Chandler Smith is all set to take up a new ride in 2027, and for Ford, it spells the loss of one of its most promising Truck Series talent. 

Front Row Motorsports confirmed that their No. 38 Ford driver will be departing the team after his second full season at the end of this year. And by the looks of things, Ford’s loss will be Chevrolet’s gain. 

Journalist Jordan Bianchi posted an update about Smith’s next possible drive and wrote, “Chandler Smith won't return to Front Row Motorsports in 2027, FRM announces. The expectation is that Smith will sign with Richard Childress Racing to drive one of its O'Reilly Series entries.”

Bianchi’s post comes from speculation that RCR needs a chain of driver changes across its Cup, Truck, and NASCAR O'Reilly's Auto Parts Series teams. After the sudden and tragic loss of Kyle Busch, RCR replaced the No. 8 car with the No. 33, with Austin Hill taking up the drive. 

Rumor has it, 32-year-old Hill is set to continue in the role of a full-time Cup driver at RCR, meaning his  No. 21 Chevrolet NOAPS drive is up for grabs, and 24-year-old Smith, who is looking to progress into NOAPS from the Truck Series, is the first name on everyone’s mind to fill the role. 

While next season is clearly on his mind, Smith knows the priority is fighting for the championship in the Truck Series this year. Even Front Row’s announcement post confirmed the same. 

FRM posted on X, thanking Smith for his services over the past two seasons and wishing him the best for his future. FRM's post read, The team will remain committed to competing at the highest level in the series and contending for championships for the remainder of 2026 and beyond.”

Ford left in a precarious position in their most dominant series

Ford isn’t really in a good position, having lost several drives in the O’Reilly’s series and their constantly performing Truck series drivers not seeing any possible entries into NASCAR’s second-tier series. 

The pathway to the Cup series has always been seen as a pyramid of Truck performances leading to NOAPS and NOAPS performances leading to Cup. 

Outlining Ford driver performances in Trucks and NOAPS is the easiest way to understand the problem Ford has on hand. 

In the O’ Reilly’s Auto Parts Series, Ford’s highest-ranked driver is 49-year-old JJ Yeley in 35th after competing in 9 races. Ford does not have a single full-time car or driver in the second-tier series. 

Truck is currently their most promising series. With a 10th place cutoff for the Chase, in the Truck Series, Ford has four cars currently in the top 10 while Chevrolet and Toyota have three cars each. 

Ford’s Truck Series charge is led by Layne Riggs in 1st and Chandler Smith in 3rd for Front Row Motorsports. TJ Majeski and Ben Rhodes trail behind in 6th and 7th for ThorSport Racing. 

Ford is in with a real shot at winning the Truck Series, but their bleak presence in the O’Reilly’s series is exactly why it is expected that Smith will move to RCR’s Chevrolet setup, with Chevrolet being the most dominant OEM in NOAPS. 

How does Ford provide young drivers with NOAPS opportunities? Let us know. 

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason