Phoenix Raceway Competition Notes
TEAM AND RACE NOTES:
Zane Smith will make his second of seven NASCAR Cup Series starts of 2023 this weekend at the one-mile Phoenix Raceway. Smith will be behind the wheel of the No. 38 Wellcare Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports (FRM). This will be his first weekend working with the No. 38 FRM Cup team.
Friday will feature a practice session at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS2 for teams to learn more about the new NASCAR Cup Series short track package for 2023.
Smith will qualify at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday live on FS1. Sunday’s 312-lap race will be televised live on FOX at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The team will use chassis 183 which was previously raced at The Coliseum earlier this year.
COMPETITION NOTES:
The No. 38 Wellcare Ford team comes into Phoenix Raceway where Smith has seen much success. He won the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series finale and championship at the track last November and has a runner-up finish and top-five in the truck series there.
Smith also has a top-five at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Smith is fresh off a 13th-place finish at the Daytona 500 with FRM to compliment his 17th-place result last year in his Cup Series debut.
CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:
“Our job is to continue to help Zane at this level. Everyone knows that he’s a great driver. Now, he’s competing at the highest level in the NASCAR Cup Series, and we will give him the best car and best strategy to show his talents. If we can do that, we know he will get us the best finish possible.
“I think Phoenix is a good track for Zane to race because of his past success here. He’ll have confidence and knowledge in the track. I’m sure he’ll be up to speed quickly.”
DRIVER ZANE SMITH:
“I am just ready to work with the 38 Cup guys and see what we can do. Daytona was great, but it was a lot for our truck team to go back-and-forth. This is a situation where these guys are Cup racing each week.
“I like Ryan (Bergenty) and the energy that he has brought to the 38 team this year. I think it’s making a difference early in the season and you can feel it at the shop, too. It’s a new energy and that’s exciting.”
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
