Chandler Smith gets first full-time NASCAR ride

Chandler Smith will drive for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2021

Last weekend, Smith entered the 2020 Snowball Derby. The week got off to a rocky start in the biggest super late model race of the season as his qualifying time was disallowed.

The track rule book prohibits a cell phone from being near the car will on the grid or on track to prevent any bluetooth traction control devices. Smith stated that he grabbed his phone after the qualifying run to check timing and scoring.

Related: Chandler Smith disqualified following phone violation

The driver went to the LCQ at 5 Flags Speedway and transferred into Sunday’s main event. He then drove through the field and finished in the top 5.

Now, Chandler Smith’s week just got a whole lot better. He’s set to get his first full-time shot in NASCAR.

For the past two years, Chandler Smith has piloted a Kyle Busch Motorsports truck on a part-time basis. He debuted at Iowa Speedway in 2019, finishing 8th.

In 2020, he ran 12 races int he No. 51 truck. In the last six races, he finished inside the top-5 five times.

For 2021, Smith will enter a new chapter with the North Carolina team. He’ll be piloting the No. 18 truck full-time in search of the NASCAR Truck Series championship.

Safelite AutoGlass will be the primary sponsor of the truck for 15 races.

Chandler Smith

“Since I started racing at a young age, I’ve worked hard towards my goal of getting to compete full time in NASCAR, so being named to drive the Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra and being able to chase a championship in the Camping World Truck Series next year is very rewarding,” Smith said.

“I’ve learned a lot from Kyle the last few years, and I’m thankful to be in a position where I can continue to learn from him. KBM is a top-notch organization, and I know that with the hard work from everyone in the shop combined with the support from Toyota and TRD that every time we go to the race track we’ll have a chance to compete for wins as long as I do my part.”

Smith concluded, “Having been around KBM the last few seasons, I know how much Safelite supports their drivers and their racing program. I’m going to give it my all to get them back to victory lane next year and hopefully things will be back to normal where their employees and customers will be able to be there to celebrate with us!”

Kyle Busch comments

“Chandler is following the path that other Toyota Development drivers have in past seasons where they gain valuable experience driving a limited schedule for a couple of seasons and then graduate to running full time for a championship once they are eligible to do so,” Busch said.

“He showed that he could run up front on the short tracks right out of the gate in his first season and at the end of this year once he started to understand the aerodynamics of racing on the bigger tracks in the Truck Series, he proved capable of producing top fives no matter where we were racing.”

“Next season, we expect him to continue his progression and be able to turn some of those second and third-place finishes into wins and put himself into the mix for the championship.”

Busch concluded, “We appreciate Safelite’s continued support during these unprecedented times and look forward to having a contingent of their employees and customers touring the Truck Series garage proudly in their red and black crew shirts this season.”

Garth Beck

“We’re very excited to welcome Chandler to the Safelite family,” said Safelite AutoGlass Senior Vice President Garth Beck.

Beck added, “We know he is a championship-caliber driver with many strong races at KBM under his belt over the last few years while driving a part-time schedule. We think he is a great fit to drive the Safelite Toyota Tundra for the 2021 season and very much look forward to cheering him on to victory next year.”

In 33 ARCA Menards Series starts, Smith has collected 9 wins and 10 poles.

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Chandler Smith | Kyle Busch Motorsports | NASCAR

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