Zane Smith will return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025 after signing a multi-year agreement with Front Row Motorsports.
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The organization announced the news on Jan. 2 with a press release. Front Row Motorsports said that Smith, who won a Truck Series championship for the team, will drive the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. He will join Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson in the three-car lineup.
According to the press release, Ryan Bergenty will be the crew chief for Smith and the No. 38 team. Bergenty guided Smith for six Cup races in 2023, which included a 10th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600. He was the crew chief for Gilliland and the No. 38 team last season.
Smith reunites with Front Row Motorsports after spending his rookie season with Trackhouse Racing. He drove for Spire Motorsports as part of an agreement between the two Chevrolet teams.
The rookie season started with struggles for Smith as he failed to finish better than 19th in the first 15 races. However, Smith turned a corner as he gained more experience and began delivering more consistently.
Smith finished second at Nashville Superspeedway after overcoming the chaos of five overtime attempts. He finished seventh at Michigan International Speedway later in the summer. He added a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen International and a 10th-place finish at Kansas Speedway before ending his lone season in the No. 71 Chevrolet.
"I've always felt at home with Front Row Motorsports," Smith said in a statement. "They believed in me when I signed with them to race in the Truck Series initially in 2022 and we shared so much success together, winning six races and a championship in two seasons.
"Unfortunately, everyone had to make tough decisions because there were only two Cup cars available at Front Row Motorsports going into last season when I was ready to move up full-time.
"Now, going into next year, Front Row has really taken their Cup program to another level and I cannot think of a better lineup of teammates. Todd and Noah are great friends of mine and we all have a lot to prove as young drivers in the Cup Series. It is a great time to come back and continue to build my career with an organization where I know I can win."
This move, which Smith teased on Dec. 25, was made possible by multiple off-track moves. First was Judge Kenneth D. Bell granting a preliminary injunction to Front Row Motorsports and ruling that NASCAR could not refuse the transfer of a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing.
The second move took place on Dec. 31. Front Row Motorsports finalized its purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. This ensured that all three cars would have guaranteed entry into every race on the schedule in 2025.
