19-Year-Old Prodigy Becomes Joe Gibbs’ Pride as He Hammers Through for a Top 5 Finish to Cap Off a Strong Xfinity Series Run

Published 07/17/2023, 3:13 PM EDT

He was barely 18 years old when he got on to the NASCAR scene in 2022. Since then, the Joe Gibbs Racing prodigy has become quite a popular name in NASCAR. Being only 18 years and 28 days old on his Xfinity debut at Road America, he went on to claim three top-10 finishes in the 9 races he competed in. This alone is quite a significant achievement for an 18-year-old rookie. Come his second season, he has turned 19 and has only improved from where he left off in 2022.

Claiming a phenomenal nine top-10 finishes in the 18 races so far. The racing prowess he showed at the race in New Hampshire is a testament to his uncanny ability behind the wheel and his bright future in the sport.

Joe Gibbs’ Pride forces his way into the top 5 at New Hampshire after coming through the field twice

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The Xfinity Race at New Hampshire was a perfect showing of what Sammy Smith is capable of at such a young age. He dropped down the field twice during the race but came back both times to finish the race in a strong P5.

He exuded confidence even before the race weekend started. This is what he said in an interview ahead of the weekend. “I am looking forward to this weekend at New Hampshire. This will be my first time on the track, so I am hoping the weather holds off on Friday to get some practice laps in. The track is pretty flat & bumpy. Joe Gibbs Racing has seen some success at this track recently, so I know our #18 TMC Toyota GR Supra will be fast. We’re looking to learn a lot and have a solid run on Saturday.”

He qualified in 7th but had to go to the back of the field due to unapproved adjustments on his car. From there, he managed to win the second stage and finished the race in 5th.

Speaking in a post-race interview, as per thepodiumfinish.net, Smith said, “It was a solid day coming back from the back twice. One, we had an oil leak and then I put myself in a hole on pit road. So, good day overall, just thought we had a shot there just kind of fell off and didn’t work out.”

WATCH: Ty Gibbs and Teammate Sammy Smith Pull Off Epic Burnout

This is only one of the many impressive performances we have seen from him. Smith’s victory in the race at Phoenix earlier this year remains the biggest highlight of his season so far.

Sammy Smith became the youngest-ever driver to win an Xfinity Series race in NASCAR

In what was only his 4th race in his second season, Smith showcased a truly dominant performance in an equally dominant car to become the youngest driver to win a race in the Xfinity Series. He was elated with his victory in a race that was marked by 11 cautions and multiple restarts.

This is what he said during the post-race interview at Phoenix. “That was tough with all of those restarts—and going against some of the best. I just have to thank everybody on Pilot/Flying J, Toyota, JGR guys, and everybody on this 18 team for giving me an awesome car. This is awesome.”

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He continued, “This is a dream come true, and I did know that at some point this was coming. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of great people around me. Without all of these guys, I wouldn’t be here.”

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How soon do you think we’ll see Sammy Smith being promoted to the Cup Series in NASCAR? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by:

Veerendra Vikram Singh is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. With a natural affinity for motorsports, he brings a unique perspective to his coverage of everything NASCAR. His love for sports extends way beyond NASCAR, encompassing Formula 1 and MotoGP and a few other motorsports as well.

Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh

19-Year-Old Prodigy Becomes Joe Gibbs’ Pride as He Hammers Through for a Top 5 Finish to Cap Off a Strong Xfinity Series Run

Joe Gibbs’ Pride forces his way into the top 5 at New Hampshire after coming through the field twice

Sammy Smith became the youngest-ever driver to win an Xfinity Series race in NASCAR

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