Late in 2024, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) let Chandler Smith go. Suddenly, his NASCAR future was up in the air. A possible Cup Series deal with Front Row Motorsports (FRM) fell apart. But right before Christmas, everything changed. FRM called him out of nowhere with an unexpected offer to race in the Truck Series.
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Smith helped build FRM’s new No. 38 Truck Series team from the ground up. Taking a chance on a brand-new truck program was a massive risk, but it turned into a dream Ford revival. Smith found immediate success, saved his racing career, and proved he still belongs at the front of the pack. According to reports, his incredible Ford comeback may pave the way for an unanticipated return to Richard Childress Racing.
JGR’s former prospect could benefit most from RCR’s driver shuffle
“Well, Stock Car Rumors and Nostalgia actually put a post out on Instagram this week talking about the RCR rumors that they’ve heard. It sounds like Austin Hill will be full-time in that 33, like I’ve alluded to. But one of the drivers linked to potentially replace Hill in that 21 car is Chandler Smith.”
One of Joe Gibbs Racing’s erstwhile emerging yet discarded talents may unintentionally become the largest benefactor of Richard Childress Racing’s post-Kyle Busch plans if the most recent garage whispers turn out to be true. The move itself is fairly straightforward.
Since the tragic death of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch in May, Austin Hill has been pulling double duty. Hill runs his full-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule in the No. 21 Chevrolet while making occasional Cup Series starts in the No. 33 Chevrolet. Most people in the garage expect Hill to permanently take over the No. 33 Cup car in 2027 to help fill the massive void left by Busch.
If Hill moves up, the No. 21 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chevrolet opens up. Suddenly, Smith’s name is heavily linked to the seat. It would be an ironic “full circle” NASCAR moment for Smith. He was considered one of Joe Gibbs Racing’s most promising young prospects just two years ago.
During the 2024 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Smith drove the No. 81 Toyota full-time. He won races, made a deep playoff run, and looked like the future of Toyota.
Despite his success, JGR dropped him for the 2025 season due to sponsorship issues and team changes. Many anticipated the setback would change his course. Rather, he was given another chance with Front Row Motorsports.
Just days before Christmas, Chandler got a call out of nowhere from Jerry Freeze, FRM’s general manager. He offered Smith a ride in the Truck Series, and Smith accepted almost instantly. Freeze quickly went to work securing race trucks and a hauler for the team’s new expansion. Then, he gave Smith the power to build the entire crew from scratch.
“You go start building your team,” Smith recalled Freeze telling him. “I was like, ‘What do you mean by that?’ He’s like, ‘Well, do you know any crew chiefs that are available, any engineers? Like, we don’t have anybody at all.’ I was like, ‘You want me to start actively pursuing people?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m giving you the liberty and freedom to go do that.’”
Now, that Ford comeback could have set him up for yet another significant NASCAR opportunity.
Smith would essentially take over as the next driver assigned to Richard Childress Racing’s championship-caliber No. 21 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series program if Austin Hill were to replace Kyle Busch in the No. 33 Cup car on a full-time basis. It wouldn’t make him Busch’s direct replacement. But it would make the former Joe Gibbs Racing discard one of the biggest winners from RCR’s long-term succession plan.
Now, that would be an incredible second act for a driver who many thought had lost his NASCAR chance forever after leaving Joe Gibbs Racing.