint despite the challenges of traffic and track conditions.
“I’m trying to put myself in his shoes and trying to understand what the end goal is here because you see guys peeling off in front of you and then there are guys that are like two laps down buzzing by you and it’s hard. You only see so many feet in front of you at Bristol and a lot of things are happening fast, so you’re just trying to wrap your head around on what’s happening there, but one example was Joey and I, I was the leader at that time and he was second and I got told like, ‘Hey, we need five more,’ and I think I ran at least 10 and I’m like, ‘How long do you want me to go? I think I can get at least maybe eight more good ones,’ and he let me run three and then called me down. There are a lot of things that I don’t see, but I try to do my best at really understanding the bigger picture.”
– Zane Smith
Team Composition Rooted in Regional and Racing Experience
Smith noted that many of his crew members hail from the New England area around New Hampshire and have strong modified and open-wheel racing backgrounds. This shared racing heritage connects the team and has created a supportive environment for the upcoming race weekend.
“A lot of them are from up there near New Hampshire, just modified racing and really, I guess, open-wheel style of racing. I’m sure a lot of the guys on my team will be having hero card requests throughout the weekend – more than myself, especially now that Ryan Flores is on our team. Ryan Bergenty came from that background, my spotter, Ryan Blanchard came from that background. I think his cousin races modifieds. Just a lot of our guys have been involved in it.”
– Zane Smith
Appreciation for the Enthusiastic New Hampshire Fanbase
Smith appreciates the passionate local fans at New Hampshire, describing them as authentic racing enthusiasts who follow motorsports year-round, unlike some larger venues where fans only attend occasionally. This connection to committed supporters and competing for the notable lobster trophy adds meaning to the race.
“I feel this about a lot of different places we go. It’s not just Loudon, but I will say those are real NASCAR fans, or just real racing fans. There are some places you go where it’s a really big track, but it’s a different style of fan, I feel like. These fans that we get to go see in New Hampshire they watch racing every weekend, not just when NASCAR comes into town two weeks a year. It’s cool to have races like that and I think it’s an awesome trophy. Everyone wants to hold that lobster.”
– Zane Smith
Maintaining Motivation Amid Frustrations and Setbacks
Smith described the mental challenge of staying focused and motivated despite encountering multiple crashes while running competitively inside the top 10. He likened his role to that of a quarterback, tasked with keeping his entire team energized through a long and difficult season. Recognizing which factors are beyond their control allows everyone to keep working hard toward improvement.
“I feel like that’s your role. I feel like we’re almost like that quarterback role to where you’ve got to keep your whole group and whole team excited and motivated. It’s a long year and what makes that easy is because at least when we did get wrecked we were running inside the top 10 and battling for a great finish. If we were running 35th and we get right hooked, everyone is just gonna be mad and over it. Fortunately, that was the situation for us, but my whole team is easy to work with in that way to where we’re all hungry. We all are paying attention to what actually happened and what’s out of our control and what is in our control, and all of those were out of my control. Everyone just put their heads down and went back to work. When you have a good finish rebounding from that it always feels that much better.”
– Zane Smith
Resilience Through Hard Times Strengthens the Team
Smith emphasized his belief that difficult experiences help build tougher competitors in racing, noting that maintaining a balanced mindset through highs and lows contributes to the ability to bounce back effectively and continue improving.
“I’m just a big believer in hard times build tougher people. I think through racing and doing this for a living, not only as a driver, but in any role in racing you’re going to experience so many ups and downs, but regardless, even at the high I feel just keeping a level head goes a long way and you just let your lows get too low. With that, I feel like that’s how we’ve been able to rebound.”
– Zane Smith
Navigating a Competitive Bristol Field Without Dominance by Any Team
Smith pointed out the parity evident during the Bristol race, where no single driver or team dominated, which played to the benefit of Front Row Motorsports as a smaller team against resource-heavy contenders. He believes managing unexpected tire conditions allowed them to seize valuable points and gain momentum in their quest for future wins.
“Yeah, for sure. That’s the positive to all of this. I think definitely when we have a tire like that to where it catches people by surprise and it’s whoever manages the chaos the most, those are great races for us and those are opportunities for us to go get a race win or get a good finish like we did. I think I left there with forty-something points, which is awesome for us. We’re a smaller team and we’re going up against guys that have a ton of resources. I’m not saying that FRM won’t be there one day, but it takes time to get there, but runs like that, like we had, definitely speeds up the process.”
– Zane Smith
The Importance of Friendship and Camaraderie in NASCAR
Having two of his closest friends as teammates, Smith feels supported regardless of race outcomes. This camaraderie provides a healthy distraction during difficult times, allowing them to enjoy moments away from racing and maintain a positive mindset.
“Yeah, sure. I feel good run or bad run, in all of our cases I feel like we’re always hanging out on Monday and that’s what you get when you have two of your best friends as your teammates. Ultimately, I think it just takes your mind off of it. Everyone has their different thing that they may do to get their mind off of it and, to be honest, when Noah and Todd and I, even other guys we race with, we’re rarely talking about racing. That’s cool to have teammates like that. It’s been a lot of fun working with them this year and hopefully we can continue that.”
