Georgia teenager will also compete in select Super Late Model events for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Toyota Racing Development driver Chandler Smith’s 2019 schedule just got a little busier.
Chandler will compete in four NASCAR Ganders Outdoors Truck Series events and three Super Late Model events for the team later this year.
Smith will make his truck debut in June at Iowa Speedway. He’ll also compete at Gateway Motorsports Park in June and Bristol Motor Speedway in August.
“The opportunity to compete in one of NASCAR’s national series with Kyle Busch Motorsports is a dream come true and it wouldn’t be possible without everything that Toyota and TRD have done the last few years to help me develop as a driver, on and off the track,” said Smith. “I can’t wait to get the season started and I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to carry on the winning tradition that KBM has established in both the Truck Series and with their Super Late Model program.”
Smith will jump in the seat of the No. 51 Super Late Model for the Winchester 400 on Oct. 13 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, the All-American 400 Nov. 3 at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tenn., and the Snowball Derby Dec. 2 at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla.
When he was just 15 years old, Smith set an ARCA Racing Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career and earned his first victory after leading a race-high 102 laps at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in his fourth series start. He was also victorious at Salem (Ind.) Speedway last September when he led all but one circuit of the 200-lap event.
Smith totaled two wins, four poles, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes, while posting an average starting position of 3.3 and an average finish of 4.3 across his nine ARCA Racing starts last year. Despite competing in only nine of the 20 races, the racing prodigy led all drivers with 763 laps led.
“Chandler was impressive in a limited ARCA Series schedule last year — winning poles, leading laps and bringing home a couple of victories,” owner Kyle Busch said. “He races with a veteran presence and has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best Super Late Model drivers in the country.
He races hard and runs up front, and races the other competitors with respect and takes care of his equipment. We’re anxious to see him in one of our Tundras this season and feel he will gradually improve each time out. Even with such a limited schedule, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him get to victory lane similar to Erik Jones in his first season for us.
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