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Regan Smith to Drive Part-Time for Ricky Benton Racing in 2017

Regan Smith has found a part-time Camping World Truck Series ride for the 2017 season, competing with Ricky Benton Racing in 12 events.

The news comes less than one week after Smith stated, “I’m not done racing,” while co-hosting “The Morning Drive” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“I wasn’t done racing — don’t count me out yet,” Smith told Jeff Gluck, who first reported the story. “It’s just nothing was playing out to be in a good situation in Cup this year.”

Smith is scheduled to run the No. 92 Ford beginning at Daytona International Speedway in two weeks. He will then remain in the truck for the next five races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 4), Martinsville Speedway (April 1), Kansas Speedway (May 12), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 19) and Dover International Speedway (June 2).

The remaining six races Smith will compete in have yet to be decided.

In 2016, Ricky Benton Racing competed in 12 races, for 10 of which Parker Kligerman piloted the truck. He kicked off the season with a third-place finish at Daytona, tying a career-best for the organization.

“If we could duplicate the start we had last year, that would be an ideal situation,” Smith said. “Then we could aim for top 10s and try to stay up there. We have to work to get consistency a little bit, but I think the sky’s the limit. There’s some really good people down there.”

RBR will receive the majority of its primary sponsorship through team owner Ricky Benton. His companies BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors and Black’s Tire Service served as the primary sponsor in nine of the team’s 12 races last season. Smith will also have Advance Auto Parts, Goodyear Commercial Tire and Service Network and Valvoline on board.

Smith has competed in 23 career Truck Series races, the last of them coming in 2008, finishing 17th at Michigan International Speedway. In 2007, he scored his lone top-five finish at Gateway Motorsports Park, finishing fifth.

About the author

Dustin joined the Frontstretch team at the beginning of the 2016 season. 2020 marks his sixth full-time season covering the sport that he grew up loving. His dream was to one day be a NASCAR journalist, thus why he attended Ithaca College (Class of 2018) to earn a journalism degree. Since the ripe age of four, he knew he wanted to be a storyteller.

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