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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Fresh From Florida 250 — Daytona International Speedway
Friday, February 13, 2026
Daytona Beach, Florida, February 13, 2026 – With a little help from his
friends, Chandler Smith opened the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with a
visit to Daytona International Speedway’s victory lane. In a dramatic
“green-white-checker” finish, Smith used a battle at the front of
the field and a push from fellow Ford F-150 driver Ty Majeski to jump
from outside the top five to the win in the final quarter of the last
lap of the Fresh From Florida 250. With competitors pushing on each
other entering the Daytona tri-oval, Smith dropped his No. 38
TrophyCatch Ford to the bottom with Majeski’s No. 88 Ideal
Doors/Menards F-150 behind. A hard push by Majeski, the 2024 NASCAR
Truck Series champion, was enough to make Smith the winner in Friday
evening’s race. Majeski would go on to finish fourth. This was
Smith’s eighth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory.
CHANDLER SMITH, No. 38 TrophyCatch Ford F-150 – “First off, I want
to shout out all glory to God. Without Him, none of this would be
possible. And I am super, super grateful that I serve such a loving God
that blessed me with such a good group of men and women around me at
Front Row Motorsports. Ty Majeski, one of my best four teammates I’ve
ever worked with. He is all credit to how we just won that race
truthfully. He stayed committed to a Ford and pushed a Blue Oval to a
win. Just super, super grateful for everybody on this No. 38 Ford F-150
group. We made some changes in the off-season. I felt like last year
everybody for the most part knows how this 38 group came together last
year, but we built on it and made this group so much better for this
year, and I’m so excited for 2026.
Q. Take me back to the start-finish line as you’re coming up four wide
and the bottom opens up. What is going through your mind when that
happens and you can see the checkered flag?
“I was surprised the 62 didn’t block it. I was just — the seas
literally just parted, and the 88 stayed committed to me, and like I
said, thank you, thank you, thank you, Ty Majeski. Definitely got to owe
you one on that one.”