Chandler Smith Dominates for North Wilkesboro Win

Chandler Smith won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday, dominating in a 1-2 finish for Front Row Motorsports. The 8.479-second margin between Smith and teammate Layne Riggs was the largest in history for a Truck Series short track race.

Saturday’s win was Smith’s second of the 2026 season and his ninth overall in the Truck Series. He also won last year’s Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro, giving the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports team back-to-back victories at one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks.

Spire Motorsports appeared to be the closest team to Front Row Motorsports in raw speed, leading 75 laps to FRM’s 130. All but one of those came from Carson Hocevar, whose day was impacted by a blown tire on Lap 139. He finished a disappointing 27th. Third-place finisher Shane van Gisbergen was especially potent during the race’s final stage, while Chase Elliott brought Spire a solid seventh-place finish.

One common theme during Saturday’s race was heat fatigue. Team Reaume’s Frankie Muniz went to the infield care center afterward, while Niece Motorsports’ Donovan Strauss reported suffering a near-heat stroke. Shane van Gisbergen sat on the ground next to his truck immediately after the checkered flag.

Niece Motorsports prospect Landen Lewis was a bright spot with his fifth-place run. In six Truck Series starts this year, Lewis now has three top-five finishes. It’s no mystery why Lewis was so strong: the 20-year-old is a 2025 winner at North Wilkesboro in the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour.

Ryan Newman’s Return

Among the top stories of the day was the return of Ryan Newman, who returned from a three-year hiatus from NASCAR racing. Newman, an 18-time winner in the Cup Series, drove Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 RAM, deemed the ‘free agent truck’. In his first Craftsman Truck Series race since 2018, Newman finished 24th down two laps.

“This is a great opportunity to race,” Newman said on the grid pre-race. “Kaulig’s been working on this RAM program for quite awhile now and they’re a little farther into the season. I’m here to have fun and try to make the best of it. Appreciate their opportunity, it’s been awhile since I’ve been in the Truck Series and a lot has changed, so we’ll see.”

Points Outlook

With his second win of the 2026 season, Chandler Smith is third in the standings at 126 points behind leader Layne Riggs. Kaden Honeycutt remains second, 59 points behind Riggs.

Stewart Friesen now holds the tenth and final spot in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chase. He vaulted three spots in the standings with an eighth-place finish. With the Chase just four races away, Tyler Ankrum is technically tied with Friesen but isn’t in the Chase due to the series’ tiebreaker format. Jake Garcia ranks 12th at 11 points out, followed by Brenden Queen at 23 points back.

Race Results