BRISTOL, Tenn. – Zane Smith and his Front Row Motorsports team recovered from an early issue in practice and without the benefit of qualifying but utilized Thursday night’s UNOH 200 to climb through the field and earn a second-place finish.
Smith’s fourth second-place effort since his most recent win at Kansas Speedway this spring is tough to swallow knowing his fourth victory of the season would have propelled him and his Mooresville, N.C.-base team into the Championship 4 in November at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
Still, with only one trip to pit road to make adjustments on his No. 38 Speedco Ford F-150 and having to conserve fuel to make it to the checkered flag finish, Smith was satisfied to start the Round of 8 with his 12th top-five finish of the season.
“A good salvage for the night,” said Smith after the race. “We worked on our No. 38 Speedco Ford the only chance we got and I wish I could have done a few things different there, honestly take the top. The top always launches better here.”
Smith chose to take the bottom lane on the last few restarts of the race, primarily to protect his position knowing that his truck wasn’t handling the best outside of the traction compound applied earlier in the day.
“I was so bad if I was outside the PJ1 and I didn’t want to get freight trained on the top,” explained Smith. “I tried matching the 66 (Ty Majeski). I did the first time and the second time he just got me. He was just ultimately better for us.
“A never give up kind of night and that’s what it takes to get to the final four.”
Heading to the series’ next race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Smith will invade the 2.66-mile superspeedway locked second in the championship standings only behind race winner Ty Majeski and 31 points above the cutoff spot currently secured by John Hunter Nemechek and Grant Enfinger.
“Talladega is such a wild card,” explained Smith. “A lot of people can be taken out there and you can almost lock yourself in there. We need to have a solid Talladega. Way easier said than done.”
If Smith can’t secure his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance with a victory at Talladega, he will have an opportunity to win at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on October 22.
“Homestead is honestly kind of a wild card in itself just because not going there last year and I think I have a grand total of five laps there my first year,” sounded Smith. “I’m not too worried about it because our mile and a half stuff has been quick.”
One driver will also make the Championship 4 by points, but Smith admitted the three-race penultimate round to the championship always seems to be chaotic.
“I don’t know the Round of 8 is always crazy, hopefully, we can make it out.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
