Texas Motor Speedway Competition Notes
TEAM AND RACE NOTES:
Zane Smith returns to the Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, this time, in the No. 38 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports (FRM). Smith will be making his eighth NASCAR Cup Series start.
Ambetter Health will make their primary NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend as they ride with Smith and the No. 38 Ford Mustang team for the 267-lap event.
Ambetter Health is a health insurance offering that is available on the Health Insurance Marketplace, or exchange, established by the Affordable Care Act.
It is one of the healthcare programs provided by Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise. Ambetter Health is made available through local health plans and covers a wide variety of healthcare services, including preventive and wellness services, maternity and newborn care, pediatric services, mental health and substance misuse services, prescription drug coverage, and more.
Track activity will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday at 12:35 p.m. ET. Sunday’s 400-mile race is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network.
COMPETITION NOTES:
Smith heads to the Texas Motor Speedway looking to best his 10th-place finish at the grueling Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. The finish was Smith’s first top-10 in NASCAR Cup Series in only seven starts in one of NASCAR’s crown jewels.
The Huntington Beach, California native finished 17th in his Cup Series debut in 2022 and qualified into his first Daytona 500 this season by racing into the prestigious event through his 150-mile qualifier. Smith ended his first Daytona 500 in 13th.
This past weekend, Smith announced that he’ll race in full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024.
Smith last competed at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in April. He finished fifth in the first two stages but was involved in a late race incident while leading at the white flag. He finished 14th in the event.
CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:
“I am excited to be working with Zane again. He has proven himself again and again in the truck series and his 10th-place finish in the Coke 600 further proved that he is a contender on Sunday’s.
“This will be another learning experience for Zane, but I know that we’ll have a car that he can go and prove himself again.”
DRIVER ZANE SMITH:
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to get back into the seat of a Cup car this weekend thanks to Ambetter Health and Front Row Motorsports. We had a really great run at Charlotte the last time I ran Cup and Ryan (Bergenty) and the entire team have been helpful in getting me prepared for this race. Texas is a tough track, but I feel good about the preparation for this weekend.”