NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series star Chandler Smith threw out the ceremonial first pitch Thursday, Aug. 6 at Erlanger Stadium prior to the game with the Chattanooga Lookouts vs. the Knoxville Smokies. Smith, who drives the No. 38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, was in town as part of a media tour to preview the UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Chase race during America’s Night Race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, September 17-19.
Earlier in the afternoon Smith met with media members at the new downtown Food City location to talk about the upcoming event, which is a part of the highly-anticipated America’s Night Race weekend that also features the Bass Pro Shops Night Race Cup Series Chase race on Saturday Sept. 19 and the Food City 300 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase race on Friday, Sept. 18.
Smith, from Talking Rock, Georgia, says he grew up racing from an early age and never had much time for stick and ball sports. He says this is his first time throwing out a first pitch.
“No, I've never done it,” said Smith, who tossed a perfect pitch to the Lookouts catcher. “I'm not nervous either. Quite frankly, it's exciting. I'm stoked that the Lord's blessed me with an opportunity to be able to go out, network with people that I know nothing about. It’s going to be really cool to kind of step into their space. A lot of times, I'm at the racetrack, and we're doing cross content, and people are stepping into my space, so it's cool for me to kind of step into their space and get to see into their world a little bit.”
Smith is a two-time winner this season and also a two-time Bristol winner, including victories at the 2021 UNOH 250 and last year’s spring truck race. He’s always ready to put on the helmet and gloves and go racing at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile. This September 17th it will be the kick-off to the seven-race NASCAR Chase for the trucks, which will amplify the situation.
“Looking forward to Bristol, it's such a good track,” Smith said. “I'm super stoked, especially since we just came up a few laps short earlier in the spring this year, finishing second to Christopher Bell, and then last year for the fall race we had a mechanical issue. Bristol's always been a really good, statistically speaking, racetrack for me. Got a few victories there, and even for Front Row Motorsports, has been extremely well for Front Row Motorsports in the last few years. So, really looking forward to getting back there here in the fall.”
Front Row Motorsports team owner Bob Jenkins lives just down the road from Bristol Motor Speedway in Dandridge, and loves to attend all the NASCAR races at the action-packed, high-banked short track.
“That's one of the ones Bob circles,” Smith said about Bristol. “This is our home track. He always has a suite over in turn one on the front stretch there, and we always go up there and do an appearance. He's got all his buddies, all of his friends, family. It’s like when I go to Atlanta, have all my friends, my family there. I want to win there so bad.”
Smith is currently third in the series standings, trailing his teammate and series leader Lane Riggs. Both of them will be top contenders at Bristol in September. Riggs has won the last two UNOH 250s at Bristol.
“We've got a really good group of men and women back at the race shop that works their tails off endlessly, even on the off weeks like we've had here in the past two weeks, so just talking to my crew chief yesterday,” Smith said. “Sounds like we're ahead on a month of trucks on our inventory, which is unheard of, and that's just the fruit of the labor. They've been working really, really hard to be getting ahead, but not only getting ahead, doing it the right way, making sure we're not you know shortcutting any areas, you know dotting our eyes, crossing our t's, doing the detail work that matters, and on the off-season, really want to work on making our short track program, mile and a half program even better.”
Smith says there’s nothing like Bristol Motor Speedway, it’s one of his favorite race tracks on the circuit.
“I remember the first time I ever went to Bristol was in a super late model race,” Smith said. “I remember the first time I ever practiced there, they said, you're gonna be wore out. I felt like there was 200-pound dumbbells on both of my shoulders. I literally couldn't hold my shoulders up. It was just the G-force was so immense, and yeah, and just the atmosphere. The last great Colosseum, you can't beat it. Bristol is one of my favorite racetracks, specifically because of the atmosphere. You just can't beat it. Being in such a valley where the racetrack is and how the noise echoes through that valley, then you put on top of that. Let's double down and build it in kind of an arena type deal, right? It's just so loud and electric. I love it.”
He says it’s the perfect location to get the Chase underway for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He says he will be ready.
“Starting off at Bristol, what a better racetrack to start off at,” Smith said. “It's going to be electric. I mean, we think back to the spring race there. It kind of had a little bit of carnage. Fortunately, we were able to stay out of it. Like I said, finished second there. We were just a few laps short of running Christopher Bell down there for the win, and so yeah, I'm really looking forward to what better place can to start the Chase.”
The race weekend also will feature the crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday night, Sept. 19, a 500-lap post-season race in the NASCAR Cup Series and also the Food City 300 on Friday night, Sept. 18, a Chase race in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The trucks will share the stage in what promises to be a thrilling Thursday night double-header with the ARCA Menards Series, which will open the racing that afternoon with the Bush’s Beans 200 as the future stars of the sport take to the track. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit the Bristol Motor Speedway website or call the BMS Tickets Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.
