Zane Smith is again at Entrance Row Motorsports.
The workforce made its long-awaited announcement that Smith can be in a 3rd NASCAR Cup Sequence automobile in 2025 on Thursday. The formality got here after the workforce stated that its buy of a constitution from Stewart-Haas Racing had been finalized amid its authorized wrangling with NASCAR over the brand new constitution settlement.
Smith, 25, gained the 2022 Truck Sequence title for Entrance Row Motorsports. He gained 4 races that season and had 19 top-10 finishes over 23 races. His fourth win of the season got here within the winner-take-all championship race.
After one other season within the Truck Sequence in 2023, Smith moved to the Cup Sequence in 2024 with Spire Motorsports. Smith had signed a take care of Trackhouse Racing, however the workforce loaned him out to a 3rd Spire automobile. With Trackhouse increasing to a few automobiles in 2025 and including Shane van Gisbergen to its Cup Sequence workforce, Smith discovered himself a free agent on the finish of the season.
Smith ended up thirtieth within the standings with two top-fives and 5 top-10 finishes. He had only one top-10 end earlier than discovering out he was set to be a free agent on the finish of the season.
Entrance Row is increasing again to a few automobiles after fielding two automobiles in current seasons. Smith joins Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson as Michael McDowell strikes to Spire for 2025. Gragson joins the workforce after SHR closed down on the finish of the 2024 season.
Each FRM and 23XI Racing moved to buy charters from SHR, however the way forward for these gross sales had been in limbo after the 2 groups filed an antitrust lawsuit in opposition to NASCAR over its franchising settlement with the groups. The 2 groups had been the one ones that didn’t signal the constitution settlement earlier than the earlier one expired on the finish of the 2024 season.
By not signing the settlement, the groups weren’t in a position to shut their constitution purchases. Nonetheless, they from a federal decide that permits them to quickly compete as chartered groups — and buy the charters from SHR — in 2025 as their lawsuit in opposition to NASCAR progresses.
