Chandler Michael Smith Sr. (born June 26, 2002) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 38 Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports, part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driving the No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Hettinger Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 36 Ford Mustang Dark Horse also for Front Row Motorsports.
Smith was a member of Toyota Racing Development's TD2 driver development system from 2018 until the end of 2022 but rejoined the program for 2024, before leaving at the end of the year again to rejoin the Truck Series. In 2027, he will drive for Richard Childress Racing in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Racing career Early career and ARCA Menards Series
In 2013, Smith won the bandoleros national championship after two wins at Atlanta, one at Charlotte and one at Bethel Motor Speedway. In 2018, Smith made his ARCA Menards Series debut at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and won the pole after qualifying was rained out. He led 51 laps and finished fifth in the race. In his fourth ARCA start, Smith dominated at Madison International Speedway and won his first race after leading the most laps.
On September 15, 2018, Smith dominated at Salem Speedway, leading nearly every lap to win his second race. On November 2, it was announced that Smith would return to Venturini Motorsports for the 2019 season for eleven races. Smith would run mostly short track events due to age restrictions.
Smith would return to Venturini part-time in the No. 20 for the third year in a row in 2020, with him in the car for thirteen races while Ryan Repko would join the team that year to drive it in most of the races at the larger tracks such as Daytona where Smith was not able to compete at due to being under eighteen. Ten of Smith's races that year were part of the brand new Sioux Chief Showdown, which put him in contention to win that separate championship within the ARCA Series.
Craftsman Truck Series On February 21, 2019, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that Smith would run a four-race NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series schedule in the team's Nos. 46 and 51 Toyota Tundras. In just his first truck series start at Iowa, he would capture the pole after qualifying would be rained out with the starting order based on owner's points. Smith would lead the initial 55 laps and finished eighth in the race.
On March 3, 2020, Smith was announced to return to KBM part-time in the Truck Series for the 2020 season. His original schedule included eight races, all in the No. 51, which were at Richmond, Dover, Michigan, Gateway, Bristol, Las Vegas, Talladega, and the season finale at Phoenix. His schedule was shuffled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; at Texas in November, Smith spun and criticized Tanner Gray for the lack of an ability to drive straight; Smith was later blamed by Ben Rhodes for a last-lap incident, although Smith never publicly accepted blame.
Smith was promoted to a full-time Truck Series schedule for 2021, driving the No. 18 for KBM. He almost won the series' inaugural race at Knoxville, but lost the lead to Austin Hill in the closing laps and green-white-checkered attempts. Smith did barely qualify for the playoffs in the tenth and final spot despite being disqualified in the regular-season finale at Watkins Glen. At Bristol, in a must-win situation to make the Round of 8 in the playoffs, Smith won, beating Grant Enfinger and teammate John Hunter Nemechek as Nemechek overshot turn 1 and race leader Sheldon Creed was put into the wall by Smith and overshot turn 1 and spun finishing nineteenth. A 35th-place finish at Las Vegas and a nineteenth-place finish at Talladega cost Smith a chance at the Championship 4. Despite this, he won at Phoenix and finished eighth in the standings.
Smith began the 2022 season with a 21st-place finish at Daytona. He scored wins at Las Vegas and Pocono to make the playoffs. During the playoffs, he won at Richmond and stayed consistent enough to make the Championship 4. Smith finished third at Phoenix and third in the standings.
Smith returned to the Truck Series part-time in 2023, driving the No. 25 for Rackley W.A.R. at Talladega after Matt DiBenedetto parted ways with the team.
On December 20, 2024, Smith announced his return to the Truck Series full-time, driving for Front Row Motorsports in 2025. He would drive the No. 38 as Layne Riggs would move over to the No. 34 after FRM expanded to two full-time trucks. Smith started the season with a sixth-place finish at Daytona. He scored wins at Bristol and North Wilkesboro.
Smith started the 2026 season with a win at Daytona. Smith was the points leader until Rockingham, where he failed post race inspection. He also won at North Wilkesboro.
On July 28, 2026, Smith announced that he would not return to FRM in 2027.
O'Reilly Auto Parts Series
On October 5, 2022, Kaulig Racing announced that Smith would replace A. J. Allmendinger in the No. 16 in 2023 in the Xfinity Series, as Allmendinger would return to a full-time schedule in the Cup Series. Smith began the season with a twelfth place finish at Daytona. Two months later, he scored his first Xfinity win at Richmond. In October of that year, it was revealed that Smith, who originally signed a multi-year contract, would part ways with the team at the end of the season.
On December 13, 2023, it was announced that Smith will join Joe Gibbs Racing and drive the No. 81 Toyota full-time in 2024 after the team bought out Smith's contract from Kaulig. Smith started the season with a fifth place finish at Daytona. He later scored wins at Phoenix and Richmond. Smith was eliminated from the playoffs at the conclusion of the Round of 8 at Martinsville. In addition, he was fined 10,000 for slapping Cole Custer in a post-race altercation. At the end of the season, Smith parted ways with JGR.
In 2026, he made several starts for Hettinger Racing.
On August 26, 2026, it was announced that he alongside Carson Brown, will drive full-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series for Richard Childress Racing.
