CHANDLER SMITH RACING PHOTO
NASCAR Wire Reports – Chandler Smith won Friday evening’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway in thrilling fashion, prevailing in overtime. The No. 38 Front Row Motorsports driver ran fifth in Turns 3 and 4, and with a push from ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski, Smith passed John Hunter Nemechek and outdueled Gio Ruggiero at the start/finish line by 0.044 seconds to take the first checkered flag of 2026.
It’s the eighth win for Smith in the Truck Series and first since May 2025 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Ruggiero, Christian Eckes, Majeski and Nemechek rounded out the top five. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., rookie Brenden Queen, Kaden Honeycutt, Tyler Ankrum and Stewart Friesen completed the top 10. Friday’s race marked Friesen’s first NASCAR event since Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park last summer after suffering injuries in a Super DIRTCar Series event.
Competing in his first NASCAR race since 2016, three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart was caught up in a two-car tangle with Jake Garcia on Lap 37 after the No. 98 ThorSport Racing driver got loose off Turn 4 and got into Stewart’s No. 25 Kaulig Racing Ram.
Internet personality Cleetus McFarland put down an impressive qualifying lap, starting 12th in the No. 4 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. However, his night was short-lived as McFarland got loose and spun off Turn 4 on Lap 6, slamming into the inside retaining wall.