Zane Smith set to make 100th start at Chicagoland
JOLIET, Ill. — Zane Smith is set to make his 100th career NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend in the Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Smith, who turns 27 this coming week, made his first career Cup Series start in 2022 at Worldwide Technology Raceway (Gateway) where he replaced the Covid-laden Chris Buesher in his RFK Racing No.17.
He started near the rear in 32nd and made his way through the field to finish 17th in his first career start.
After his one-off, Zane returned to the Cup Series and made select starts in 2023 for Front Row Motorsports. He captured his first career top ten that season on NASCAR’s longest night at Charlotte in tenth.
His further success in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series combined with the positive momentum in cup, captured the attention of Trackhouse Racing.
The attention led to a developmental contract with Trackhouse and joined Spire Motorsports for his first full season in 2024.
But his rookie season with Spire had its growing pains. Zane failed to capture a top ten until the halfway point of the season. His first career top five came from a late fuel-mileage run of second at Nashville Superspeedway.
The result is currently his career-best, but that was not enough to justify him over the likes of Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch for Justin Marks and Trackhouse.
Before the end of the season, they made their choice. He was granted release from the contract for 2025.
From there, Smith never strayed too far away from the Ford pipeline. He rejoined the organization where his first part-time Cup Series job came from with Front Row.
The move paid off immediately for him. Smith captured three top ten finishes before the halfway point of the season. The partnership between him and FRM seemed to pick up where they left off from the Truck Series and bled into this season.
This Season
After a 2025 which saw a career high in top ten starts and finishes, 2026 has been even better.
Through 18 races, Smith has already surpassed career marks. He set new bests in top tens, top fives, and average running position. Now, he’s set to make his 100th Cup Series start this weekend at Chicagoland.
He is joined in his 100th start by Carson Hocevar as the same milestone here at Chicagoland this weekend.
Their Cup career parallels don’t stop there. Both made their cup debuts a season apart at Worldwide Technology Raceway (Gateway).
Finally, the duo are both in their second stints with their respective teams. Currently, they are in the middle of career seasons that have seen them rise to new heights that could continue with another strong run here in the Windy City.
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Ryan Kemna View All
Ryan Kemna is a photojournalist for The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2025.
Currently residing in the Minneapolis, MN, area, Kemna brings his passion for motorsports, photography, and a good story to readers.