Zane Smith’s rookie Cup Series season got a whole lot better at the Nashville Superspeedway. While the Spire Motorsports driver came one spot short of clinching a playoff spot, he earned his best-ever finish in NASCAR’s top tier at the Ally 400, a welcome change in what has otherwise been a disappointing season. While it was chaos and opportunity that resulted in Smith’s P2 finish, the struggling No. 71 team will take anything they can get before the postseason begins.

Even though Smith narrowly beat Tyler Reddick for a runner-up finish in Nashville, he also fell excruciatingly short of getting into the victory lane as well. Wishing Logano would run out of gas at Ally 400, a spot in the playoffs would have truly been a fairytale finish for Zane Smith after the season he’s had.

So close, yet so far

Before the race at Nashville Superspeedway, Zane Smith’s best result in the NASCAR Cup Series was a P13 at the Daytona 500. With just three top-20 finishes all season, Smith is currently languishing in 34th place in the standings, a staggering 464 points behind leader Kyle Larson. If being rock bottom wasn’t bad enough, Smith has also had 3 DNFs this season, a reflection of just how subpar his season has been. One can only imagine how important a runner-up finish in Nashville would have been for the 25-year-old rookie.

Shedding light on last weekend’s race at the Nashville Superspeedway, Smith said, “The only thing replaying in my head is just trying to put together a little bit better three and four. I knew that the 22 was going to block the 45 there through three and four. And I wish I just put a little bit more attention into wrapping bottom and seeing where I would have stacked up.

Chaotic would be the right way to describe the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. With five overtime restarts and cars getting wrecked, Zane Smith was in a unique position to capitalize. The 25-year-old restarted in third place in what was the final restart and wished nothing but, in his own words, “the 22 would’ve ran out of fuel there, of course. Just to be contending on a mile and a half for a Cup win with a team like Spire Motorsports has for what they’ve done, throughout these past couple of years of just really improving is awesome to be a part of. But yeah, it’s just super cool to be running up front there at the end and having a shot at it.”

Somehow, Logano managed to stretch his fuel to cross the finish line just 0.068 seconds ahead of Zane Smith. While the Trackhouse Racing driver, who competes for Spire Motorsport, would have taken a 2nd place finish with both hands at the start of the race, Smith did wonder what could have been if he had been a little more lucky.

The result in Nashville could be a fresh start. Zane Smith desperately needs to turn his season around. The 25-year-old has failed to hit the ground running in his rookie season but will take solace in the fact that his two top-20 finishes have come on road courses.

With NASCAR heading to Chicago for Grand Park 165, Smith will hope that he can carry the momentum forward to Chicago Street Course. A runner-up result in Nashville won’t make Smith a playoff contender by any means, but with Michael McDowell replacing him in the No. 71 car next season, Zane Smith is fighting for his future in the Cup Series.

Where will Zane Smith end up next season?

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It’s no secret that Zane Smith is looking for a ride for the 2025 season. Currently, under contract with Trackhouse Racing, the 25-year-old could become the third driver for the team next year. However, Smith will need to step up his performances in the seven races remaining of the regular season to secure his seat in the Cup Series next year.

With Shane van Gisbergen looking to move up in 2025, Smith’s seat at Trackhouse Racing is far from assured, especially because the Kiwi has already won two races in the Xfinity Series so far.

The next possibility is that Zane Smith could return to Front Row Motorsport. The 25-year-old drove for the team part-time in the Cup Series in 2022, while winning the championship in the Truck Series the same year. While the possibility of a return is slim, it cannot be ruled out entirely.

Another scenario is that Zane Smith could replace Shane van Gisbergen at Kaulig Racing. Having not had a full-time run in the Xfinity Series, Smith could benefit from getting some race wins under his belt, and the move could be a good reset for the driver after a difficult 2024.

As things stand, Smith needs to focus on ending the ongoing Cup Series season on a strong note, as it’s the most realistic way of convincing teams to give him a seat next season. Being rock bottom in the standings isn’t making a good case for Zane Smith’s future in NASCAR’s top tier, especially considering the quality of drivers who are looking to move up from the Xfinity Series. However, with teams reshuffling and new charters being bought, the possibilities are endless for Smith’s future.

Do you think Zane Smith will race in the Cup Series next year? Let us know in the comments!