Chandler Smith won't post qualifying lap after running into wall at Martinsville

Last week’s winner at Richmond won’t post a qualifying lap in the NASCAR Xfinity Series today. Chandler Smith went into the wall at Martinsville. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will have to start in the rear of the field on Saturday night.

Chandler Smith has two wins on the year. Along with Austin Hill, the two have been the cream of the crop in the Xfinity Series. Smith has a worse finish of P8 this season. His year has been elite.

Tomorrow night is going to be tough. Martinsville has plenty of cautions. It allows drivers to move up through the field on restarts. Smith will have to bet on having yellow flags and some race speed if he wants to continue his stellar season.

It looks like Chandler Smith had some brake issues that led him to go up the track and into the wall.

Last week's winner will face adversity right out of the gate at @MartinsvilleSwy. pic.twitter.com/hFWQNe6Mnk

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) April 5, 2024

Smith’s car will be sent back to Charlotte to the JGR shop for repairs. With the proximity between the shop and track, NASCAR does allow for that to happen.

Chandler Smith has two wins and three additional top-5 finishes on the year. His switch from Kaulig to JGR has proved fruitful early. In his career at Martinsville, Smith has been solid between the Truck and Xfinity Series. He was P10 in the Spring race last year.

Qualifying is usually huge at Martinsville. Smith will try to make it not such a big deal, run his race, and hope that results in another top-5 or top-10 finish.

Chandler Smith is solid on short tracks

There is a lot of talent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. However, Chandler Smith is one of the more talented young drivers in the series. He has shown that he can learn and adapt quickly to new series and has been a winner everywhere he has been.

Smith knows what he is doing behind the wheel. The only concern I have is him getting caught up in the mess while he is working up through the field. The good news is that this team has been lights out this season and one bad weekend won’t sink this ship.

At just 21 years old, the Georgia driver has moved up through the ranks quickly. He has accomplished a lot between his Late Model, ARCA, Truck, and Xfinity Series starts. Lots of wins, a lot of top-10 finishes, and pole awards.

Martinsville is tough to move through. Starting in the back will not help Chandler Smith. However, if he is able to find speed and dice through the crowd, it could be one heck of a show for fans.