Zane Smith has a slew of ways to describe his rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Some of those include “rough”, “awkward” and “a grind.” But there is also something else and it’s working to Smith’s advantage over the last few months to help him and his Spire Motorsports team turn a corner.
“Truthfully, I’ve been racing with a chip on my shoulder, and I have been since Nashville,” Smith told RACER. “There have been some hard conversations and some of, ‘Hey, I’m fighting for my life here. We need to do maybe some type of strategy that seems crazy, but you never know what could happen. I have to have those runs that stand out.’
“That’s how Cup Series racing is right now, with how even everyone is from first to last. You have to do something that puts you in a position to capitalize, and that’s how we’ve been approaching and we’ve been carrying our momentum one week to the next.”
Smith finished second at Nashville Superspeedway, the final race of June. In the nine races since, Smith has earned seven top-20 finishes, which includes two more top-10 finishes. On Sunday, he finished fifth at Watkins Glen.
Nashville has been the line of demarcation for Smith because that was the weekend he was told he would not have a ride at Trackhouse Racing next season. Smith was signed to a long-term contract with the team a year ago and, in the meantime, was put on loan to Spire Motorsports.
The team is made up of both Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing personnel. It’s a unique situation, and Smith admitted the group knew they had their work cut out for them this year.
“I went into this year knowing and having been told, ‘Hey, it’s going to be an awkward situation, and you guys are going to have to dig and fight through some struggles, but don’t worry about it. You’re going to have – regardless of how it goes – a seat over at Trackhouse next year,’” Smith said. “That is why I didn’t really look too much into it. I know that in this sport you have to go through years that are a grind and a struggle. I kept that in mind and with the situation that was on paper, it looked great and was a no-brainer to do. But unfortunately, it didn’t come true.
“It’s not easy for anyone. There’s weekly struggles, but I feel my team has kept a great attitude and we’ve all fought through it, and we’re going week by week.”
Trackhouse Racing confirmed last month that Shane van Gisbergen will move into the Cup Series in 2025, with the team expanding to three cars. Justin Marks initially had plans to bring Smith in-house with a third car next season, which he discussed when Smith’s signing was announced in late 2023.
“It’s been an absolutely brutal couple of months but I’m fighting through it; nothing really new in my career,” Smith said. “I’m not a guy to want anyone to feel sorry for me, by any means. It’s just been tough, but I’ll never give up, and it’s hard to beat someone that never gives up.”
On the track, at least, Smith has felt the season turned around with the Nashville result. Prior to that weekend, Smith finished 30th or worse six times, had one top-20 and three DNFs. However, a more aggressive approach to strategy has led to Smith running and finishing inside the 20 more often, and he has advanced through the first round of qualifying. The biggest thing that has stood out for Smith is that everyone on the team has done a better job of grinding out the rough days.
There is also something to be said about seat time. Smith came into the year having made eight starts in 2023, and he continues to learn the car he’s driving. Understanding dirty air has been critical. Although Smith has experienced that before, he believes it’s much worse in the Cup Series. By finding ways to improve track position, Smith can go from having “the worst car” he’s ever driven to one with zero issues in clean air.
Of course, Cup Series races and the schedule are longer than what Smith has previously done. And the Cup calendar allows less time between races, meaning it’s a quick reset onto the next week, which Smith loves.
Statistically, Smith is also doing what he needs to in finishing races, and has completed 90.6% of the laps run.
“I didn’t even know about that,” he said. “This year, even though it won’t end as the plan was meant to be, was about me getting experience. Your rookie year in the Cup Series, we’ve seen time and again, it could be absolutely brutal and a big learning experience. I don’t want to say learning curve; I still know how to win races and make moves I’ve done throughout my career. It’s just a different car and different field, and you have to learn and adapt to what you’re racing. So, it’s great to be in that 90% area of completing races, whether they’re good or bad. I feel like every week, I don’t know if more comfortable is the word, but I know what to expect, and I’m up to speed faster.
“I need to keep it going. And with that, I hope to stay in the Cup Series and continue to grow. I feel like firing off next year – if I can start the Daytona 500 and run full time – I’ll have a lot better year from what I know now.”
Smith’s next step is still unknown. Wherever he ends up, the experiences of 2024 will be invaluable to take forward.
“I believe tough times make tough people, and I’ve lived my life like that,” Smith said. “This is probably one of the toughest years and experience and life lessons I’ve ever been through. So, I’m not taking that lightly and using it to fuel me.”