Another domino just fell in NASCAR’s Silly Season. Jesse Love’s move to the Cup Series in 2027, taking over Wood Brothers Racing’s iconic #21 car, left Richard Childress with an obvious problem: who takes over RCR’s vacated O’Reilly Series ride? Now, a fresh announcement out of the Truck Series might have just answered that question.
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Front Row Motorsports in an official team update confirmed that Chandler Smith won’t return to the team after the 2026 season. FRM also thanked Smith for two strong years in the #38 Ford, and with that, the 24 year old has instantly become the top free agent on the market.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to Chandler for being a great representative of our CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program,” FRM wrote on X. “The list of accomplishments that he and the No. 38 team have obtained are impressive, with four wins to date over the past two seasons, and we wish him the best on his continued career path.”
FRM says its focus right now is on winning the 2026 Truck title with Layne Riggs, but around the garage, there seems to be little doubt about where Smith goes next. Going by Jordan Bianchi’s infamous ‘Bianchi Bomb’ on X, it’s expected that Smith lands at RCR, in one of their top O’Reilly Series rides.
The timing for this lines up almost too well. For Smith, a move to RCR’s O’Reilly’s program would be a return trip, not a new one. He already spent time as a full-time driver with Joe Gibbs and Co., winning three races, multiple Championship 4 appearances, and finishing inside the top five in points. Going down to run trucks for Front Row was looked at as a step back. But it gave him two seasons to rebuild momentum and put himself back in position to reclaim his former Xfinity glory.
This move would also mark Chandler Smith’s return to Chevrolet’s stable after his former year-long stint with Kaulig Racing back in 2023. To justify an RCR contract, Smith’s 2026 season more than backs up the case.
Two weeks ago at North Wilkesboro, he led 105 laps and won by more than eight seconds. His second straight victory at the historic short track. He followed it with a smart, patient top-five run at last weekend’s Indianapolis Raceway Park, the exact kind of experience Childress values in his drivers.
With Love’s seat now open, Childress needs someone who can step in and contend right away, not develop into one. Chandler Smith has made that case on track all summer. At this point, it looks like a matter of when and not if the deal gets done, making NASCAR’s silly season all the more interesting.