Chandler Smith will try to qualify for the 68th operating of the Daytona 500 subsequent month. He’ll pilot the No. 36 Entrance Row Motorsports Ford Mustang. FRM additionally has three chartered automobiles with locked in spots — the No. 4 of Noah Gragson, the No. 34 of Todd Gilliland, and the No. 38 of Zane Smith.
Smith additionally competes full-time within the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection with FRM. He has made two earlier makes an attempt on the Daytona 500 in each 2023 and 2025, failing to qualify each instances. This shall be his third completely different group as he goals to make the sphere for NASCAR’s largest race.
In 2023, he drove for Kaulig Racing and completed 18th in Duel #1, lacking out on the massive present by ten positions. In 2025, he joined Storage 66 and whereas operating up entrance in Duel #1, he was concerned in a race-ending crash.
Smith has three Cup begins, and impressively completed inside the highest 20 each time. He positioned seventeenth at Richmond, fifteenth at Daytona (summer season race), and thirteenth at Talladega in the course of the 2023 season.
The 23-year-old can be a confirmed winner within the decrease two nationwide divisions, amassing three wins as a driver within the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Components Collection and 7 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection wins. He additionally has ten wins as an ARCA driver.
The 2026 Daytona 500 is anticipated to have a deep area of open entries together with Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports), Corey LaJoie (RFK Racing), Corey Heim (23XI Racing), Anthony Alfredo (Beard Motorsports), BJ McLeod (Reside Quick Motorsports), JJ Yeley (NY Racing Group), and Casey Mears (Storage 66).
There’s additionally Jimmie Johnson within the No. 84 Legacy Motor Membership Toyota, however he’s locked in through the Open Exemption Provisional, leaving eight drivers to combat for the 4 open spots on the grid.
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