Zane Smith Q&A

from NASCAR Pole Position - February-March 2022

Paint Schemers

Q&A with ZANE SMITH

SWITCH TO FORD OFFERS A FRESH START

BY JOSEPH WOLKIN

Zane Smith came oh so close to capturing the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. At the time, while driving for GMS Racing, Smith stunned the NASCAR world with a remarkable win at Martinsville Speedway to lock himself into the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. The emotional triumph also helped Smith secure a ride for 2022 after having no idea what he’d be doing.

Smith, known for being an aggressive and consistent driver, finished runner-up in the series for a second-straight season. With Todd Gilliland moving to the Cup Series, Front Row Motorsports signed the Californian to pilot truck No. 38, a move that Smith believes positions him for a future with Ford Performance.

Not only is Smith a promising 22-yearold racer, he’s also a dog lover. We spoke to Smith about his thoughts heading into the next season, as well as his life with two cute dogs.

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO BE WORKING WITH FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS?

I’m pretty excited, mostly because it’s a really good group, especially on the Truck Series side. That’s what has me most excited. Being in the stable of Ford Performance is super exciting, as well, for whatever can come in the future. There’s not a whole lot of people in line there. I’m really fortunate.

WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED EARLY ON THAT IS DIFFERENT BETWEEN CHEVROLET AND FORD?

I feel like all manufacturers are going to have their own things that are different. So far, before driving the trucks at Daytona – I’ll feel more then – a lot of the stuff is pretty similar. Even the simulator is close on a lot of things. There are few things I like more when I spend a day in the DIL (simulator) or at the shop, and I’ve been learning.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON?

Obviously, we’re going to try our hardest to hit the ground running. It’s hard to do as a new group, especially right now. I feel that myself and this group already have a good connection. That’s important to make sure everybody is on the same page right away. We have to make the most out of these weekends. We don’t have a lot of practice time, so we’ll have to be on our A-game come race weekend.

YOU HAD A GREAT END TO THE 2021 SEASON. WHAT WAS THE ROLLER-COASTER JOURNEY LIKE FOR YOU LAST YEAR?

Honestly, I’ve never – throughout a year – felt so much adversity. We had pit-road penalties and racing situations that took us a while to learn from our mistakes. The playoffs were brutal. If you don’t have all of your eggs in line, you’re going to get bit. Unfortunately, that’s what was costing us. Somehow, I was able to race my way in. Come the final round, we went from passing for second or the lead three-wide on the top and my left-rear tire cut down and destroyed our truck. We were leading and got taken out. We entered a must-win situation at Martinsville, and we did exactly that. It literally came down to getting passed with eight to go. I don’t know. You have to look at the bright side of things and we would’ve been outside of the top five in points. We had a shot at winning the championship. We had an extremely tight race car, and I could only hold onto it for so long. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long enough.

WHAT CAN YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IN 2022 WITH A FRESH START?

I’m not going to be doing a whole lot different. The more years you have with the more experience you have, the better you’re going to get naturally. I think I’m going to go into it the same way I’ve been going into it the past couple of years. I’ll be on my own in terms of preparation, so that’ll be a little bit different. Like I said, I know how to go about it since I’ve been doing it for the past few years. The goal is always the same every year, and that’s to win as many races and contend for wins in as many races as you can. If you can do that, it’s anybody’s game.

WE UNDERSTAND YOU’RE QUITE THE DOG GUY. TELL US ABOUT YOUR PETS.

I have a French bulldog and a golden retriever. I spend a lot of time with them, and I know they’re loving it. I’m a huge dog person for sure. I always have been and always will be. My golden retriever is 2 and my French bulldog is 4. Most of the time, they’re either sleeping or just hanging out.