ZANE SMITH

Zane Smith, the 2022 NASCAR Truck Series champion, is expected to run a handful of races in the Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports next season.

Zane Smith finally took his place among champions. The last two years saw Smith finish second in the championship finale, but the third time proved to be the charm.

Zane Smith led 77 laps and his Front Row Motorsports truck was the dominant truck of the race. He emerged as the 2022 NASCAR Truck Series champion.

NASCAR Pocono Truck Auto Racing Chandler Smith (18) leads the pack down the front straight on a restart of the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Pocono Raceway, Saturday, July 23, 2022 in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Matt Slocum)LONG POND, Pa. — (AP) — Zane Smith clinched the regular season NASCAR Truck Series championship and Chandler Smith took the checkered flag Saturday at Pocono Raceway. “We’ve been going through a little bit of a struggle recently,” Chandler Smith said. Zane Smith and Chandler Smith (they are not related), Ben Rhodes, John Hunter Nemechek, Stewart Friesen, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton are in the playoffs. One caveat: NASCAR’s Trucks’ regular-season points leader has not won the season championship in each of the past four years. He made 241 career Cup starts, 333 in the second-tier Xfinity Series, and Saturday marked his 226th in the Truck Series.

Zane Smith clinched the regular season NASCAR Truck Series championship and Chandler Smith took the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway.

Kyle Larson was the start of a Grand Prix in Philadelphia run by the Urban Youth Racing School.

Joey Logano jockeyed for the lead with Kyle Busch in overtime, got around him for good just before the white flag flew and cruised to the victory Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway.

NASCAR is bringing its top series to World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis for the first time this weekend.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — (AP) — Austin Hill won the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona International Speedway following Myatt Snider's airborne crash that shredded a chunk of catchfence directly in front of where Michael Jordan was watching Saturday night. Hill's win in his very first race with RCR was the first victory this week at Daytona for Chevrolet. Ford had won two Daytona 500 qualifying races and Friday night's Truck Series opener, won by Zane Smith in his first race for Front Row Motorsports. I’m putting that in the bank. I’m putting that in the memory bank to remember for late in the race,” Hill said.

Austin Hill won the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona when the field was frozen because of a spectacular crash that stripped Myatt Snider’s damaged car to a carcass.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — (AP) — Zane Smith came inches away from winning the Truck Series opener in regulation. Forced to try again in overtime, Smith held on in a two-lap sprint to win at Daytona International Speedway. The race would have been over had Smith crossed under the white flag before the caution lights flashed; instead the field was frozen for nearly 20 minutes to clean the mess off the track before overtime. His timing was again impeccable as Smith reclaimed the lead and make it past the white flag. John Hunter Nemechek was racing Smith for the win when his Toyota was damaged.

NASCAR Phoenix Trucks Auto Racing Driver take Turn 3 during the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Phoenix Raceway on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Avondale, Ariz. . (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) (Darryl Webb)AVONDALE, Ariz. — (AP) — Ben Rhodes opened the NASCAR season with back-to-back wins and closed it Friday night by winning the Truck Series championship. Rhodes won for ThorSport Racing, a Truck Series team since 1996 based in Ohio. Rhodes needed a late pass of fellow title contender Zane Smith to win the title. “Bookends for the season, I am so proud of my ThorSport team.”Smith finished fifth, behind outgoing Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed, and was runner-up for the title.

Ben Rhodes opened the NASCAR season with back-to-back wins and closed it Friday night by winning the Truck Series championship.

Busch won the NASCAR Trucks Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday night, his 58th career win on the circuit and his eighth victory in his last 10 trucks starts. Busch hadnt gone winless in three consecutive trucks starts since 2017. Brett Moffitt won the trucks race at Homestead in 2018 but didnt even get through 20 laps Saturday night, after he was part of a crash that also ended Zane Smiths race early. Elliott pitted, got four new tires to replace those ruined in the skid, and was part of the race within the race the battle for second behind Busch at the end. Ray Ciccarelli was in the race after a week where he made plenty of news for perhaps less-than-ideal reasons.

Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of Gander RV & Outdoors, which sponsors the Truck Series, agreed to match Harvicks pledge, bringing the total to $100,000 for pandemic relief. Elliott rubbed a little salt in the wound after the race, borrowing Buschs celebratory bow after the race. That is all.It was the first Truck Series race since Feb. 21 when Busch won at Las Vegas. Elliott, John Hunter Nemechek and Brennan Poole were the three full-time Cup drivers eligible to collect the $100,000 bounty. He followed up a fourth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday by winning the Xfinity Series race on Monday in overtime after passing Austin Cindric on the final lap.