No job and nothing to lose, Chandler Smith looks to be to genuine Xfinity title shot
The Martinsville gash-off traipse nearly repeatedly ends in drama as drivers fight teeth and nail for the final spots in the Championship 4 across all three national divisions of the game — but it is merely at but some other level in the NASCAR Xfinity Assortment the set rising stars are quiet learning the ropes and attempting to develop their value.
In 2022, Ty Gibbs dumped his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Brandon Jones for the engage, which became in particular awkward since Gibbs became already going to develop the final four on concepts whereas Jones became now no longer. He did no longer seem troubled by the showers of boos.
2023 became even crazier as Richard Childress Racing teammates Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed slammed into each numerous in the fight for the engage (and the switch arena). Hill crashed and Creed misplaced in a spectacular photo fabricate with Justin Allgaier, which became adopted by some extremely worrying exchanges keen the estranged groups and then-RCR government Andy Petree.
Peek: Justin Allgaier jumps from third to P1 as the traipse ends below chaos
This yr, any chaos would perhaps furthermore fair win the driver of the No. 81 Toyota piloted by 22-yr-ancient Chandler Smith, and for appropriate motive. He’s at mask 28 concepts out and in a seemingly must-engage hiss. There are clearly three numerous drivers in the same boat, but all of them appreciate a job for subsequent yr. Smith, who has two wins and the absolute top average fabricate in the entire Xfinity field, doesn’t.
He’s a younger racer with a lot of victories in the Xfinity and Truck Assortment, and became also spectacular in the three Cup races he ran remaining yr, but his future in NASCAR is in extreme doubt. After Homestead, he made that remarkable obvious along with one thing else — he doesn’t care about anybody else when NASCAR rolls into Martinsville this weekend.
Chandler Smith, Joe Gibbs Racing, QuickTie Toyota Supra
Photo by: Gavin Baker / NKP / Motorsport Photos
“For any individual that originate now no longer appreciate a job subsequent yr in the exchange and would perhaps furthermore fair quiet doubtlessly gonna inch be working for my dad on the constructing aspect appropriate thanks to how issues are unfortunately playing out, I think delight in I originate now no longer owe anybody one thing going to Martinsville,” he urged NBC.
That is genuine. Joe Gibbs Racing has already announced William Sawalich, Taylor Gray and Brandon Jones as their beefy-time Xfinity drivers for 2025 — Smith is now no longer among them, and his pockets will no longer be deep ample to engage a flow someplace else. This is in a position to essentially be it for his budding NASCAR profession.
The Speaking Rock, Georgia native went on to converse with a smile that he urged his crew chief, Jeff Meendering, to enact the following in preparation for the upcoming gash-off traipse: “Place sure the front bumper on that thing is bolstered for Martinsville.”
Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Assortment champion Cole Custer holds the fourth and final arena, appropriate seven concepts on the help of Justin Allgaier. C. Smith is joined by Jesse Like, Sam Mayer, and Sammy Smith as the drivers who will strive to engage their means into the Championship 4 on Saturday, but but again, they are all drivers with a transparent portray of their future in this sport.
From the comments Smith made to NBC and several other media retailers remaining weekend, he has no true future for the time being and so, zero motive to engage help as he embarks on what would perhaps furthermore potentially be the final two races of his NASCAR profession.