Dale Jr’s JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith has been turning heads in the 2025 Xfinity Series with a mix of solid finishes and flashes of real speed that show he’s got what it takes to hang with the big names. Even when he’s not grabbing the checkered flag, he’s often right in the thick of it, battling for top spots. Across 27 races this year, Smith’s racked up 13 top-10s and five top-5s, showing consistency that’s kept him in the playoff conversation. He’s also got a knack for starting strong, leading 62 laps overall, and even at Bristol in the spring, he clawed to a respectable fourth-place finish. But the spring magic couldn’t be repeated this time, in a more crucial Bristol for the No. 8.

For a 21-year-old with JR Motorsports backing, the playoffs hit different, and Bristol’s Food City 300 turned Smith’s hopes into a nightmare. A freak engine failure just 56 laps in sent his No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet to the garage, dropping him from sixth in the playoff standings to the back of the pack. With this heartbreak, and now with just two more races to decide his fate, Sammy Smith didn’t hold back when chatting with CW Sports.

Sammy Smith’s playoff heartbreak at Bristol

 “Very disappointing. It’s a tough way to start the playoffs. Unfortunately a situation with the motor. I think they haven’t really quite said but yeah HMS did such a good job and it’s just a fluke deal. So very disappointed for a pilot Chevrolet air team,” he said. The incident unfolded early in the Food City 300, with Smith’s No. 8 losing power and heading to the garage after the team confirmed an engine failure.

It was a mechanical DNF, not a crash or bad strategy, just a sudden expiration that loaded the car and ended his night. Coming in sixth among playoff drivers, the retirement plunged him 24 points below the cutline, putting massive pressure on the next two races. For JR Motorsports and sponsors like Pilot, it’s a gut punch, not just for points but for the momentum they’d built.

Smith’s earlier Rockingham win and 13 top-10s had him primed for a deep run, making this fluke all the more stinging. He poured out the raw emotion, “We work so hard and to not really have a shot as it gets frustrating. So yeah, we’ll just have to do our best the next two weeks of the playoffs.” That’s the reality of Xfinity’s short playoff rounds; one bad break like this can flip the script.

Smith’s team framed him as a contender pre-Bristol, but the engine issue left him in a huge deficit, needing strong finishes or a win to claw back. His garage frustration, “it’s just really frustrating,” and “we’ll do our best next week,” captured the moment, a driver who’d been clean and consistent now facing elimination. With five top-5s and 62 laps led this year, Smith’s shown he can compete, but this setback tests his resilience in a format where mechanical gremlins can end a season overnight.

Meanwhile, aside from the Bristol blow, Sammy Smith’s future looks bright with JR Motorsports.

Sammy Smith re-signs with JR Motorsports for 2026

The team confirmed he’ll stick with the No. 8 for 2026, backed by Pilot, TMC, and Allstate Peterbilt Group. “I am looking forward to continuing to build on what we’ve accomplished together here at JRM, I am thankful for the continued support from Pilot, TMC and Allstate Peterbilt Group as we go into these playoffs and into next season as a team.” Smith said.

He’s won in each of his first three seasons, including back-to-back years with JR, and his Rockingham victory locked him into the 2025 playoffs for the third straight time. With five top-5s and 13 top-10s this year, he’s proven his mettle, even after a Martinsville controversy where he wrecked Taylor Gray on the final lap, costing him 50 points and $25,000. Since then, he’s raced clean, earning praise for his growth.

Kelley Earnhardt Miller, co-owner, was thrilled, “We are thrilled to have Sammy (Smith), Pilot, TMC and Allstate Peterbilt Group back for 2026. It’s been a pleasure getting to know and work with Sammy these past two seasons and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future will hold next year after our run for a championship with the No. 8 team in 2025.”

The re-signing ties perfectly to Smith’s Bristol frustration; it’s a vote of confidence amid the setback, showing JR’s belief in his potential. As he fights to advance from the Round of 16, with Bristol’s engine failure fresh, the 2026 commitment gives him stability to focus on the now.