“Another $1.5M check cleared”: Fans react as Front Row Motorsports drops major driver announcement

Front Row Motorsports has confirmed that Chandler Smith will continue to compete in the No. 38 Ford full-time next season.

Smith, who debuted in the NASCAR Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2019, completed his third full-time season in 2025 and added two victories to his total of seven Truck wins. The 23-year-old will return for a second year in Front Row's two-car lineup in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

The team announced the signing on X, writing:

"Chan the man is back again. We're excited to announce that Chandler Smith will return to drive the No. 38 in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2026!"

Fans had a mixed response to the announcement. Some were happy with his return, while others took a dig at him for having to pay for his ride.

"Another $1.5M check cleared," a fan wrote.

Smith reportedly paid $1.5 million for his 2025 NASCAR Truck ride with FRM. He also had sponsorship from TitleMax, QuickTie, Long John Silver's, Rural King, Wheelers, and The Pete Store.

"He's got the talent. Just has to control it," a fan reacted. "So happy he's back," another replied. "Awesome!!! Go win a championship Chandler!" yet another wrote.

Smith scored two wins this season. The first one came at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he led a race-high number of laps and also earned the Triple Truck Challenge bonus. His second win came at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he battled through late race chaos and took the lead on the final lap.

Smith also posted five top-5 and 16 top-10 finishes and ended the season eighth in the overall Truck Series standings. Next season, Jon Leonard will serve as crew chief for the No. 38 team, but the sponsorship details have not been made public yet.

Chandler Smith looks forward to 'year 2' with Front Row Motorsports

Chandler Smith joined Front Row Motorsports this year after competing full-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts (Xfinity) Series with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024. He reacted to the announcement on X and wrote:

"Looking forward to year 2 with this group!👊🏻"

Smith also has three wins in the Xfinity Series, the first of which came at Richmond Raceway. He added two other wins at Phoenix and Richmond in 2024. Meanwhile, Front Row Motorsports will field another full-time truck in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series alongside Chandler Smith in the No. 38.

Layne Riggs will return in the No. 34 Ford. He signed a multi-year deal with Front Row Motorsports. He collected three wins at Pocono, Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Bristol while running near the front in points and making a deep playoff run this season.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam