Zane Smith Staying with Front Row Motorsports Under Multiyear Agreement
Front Row Motorsports made it official early Thursday, confirming that Zane Smith isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The organization announced a multiyear contract extension that keeps Smith behind the wheel of the No. 38 Ford, and honestly, it’s the kind of news that feels right after watching what this team has built together this season.
Smith came to FRM’s Cup program this year, and while the results haven’t always been flashy, there’s been real progress. Five top-10 finishes through 34 starts might not sound like championship material, but for a sophomore Cup driver finding his footing with a new team, it’s solid work. More importantly, it’s the kind of foundation you can build on.
Ryan Bergenty Returns as Crew Chief
Along with Smith’s extension, FRM confirmed that crew chief Ryan Bergenty will be back atop the pit box in 2026. Continuity matters in this sport, and keeping that pairing intact gives them a real shot at hitting the ground running when the season kicks off.”We’ve had an up-and-down year, but heading into the offseason, I feel like we’ve put our program in a great position to hit the ground running in 2026,” Smith said.
“Front Row has always felt like home the people, both on the road and at the shop, truly make this a special place and I’m excited for what next season holds,” he concluded. You can hear the relief in those words. After the upheaval of last year, stability probably feels pretty good.
Zane Smith’s Journey to Front Row Motorsports
For Zane Smith, this extension represents more than just job security. It’s a homecoming of sorts. Before his rocky 2024 rookie Cup season with Trackhouse Racing and Spire Motorsports, Smith was tearing it up in the Truck Series with Front Row. That 2022 championship run wasn’t a fluke. Four wins, including the season finale at Phoenix, showed everyone what he could do when the pieces fit together.
The 26-year-old has been racing in NASCAR’s national series since 2018, working his way up through the Truck Series with two runner-up Championship 4 finishes before finally breaking through. When Trackhouse came calling in September 2023 with a multiyear deal, it looked like Smith’s ticket to Cup Series stardom.
But Cup racing has a way of humbling even the most talented drivers. Smith’s rookie year in the No. 71 Chevrolet had its moments. A career-best second-place finish at Nashville was a genuine bright spot, but the consistency wasn’t there. When Trackhouse decided to go a different direction and bring in Shane van Gisbergen, Smith found himself back at square one.
Finding Stability at Front Row
That’s when Front Row stepped back in. Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones that bring you back to where you started, and for Zane Smith, returning to the No. 38 this time in Cup gave him a chance to rebuild with people who already believed in him. The numbers this year tell a story of steady improvement.
That No. 38 team has been fighting its way into the top 15 more regularly, finding speed and consistency that weren’t always there. Smith currently sits 27th in the Cup Series points standings heading into Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, which isn’t where anyone wants to be long-term, but it’s progress.
What This Means for 2026
The real question is what happens next. With a full offseason to regroup and the security of a multiyear deal, Smith and Bergenty can focus on taking that next step. FRM isn’t one of the powerhouse teams with unlimited resources, but they’ve shown they can compete when things click. Todd Gilliland has proven that in the No. 34, and there’s no reason Smith can’t do the same.
Zane Smith has the talent that was all too obvious when he won the Truck championship. What he needed was time, stability, and a team willing to grow with him. Front Row Motorsports is giving him all three. Sunday’s race at Martinsville is set to kick off at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, HBO Max, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, but it won’t change the big picture.
However, it’s another chance for Smith to keep building momentum. With 2026 on the horizon and this extension in his pocket, the pressure’s off, and the focus can shift to what really matters: getting faster, finishing better, and proving that coming back to Front Row was the right move all along.
