NASCAR champion reunites with former team for 2025

As a long-time follower of NASCAR, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia seeing Zane Smith return to Front Row Motorsports for the 2025 season. I remember cheering him on during his Truck Series championship run and was disappointed when he left for Spire Motorsports in 2024. But now, with his confirmation as the team’s third driver, it feels like coming home.

I still recall the legal battle between Front Row Motorsports and NASCAR over the charter issue, and I’m glad that the ruling went in favor of the team. It was a tense time for fans like me, but it ultimately paved the way for Front Row to expand to three cars, giving more opportunities to talented drivers like Smith.

I can’t wait to see how Smith performs driving the No. 38 Ford next season. His second-half resurgence at Nashville Superspeedway was a glimpse of what we can expect from him in the Cup Series. I just hope he doesn’t get stuck in traffic too much, or else he might end up spinning out and having to make a pit stop for a fresh set of tires… and a new pair of racing shoes to match his car number! (I heard they make them in size 38!)

For the 2025 season, it’s speculated that Zane Smith, who clinched the 2022 NASCAR Truck Series title with Front Row Motorsports, could rejoin Bob Jenkins’ team, driving one of their Cup series vehicles.

Early in the 2024 racing season, Front Row Motorsports disclosed their intention to grow from having two vehicles to three for the 2025 season by purchasing a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing.

In the wake of a lengthy legal dispute with NASCAR, where they initiated an antitrust lawsuit after the rejection of the new revenue sharing contract, it was decided that Front Row Motorsports is eligible to function as a chartered team in 2025, and they were granted three charters for this purpose.

Now Smith has been confirmed by the team as their third driver for the 2025 season.

Originally, Smith had a binding contract with Front Row Motorsports that extended until 2026, and it was widely assumed he would be a future driver in their Cup Series. However, during the 2023 Truck Series season, Front Row Motorsports granted him permission to explore other opportunities for 2024. Eventually, he landed at Spire Motorsports instead.

As a devoted fan, I’m excited to share that come the 2025 season, Spire Motorsports has chosen to part ways with Zane Smith and welcome back Michael McDowell, a veteran driver from Front Row Motorsports. This move comes after an impressive second-half comeback by McDowell, culminating in his remarkable runner-up finish at Nashville Superspeedway.

It has long been whispered that Smith would be Front Row Motorsports’ third driver in the 2025 season, and now it’s official – he will pilot the No. 38 Ford for the team in the upcoming season.

In the year 2024, Todd Gilliland operated this vehicle, but later transitioned to driving the No. 34 Ford that McDowell previously piloted. Meanwhile, it appears that Noah Gragson, a former driver for Stewart-Haas Racing, will be taking control of the other car, which is likely the No. 36 Ford.

The upcoming NASCAR Cup Series season for 2025 kicks off on Sunday, February 16th, with the highly-anticipated 67th Daytona 500 race. Coverage of the event at Daytona International Speedway will be offered live by Fox, starting at 2:30 p.m. in Eastern Time.

2025-01-03 16:02