Cup Series On January 18, 2023, Kaulig Racing announced that Smith will attempt to make his Cup Series debut in the 2023 Daytona 500, with an additional four race schedule, driving a third car for the team. Smith failed to make the Daytona 500 after finishing eighteenth in Duel 1 of the 2023 Bluegreen Vacations Duels. Smith made his official Cup debut at Richmond, finishing seventeenth.
On January 22, 2025, MBM Motorsports announced that Smith would attempt to make the 2025 Daytona 500 in their Garage 66 Ford entry. He would fail to qualify after experiencing a hard crash in Duel 1 while running in third.
On January 22, 2026, it was announced that Smith will once again attempt to make the Daytona 500, this time driving the No. 36 Ford for Front Row Motorsports.
Personal life Smith attended Pickens High School in Jasper, Georgia and was a part of the graduating class of 2020. Smith's father, Mike Smith, is the owner of Smith General Contracting, a business that sponsors much of Chandler's racing endeavors.
Smith proposed to his girlfriend, Kenzie Grams, on New Year's Day in 2021; they were married on July 17, 2021. On February 4, 2022, they announced they were expecting their first child, and on August 4, 2022, their son, Chandler Smith Jr., was born. They announced on May 12, 2023, that they were expecting their second son.
Motorsports career results
Racing career summary SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsTop 5Top 10PointsPosition2016CARS Super Late Model TourMike Smith20114930th2017CARS Super Late Model TourMike Smith20120NC†2018CARS Super Late Model TourMike Smith30339311thARCA Racing SeriesVenturini Motorsports9268199514th2019ARCA Menards SeriesVenturini Motorsports115810242011thNASCAR Pinty's Series22 Racing10002146thNASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck SeriesKyle Busch Motorsports403417124th2020ARCA Menards Series EastVenturini Motorsports20116428thARCA Menards Series13281050610thCARS Super Late Model TourKyle Busch Motorsports20223119thNASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series1205531219th2021CARS Super Late Model TourDonnie Wilson3133659thARCA Menards SeriesVenturini Motorsports10003390thNASCAR Camping World Truck SeriesKyle Busch Motorsports2226922308th2022ARCA Menards SeriesVenturini Motorsports11114868thNASCAR Camping World Truck SeriesKyle Busch Motorsports23391640343rdNASCAR Xfinity SeriesSam Hunt Racing30010NC†2023ASA STARS National TourBen Kennedy Racing00005118thNASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesRackley W. A. R.10110NC†NASCAR Xfinity SeriesKaulig Racing33181322199thNASCAR Cup Series30000NC†2024ASA STARS National TourWilson Motorsports11119529thNASCAR Xfinity SeriesJoe Gibbs Racing332172223145th2025NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesFront Row Motorsports25251621798thNASCAR Cup SeriesGarage 6600000NC†2026NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesFront Row MotorsportsTBDTBDNASCAR Cup Series0NC†NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts SeriesHettinger Racing0NC†
NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Cup Series NASCAR Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 2023 Kaulig Racing 13 Chevy DAYDNQ CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH17 BRD MAR TAL DOV KAN DAR CLT GTW SON NSH CSC ATL NHA POC RCH MCH IRC GLN DAY15 DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL11 ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 47th 01 2025 Garage 66 66 Ford DAYDNQ ATL COA PHO LVS HOM MAR DAR BRI TAL TEX KAN CLT NSH MCH MXC POC ATL CSC SON DOV IND IOW GLN RCH DAY DAR GTW BRI NHA KAN ROV LVS TAL MAR PHO 60th 01 2026 Front Row Motorsports 36 Ford DAY ATL COA PHO LVS DAR MAR BRI KAN TAL TEX GLN CLT NSH MCH POC COR SON CHI ATL NWS IND IOW RCH NHA DAY DAR GTW BRI KAN LVS CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM -* -*
Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 2023 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet DNQ 2025 Garage 66 Ford DNQ 2026 Front Row Motorsports Ford DNQ
O'Reilly Auto Parts Series NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Pts Ref 2022 Sam Hunt Racing 26 Toyota DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR TAL38 DOV21 DAR TEX CLT PIR NSH ROA ATL NHA POC IRC MCH GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL ROV LVS HOM7 MAR PHO 87th 01 2023 Kaulig Racing 16 Chevy DAY12 CAL4 LVS3* PHO5 ATL28 COA12 RCH1* MAR10 TAL25 DOV13 DAR36 CLT13 PIR9 SON14 NSH12* CSC8 ATL20 NHA2 POC20 ROA37 MCH20 IRC34 GLN8 DAY22 DAR12 KAN32 BRI5 TEX4 ROV12 LVS4 HOM34 MAR36 PHO8 9th 2219 2024 Joe Gibbs Racing 81 Toyota DAY5 ATL2 LVS3 PHO1* COA8 RCH1 MAR3 TEX15 TAL25 DOV7 DAR12 CLT18 PIR35 SON7 IOW8* NHA15 NSH2 CSC38 POC15 IND33 MCH27 DAY2 DAR8 ATL4 GLN4 BRI3 KAN3* TAL5 ROV5 LVS4 HOM13 MAR3 PHO5 5th 2314 2026 Hettinger Racing 5 Ford DAY ATL COA PHO21 LVS36 DAR MAR CAR BRI KAN TAL TEX GLN DOV CLT NSH POC COR SON CHI ATL IND IOW DAY DAR GTW BRI LVS CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM -* -*
Craftsman Truck Series