Top Dog: Zane Smith
On the heels of a historic day for Spire Motorsports in last week’s Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, the team looked to build off that momentum at Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 22).
After 500 laps of earning battle scars and the field licking its wounds from a Kyle Larson beatdown, Zane Smith stood as one of the lone underdogs in the top 20 with a 16th-place finish.
Based off qualifying, the No. 71 team looked in the worst position of the Spire trio, with both Carson Hocevar and Corey LaJoie starting inside the top nine while Smith qualified 33rd.
Bristol’s annual gem of the night race was literally night and day compared to its spring day race, an event that forced drivers to manage their cars with tires significantly wearing off after 30 laps. This time, that tire wear was the polar opposite, making passing tougher and emphasizing the importance of track position.
However, passing was not impossible, and Smith’s performance affirmed that throughout the night.
The 25-year-old clawed his way to 26th by the end of stage one, but was quickly relegated by a penalty for pitting outside his pit box. Smith remained resilient, bouncing back in stage two to get up to 25th.
Despite falling a lap down during the race, Smith was able to hang around the other drivers on the same lap as him. That paid off on lap 329 when a caution came out, allowing Smith to gain the free pass.
That was exactly what Smith needed to continue to move forward, cracking the top 20 shortly after getting back on the lead lap and bringing the car home just outside the top 15.
While 16th may not jump out on the score sheet, it was an impressive run for the rookie given that there were only three cautions for cause, minimizing opportunities for strategy, adjustments and attrition.
Smith’s Bristol performance continues to slowly unleash his potential at the Cup level. Over the past 11 races, his average finish is 15.7. In the first 18 races, it was approximately 28th, revealing a massive boost in performance over the past couple of months.
For one of the few drivers who has yet to announce his 2025 plans, Smith is methodically forcing teams to think about picking up the phone.
Notable Underdog Runs
Hocevar joined Smith in the top 20 for Spire in his second start in the Bristol Night Race. A year ago while filling in at Legacy Motor Club, Hocevar landed an 11th-place finish in just his fourth career Cup…
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