Denny Hamlin predicts what's next for Zane Smith after losing Trackhouse ride
Zane Smith is currently without a ride in 2025 after Trackhouse Racing announced Friday that he will not return to the race team.
Smith, 25, is not even a full season into his Trackhouse tenure, but the team has seen enough to make the tough decision. Shane van Gisbergen is being promoted to the Cup Series, and will pilot the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2025.
Where that leaves Smith remains to be seen, as there are a limited amount of potential opportunities up for grabs. With that being said, Smith has a believer in Denny Hamlin, who has always given advice to him throughout his brief NASCAR career. Hamlin, speaking on Sunday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast, said he believes the best of Smith has yet to be seen, and he’s hopeful he gets another opportunity in the Cup Series.
“I think he’s a good enough talent that he is going to get a good opportunity. A winning opportunity somewhere,” Hamlin said. “I hope it’s in Cup.”
Denny Hamlin hopeful Zane Smith gets another Cup Series opportunity
Smith, then one of the sport’s rising prospects, signed a multiyear deal with Trackhouse this past September. He won a Truck Series championship in 2022, and was impressive throughout his select starts in the Cup and Xfinity Series.
It just hasn’t come together for Smith this season piloting the No. 71 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in partnership with Trackhouse. He currently sits 33rd in the points standings, though the results have been better of late. Dating back to Nashville in June, Smith has finished inside the top-20 in five of seven races. That includes a runner-up finish at Nashville and a P7 run at Michigan.
Hamlin is encouraged by Smith’s growth throughout the season, and still sees a lot of potential in him.
“This is a new car, new team which at the time, was a mid-tier team,” Hamlin said. “What are your expectations, right? But I think he’s taken it to the next level from what I’ve seen. That when given a little bit of experience now, half of season. He’s already turned the corner to being twice as good as he was at the beginning of the season. So, what is he gonna do a year from now? Two years from now? I think the ceiling is pretty high on him. I think he’ll get picked up by somebody who sees it.”