Zane Smith will compete full-time for GMS Racing in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series next season, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.
Smith, 20, joins GMS after competing part-time with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year, where he earned a career-best finish of fifth twice. He most recently drove the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro at ISM (Ariz.) Raceway, the penultimate Xfinity Series race of the season where he finished fifth after starting sixth.
In those 10 races, Smith earned two top-fives and seven top-10 finishes overall.
With Smith’s addition, GMS currently plans to run four full-time teams joining already announced Tyler Ankrum, Sheldon Creed and Brett Moffitt.
Sam Mayer and dirt driver David Gravel will compete in part-time next season.
The NASCAR Next alumnus will also have veteran Kevin “Bono” Manion as his crew chief next year. Manion spent this season at DGR-Crosley as crew chief for Ankrum.
The team made the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs with a thrilling victory at Kentucky Speedway and made it to the semi-final round of the Playoffs before being eliminated at ISM Raceway.
“When I got the offer from Mike Beam asking me to run a truck full-time for GMS Racing, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” Smith said in a press release.
“GMS is a championship-caliber team and to be a part of an organization like theirs is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’m looking forward to working with Manion again. He has a lot of experience and I know we will be a great team.”
Manion, who has 24 wins across all three national NASCAR series since 2003, was crew chief for Smith in 2018 when he made his Truck Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, where the pair finished fifth.
“I am really excited to join GMS Racing and Zane (Smith) for the 2020 season,” Manion also said in a press release.
“With GMS Racing’s championship-caliber equipment and Chevrolet support, we have all the resources to win some races and be in the hunt for the 2020 Championship. I got the opportunity to crew chief Zane (Smith) in his first Gander Trucks start in 2018 at Gateway and we worked really well together. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish next season.”
Over the past seven years in Gander Trucks competition, GMS Racing has 27 wins, 103 top-fives, 204 top-10’s, 13 pole awards and one Championship in 2016 with Johnny Sauter.
“We are thrilled to welcome Zane (Smith) and Kevin (Manion) into the GMS Racing family for the 2020 season,” said Mike Beam, president of GMS Racing. “With Kevin’s veteran crew chief knowledge and Zane’s skill they will make a great team. I think we have a solid line-up for 2020 and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish.”
Sponsorship and a truck number for Smith will be announced at a later date.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
