“I will continue to do what I know best…race my heart out, and prove myself.” Zane Smith had a clear goal after his career took a sad turn a month ago. The Cup Series rookie underwent a drab streak at the beginning of this year, with Smith rarely finishing inside the top 15. However, the No. 71 Spire Motorsports driver is no slouch—he has continued to prove his driving prowess as he did today at Kansas.

Although mired deep among the non-playoff drivers, Smith is slowly picking up. While his teammate Carson Hocevar and playoff rivals put up with unforeseen troubles, Smith progressed smoothly. His calm execution resulted in another good finish and further proved his growth.

Zane Smith is clearly not giving up

Well, that is the usual response after a crippling setback, right? At the end of 2023, Zane Smith joined Trackhouse Racing while being on loan to Spire. However, his multi-year contract was undermined by one feisty and competitive teammate, another rookie. Carson Hocevar’s spectacular runs dimmed the sparkle of not just Smith but also Corey LaJoie, who is no longer a part of Spire. Similarly, Smith was also shown the door at Trackhouse in August. Michael McDowell is booked to wheel his car for 2025. “I am disappointed that I’ve been put in a tough spot,” Smith admitted.

However, Zane Smith worked diligently to recover from that tough spot. He made some jaws drop on the sweltering hot day in Nashville, finishing runner-up right beside Joey Logano. Then he followed that up with a 7th-place finish in Michigan, and a remarkable 5th-place showing at the tricky Watkins Glen track. Now Smith cemented his resume further with a top-ten finish in Kansas. His steady progress prompted a NASCAR expert to post his improving stats: “Another top-10 finish for @ZaneSmith, who now has three top 10s in the last seven races.”

Both Smith and Hocevar led laps at the Hollywood Casino 400 race, but only one prevailed. Carson Hocevar took the lead on lap 172 ahead of fierce drivers but lost it only six laps later to Ross Chastain. What is more, he also brought out the 10th caution when he spun on a chaotic restart.

Meanwhile, Zane Smith steadily progressed—he grabbed the lead on lap 149, and if not for John Hunter Nemechek’s 6th caution, he would lead for a while. Eventually, he finished 10th, right below Hendrick Motorsports stud Chase Elliott. Clearly, Zane Smith is proving his speed every weekend. Additionally, Kansas had already been his winning ground before.

Smith ran on a familiar track

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Granted, Zane Smith had a dismal showing at the Kansas spring race—he finished 29th. However, the No. 71 Chevrolet ranked 17th-fastest in 15-lap average during practice this weekend. This, coupled with Smith’s smooth run, could be credited to his prior engagement on the same track.

The 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion already had Kansas up his sleeve that year. Then, he sliced through lapped traffic and launched away from the pack on the final restart. That win marked his third that year, as he toppled rivals like Ty Majeski and Grant Enfinger.

Post-race, Smith recalled his giddy experience at Kansas Speedway yet again. “Just so cool. That was one of my easier ones I’ve ever had to win,” Smith said, “but that late-race restart scared me a little bit. Good thing I didn’t have another one there because I’m stuck in fourth (gear), so sorry about no burnout.” The 22-year-old had just shifted from GMS Racing to Front Row Motorsports back then. He would add another victory later in 2022 at Phoenix that ultimately handed him the championship title.

Now he came back to the same track under the Cup Series banner and ran well. Although his future looks bleak at present, Zane Smith might clinch a ride soon—probably under his old team, FRM, as McDowell vacates it.