(Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith picked up in 2023 right where he left off: in victory lane.
For the second year in a row, Smith won the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway to open the Truck Series season.
“From the final half of the year last year and then rolling into this year, I just felt like we just had so much momentum,” Smith said after the race. “I knew our trucks were going to be good, and firing off practices yesterday was probably the best speedway truck I’ve had. I wasn’t too worried about qualifying much as just worried about getting caught up in someone else’s mess.”
After starting 15th, Smith failed to earn stage points but stayed out after the second stage for track position. He led Lap 47 and Lap 53 before getting the lead from Corey LaJoie on Lap 65 for good.
A caution for rain was displayed on Lap 69. After 10 caution laps and a one-hour red flag, the track appeared dry enough for the race to resume. As engines re-fired, rain picked up and NASCAR lost the track. Smith was declared the winner.
“Tonight was so cool, regardless of how you end up winning it,” Smith said. “I wanted it to be an exciting finish, but like I said, I don’t know anyone who’s going to turn down a win at Daytona for one, and it’s a playoff spot, and we’re locked in. I didn’t get any stage points tonight, but we’re leaving in the playoffs.”
(Photo: Blake Ulino | The Podium Finish)
Smith will look to parlay his Daytona success over to Sunday when he’ll start his first Daytona 500.
“I’m just so ready for Sunday to be here,” Smith said. “I think every little kid that wants to be in NASCAR or in racing grew up watching the Great American Race. You take for granted all the races that you’re locked into. I don’t really remember the last time I had to race into something.
“I honestly feel like superspeedway racing hasn’t been my strong suit, and I’ve honestly grown to like it in a way and kind of put a lot of attention on making myself like it. Fortunately, lately, it’s been kind of working.”
Tanner Gray recorded his best career finish of second under newly rebranded TRICON Garage. Despite suffering early damage and falling a lap down, he fought back for a podium finish.
“I’m happy to finish second with how our truck looked after, but at the same time, I’m a competitor, and I want to race, and a win locks you into the playoffs,” Gray said. “These seasons are long, and there’s so many highs and lows, you’ve just got to learn to manage that and make the lows not so low.”
(Photo: Blake Ulino | The Podium Finish)
Christian Eckes, in his first race with McAnally Hilgemann Racing, finished third. He won Stage 1 and finished fifth in Stage 2, earning enough points to take a lead in the standings through one race.
“I feel like I’m going to have to write a book one day, a thousand ways how to lose a speedway race,” Eckes said. “Last year we lost two of them on a green-white-checkered, this year we lost them due to rain.
“I want to finish these races off. This is kind of why I’m here. I’m here to win. It’s good always to be running up front and to win stages and lead laps, but yeah, we’re here to win.”
Tyler Ankrum won Stage 2 and finished seventh.
Forty-one of 79 laps were completed under caution. Dean Thompson (accident), Hailie Deegan (accident), Clay Greenfield (accident), Codie Rohrbaugh (accident), Parker Kligerman (DVP), Bret Holmes (brakes), Daniel Dye (accident) and Rajah Caruth (accident) all did not finish.
