Chandler Smith's race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Martinsville
· Yahoo Sports
Chandler Smith delivered a dramatic victory in Friday's Black's Tire 200 at Martinsville Speedway, capturing his third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win of the 2026 season. The Front Row Motorsports driver started third, led 12 laps and capitalized on a late restart to defeat Ben Rhodes by 0.574 seconds.
Smith remained among the strongest competitors throughout the afternoon, finishing third in both stages while teammate Layne Riggs dominated the event. His No. 38 Ford consistently ran near the front, allowing Smith to challenge for the lead during multiple restarts.
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The decisive moment came with 12 laps remaining when Smith restarted alongside Riggs. He used the outside lane to surge ahead of his teammate, taking the lead as Riggs struggled with momentum exiting Turn 4.
Smith controlled the remaining laps and secured his 10th career Truck Series victory, completing a Ford sweep of the top four positions. The win also marked his first career victory at Martinsville and provided momentum heading into his final race with Front Row Motorsports.
Despite the victory, Smith was mathematically eliminated from championship contention. He remains third in the standings with 2,300 points, trailing Kaden Honeycutt by 103 markers entering the Homestead-Miami season finale.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Chandler Smith's race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Martinsville