– Zane Smith
Continuous Improvement Through Experience and Focus
Smith believes his growth this season stems from honing attention to detail and the broader context of races. He studies competitors’ strategies and emphasizes the value of strong practice and qualifying sessions. Improved adjustments between practice and race day have allowed him to start races ahead and avoid setbacks like falling laps down, while experience at each track enhances his aggression and track knowledge.
“I think just trying to be better at the little things and looking at the bigger picture. There were a lot of times, even when we were struggling, where you run really good at a point in the race and then I would often catch myself at the end of the race with not a good result and someone I was racing with all race long is in the top five, top 10, and I kind of spent some time studying how they got there and what it takes to do that, and ultimately it’s I think being smarter, understanding all of the different roles to make a better weekend, and I think a lot of that starts on Saturdays of just practicing and qualifying better. Qualifying good goes such a far way. I feel we’ve done a great job of that with our practice and a few qualifying adjustments which is in such a short period of time, and then I feel our adjustments from Saturday to Sunday even have been great as well. When you have that, you just start ahead when the race starts and you don’t get caught a lap down. You’re just ahead more and then there’s always gonna be things that you just naturally get better at. You’re gonna get better at being more aggressive in the right ways on restarts – towards the end of the race when is the right time when is not the right time – and just experience of going to these places. I feel every year I go back to a racetrack I’m better in some way and that’s maybe getting onto pit road, knowing how the track changes. There are so many different things, so just trying to understand all of that and apply it.”
– Zane Smith
Patience Amid Urgency for Results
Despite the eagerness to secure victories, Smith acknowledges the importance of maintaining patience and perspective during stretches without wins. He described how those questions—wondering if he can still compete and stay focused—surface during quiet moments, but data and analytics help provide reassurance and reset his mindset toward future success.
“You get warned about that. The conversations get brought up of like maybe you going to race on Sunday and you could go through a stretch there without winning something and it takes a toll on you. ‘Can I still do this? Do I still stay as locked in as I did?’ You question why it’s not happening, but fortunately we have a lot of data and analytics of looking at where we can improve and maybe circling more than one reason of why we’re not, and I think we’re thankful for that because that can just naturally take a toll on a driver. It was a good reminder on Saturday that I feel I still can win. Once that caution fell I was incredibly locked in and just ready for the restart. Those are things on Monday night’s you lay in bed and it’s like, ‘Man, can I still do it?’ So, runs like that just boost the confidence in a way of like, ‘OK, I still can, we just need a few more things to go our way.’”
– Zane Smith
Different Mindsets Required Based on Starting Position
Smith detailed how mental preparation and focus differ when starting near the front versus deeper in the field. While consistent top-10 finishes are commendable for a developing team, being positioned for a race win brings a new level of pressure and sharpens the need to concentrate on every detail. Experience helps keep composure, but the challenge of contending for a maiden victory requires channeling all knowledge into execution.
“To be honest, there’s a lot more you’re thinking about. A lot of the wins that we take as a smaller team or your first couple years in Cup are like top 10 days in the Cup Series. Those are a great day and that needs to be celebrated and there needs to be some excitement behind that, but, man, when you’re trying to get your first win in the Cup Series of something you just wanted to be in for your whole life and then the opportunity is right in front of you and it’s gonna be settled in a couple minutes, there’s a lot of things running through your head. Pretty much everything I’ve known in my career I need to funnel it down to right now and see how I can possibly execute this race win.’ I knew it was gonna be an uphill battle. Carson and I were both on older tires. Up front we had guys right behind us on fresh tires. Our bed was already made, but that doesn’t mean we ain’t gonna go down with a fighting chance. I felt that I executed mainly the things I felt I could control, I just think being in that position, the more times you are the calmer you naturally are and your mind goes to the right place more often times than not.”
– Zane Smith
The Mental Processing of High-Stakes Opportunities
Smith likened the intense mental activity surrounding pivotal career moments to an athlete’s mindset before a championship play. The recognition of a rare opportunity for victory brings thoughts about lifelong preparation and the need to respond quickly under pressure. This mental processing occurs naturally and motivates him to focus on executing each moment without overthinking.
“I don’t know if you would call it nerves. You naturally are in that scenario. You want to compare it to football. If a kid has played football his whole entire life and dreams of going to the Super Bowl and then he has the chance to throw the winning pass in the Super Bowl, those things are gonna run through your head like, ‘I’ve worked for this all my life and the opportunity is right here. Who knows if I’ll have this opportunity again.’ I don’t know about everyone else, but those things run through my head at some point in time and so yeah, at that point you’re just processing it. I don’t think about it and stay thinking about it, it just naturally pops up in my head of, ‘Alright, the opportunity is right here, right now. What can I do to execute this?’”
– Zane Smith
