Chandler Smith will make attempt his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut this season, driving the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing machine with sponsorship from Charge Me, SHR announced April 14.
Smith will compete in three races for the team, beginning with the April 23 race at Talladega Superspeedway. He will also compete at Dover Motor Speedway on April 30 and at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 22.
Smith is currently in his second full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports and is off to a strong start, picking up a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and finishing no worse than sixth in four of the first five races this season.
“It’s definitely going to be exciting,” Smith said in a team release. “The experience just being able to come up and do a longer race and have more pit stops with a different car instead of a truck is going to be all in all a lot different than what I’m accustomed to. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”
“Our entire organization is excited to add Chandler to our roster,” team owner Sam Hunt said. “His ability speaks for itself and it will be fun to begin his transition from the truck series into the Xfinity Series here at SHR.”
Smith is now the sixth driver to join Sam Hunt Racing this season. His Truck teammate, John Hunter Nemechek, has made two starts with the team, finishing 12th at Las Vegas and fifth at Phoenix, respectively. Ryan Truex, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Parker Chase and Derek Griffith have also driven the No. 26 this season.
About the author
Anthony Damcott joined Frontstretch in March 2022. Currently, he is an editor and co-authors Fire on Fridays (Fridays); he is also the primary Truck Series reporter/writer and secondary short track writer. He also serves as an at-track reporter and assists with social media when he can. A proud West Virginia Wesleyan College alum from Akron, Ohio, Anthony is now a grad student. He is a theatre actor and fight-choreographer-in-training in his free time.
You can keep up with Anthony by following @AnthonyDamcott on X.
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