Zane Smith will drive the No. 38 Ford as Front Row Motorsports’ third NASCAR Cup Series entry in 2025.
The team announced a multiyear agreement with the former Truck Series champion on Thursday.
Front Row Motorsports purchased the charter for a third vehicle from now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing.
Smith, 25, joined FRM in 2022 and captured the Truck Series championship that season, the company’s first title.
He won six truck races across the 2022-23 seasons — including Daytona both years — and was hoping to move full-time to the Cup Series in 2024.
“Unfortunately, everyone had to make tough decisions because there were only two Cup cars available at Front Row Motorsports going into last season when I was ready,” Smith said in a news release.
“Now, going into next year, Front Row has really taken their Cup program to another level and I cannot think of a better lineup of teammates. Todd (Gilliland) and Noah (Gragson) are great friends of mine and we all have a lot to prove as young drivers in the Cup Series. It is a great time to come back and continue to build my career with an organization where I know I can win.”
Smith returns to FRM after spending the 2024 season driving the No. 71 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, posting four top-10 finishes in 36 races. The rookie’s best finish was a runner-up effort at Nashville on June 30.
“We want to welcome Zane back to Front Row Motorsports,” team owner Bob Jenkins said in a release. “He brought us our first championship and we believe that he can win in the NASCAR Cup Series, too. We have always believed in his talents, and we will work hard to give him what he needs to be successful. We have confidence in Zane.
“This finalizes our drivers for 2025 in the Cup Series and we can now make all our teams as strong as possible. We have come a long way, but there is a lot more ground to make up, too. We now have the drivers who can build on where we are today and take us to the next level.”
Smith finished 30th in the Cup Series points standings. FRM’s Gilliland placed 22nd and Gragson was 24th driving for Stewart-Haas Racing.
“I want to thank Bob, Jerry (general manager, Jerry Freeze) and Mark Rushbrook at Ford for making this happen,” Smith said. “I know that we can win together in the Cup Series like we did in the Truck Series. It’s a great time to come back as we continue to make FRM even better.”
Ryan Bergenty will serve as Smith’s crew chief in 2025 after spending the past two seasons primarily with Gilliland.
