“It’s been an unreal ride…He’s worked super hard to get to where he is, and he’s so determined.” Zane Smith’s father, Mike Smith, swelled with pride when he said these words back in 2020. Then, Smith was a rookie driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and Mike could not get enough of his stellar performance against more experienced rivals. However, contrary to his support for his son’s NASCAR ambitions, Mike did not support his ambitions in another sport.

Zane Smith currently competes in the Cup Series and has been the best-performing driver at Front Row Motorsports this year. He is on a quest to build on the disastrous results he incurred as a rookie in 2024. But while Smith’s focus is fixed, he reflects on a time when it was still flexible.

Zane Smith almost strayed onto another path

Well, the talented NASCAR driver had unique roots. Zane Smith began racing BMX bikes at age 3, go-karts from ages 6 to 12, and entry-level stock cars as a teenager. Before he entered the world of stock-car racing, though, his ambitions pointed to a different career path. Mike Smith, a long-time race truck builder in off-road racing, ran a race shop and a professional off-road racing team in Huntington Beach. He also had a pet passion – trophy truck racing. In a recent episode of ‘Stacking Pennies,’ Zane revealed his father’s past ambitions: “He is out in North Carolina now and does way less. But yeah, he was the team manager for the off-road race team.”

Naturally, given his father’s vested interests, Zane Smith also picked up the tradition. The FRM star talked about how he was well on his way to pursuing trophy truck racing like his father. “I grew up racing trophy carts, which is like a mini trophy truck with like a 450 dirt bike engine. They’re awesome,” he said. However, Mike Smith called the shot at this juncture, steering his son away from this career line. Zane continued, “But I’d say, after that, my dad made it very clear to me, like, you don’t make a living in these.”

Driving with Riley Herbst, his old friend from his West Coast racing days, Zane Smith had the time of his life. However, the joy of driving trophy carts went hand-in-hand with a certain degree of danger. Smith recalled, “Ugh, man, I love it. But like, you have to have like, full trust…It’s insane to experience the different driving styles that people have. There are a few guys that come to mind. Dude, I was like, 8 years old riding these things like beach blankets…so sketchy, thinking back on it.”

What made his childhood passion more invigorating was the presence of a NASCAR legend. Robby Gordon won three NASCAR Cup Series races, two IndyCar events, and four consecutive class victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. But off-road racing was his beloved arena, as Zane Smith recalled, “Robby is like, incredibly talented. We actually used to have some little races at his shop. Like, he had this track. Those are some of the most fun summer nights I ever had.”

Clearly, despite his father steering his career course, Zane Smith enjoyed that time of his life. Meanwhile, he is looking forward to his present career trajectory.

Inching towards a victorious outcome

When Zane Smith first broke into the NASCAR scene, he was a riot. In 2020, he became the youngest of four finalists in the Camping World Truck Series Championship race finale. Then in 2022, Smith clinched four trophies en route to his Truck Series championship. Despite the trail of excellence he left in Trucks, it did not follow him into the Cup Series immediately. Smith had a miserable rookie season in 2024, finishing 30th in the final standings. It ousted him from Spire Motorsports, and Smith had to start anew at Front Row Motorsports. However, he did not give up – and his third-place finish in Bristol is ample evidence of that.

Throughout the season, Zane Smith has consistently been the fastest of FRM’s three drivers. His podium finish in last Saturday’s Bristol race gave him a career-high average running position of eighth. Presently, Smith is looking forward to the rest of the 2025 season. He said, “I think there are some great tracks coming up for us. Some that come to mind, Loudon. I feel pretty much my whole entire team has, in some way, a modified background, so I’m excited for this weekend. Kansas, Vegas, Martinsville, Talladega is in there. Phoenix we had a great run in the top ten earlier in the year. So I definitely feel we can go get our first win of the year.”

Evidently, Zane Smith is a driver on a mission. Paying heed to his father’s advice is paying off for him after all, with his NASCAR fortunes coming back.