Denny Hamlin reacts to Trackhouse Racing parting ways with Zane Smith
Denny Hamlin watched with the rest of the NASCAR world, as Trackhouse Racing decided to move forward with Shane van Gisbergen over Zane Smith in 2025 and beyond.
While Smith was the odd man out at Trackhouse, Hamlin believes the No. 71 wheelman has done enough to warrant a Cup Series seat next season. Whether that comes to fruition or not remains to be seen, but Hamlin went to bat for Smith on the latest episode of Actions Detrimental.
“Man, that’s a tough one for Zane Smith,” Hamlin said, regarding the decision. “I’m a little closer to this situation than I probably should be, because I — not mentored Zane, but I’ve talked to Zane quite a bit, through his NASCAR career, and kind of given advice on different situations as they arise and different opportunities. But man, that — you know, this certainly put a tough spot on Zane, because, you know, he thought he had a long term future at Trackhouse. He forgoed other opportunities in the Cup Series to take this opportunity with Trackhouse, and then when you get let go, you then lose out on your other opportunities. And so, not ideal for Zane Smith.
“Certainly, I would — I would back Zane when it comes to what, you know, what the future might hold. I think he’s coming into his own. I think you have not seen the best Zane Smith yet. You’re only starting to see now what he can do. I think he’s had some really great finishes. Again, they were one of the teams there — man, they were really bad at the beginning of the year. Terrible, terrible, and then they’ve turned the corner. You know, for whatever reason. Over the last 10 weeks, they’ve turned the corner, and they’re starting to get going.
“Now, Zane has got to kind of regroup, and figure out where to go with his career from here. So, I think he’s a good enough talent that he is going to get a good opportunity, a winning opportunity somewhere. I hope it’s in Cup.”
That’s easier said than done, as there’s only so many seats available in the Cup Series. Regardless, Hamlin believes Smith has vastly improved over the last couple of weeks, as he continues to get his feet wet in the Cup Series.
“This is a new car, new team which at the time, was a mid-tier team,” Hamlin added. “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.”
Time will tell where Zane Smith ends up in 2025, but there’s a team out there who might get a talented, motivated driver at a discount because Trackhouse was too crowded. At least, that’s what Denny Hamlin believes.