Front Row Motorsports have confirmed that Chandler Smith will not be back for what would have been a third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with the team behind the wheel of the No. 38 Ford in 2027.
Smith, who sits third in the point standings with two victories at Daytona International Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway and a playoff spot already solidified, is believed to be on his way back to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
With Ford not having a full-time O'Reilly Series team at the moment, this transition would necessitate yet another manufacturer switch for the 24-year-old Talking Rock, Georgia native. Chevrolet's Richard Childress Racing is rumored as his most likely landing spot for 2027.
Chandler Smith out at Front Row for 2027, RCR move next?
Austin Hill is the odds-on favorite to become the full-time replacement for the late Kyle Busch at the Cup level, after having already been confirmed as the driver of the No. 8-turned-No. 33 Chevrolet for the remainder of 2026. Jesse Love will also not be back with the RCR O'Reilly Series team next year, having been announced as Wood Brothers Racing's Cup replacement for Josh Berry.
Smith's teammate Layne Riggs, who leads the standings with five victories, had been linked to a Cup Series promotion, but with Noah Gragson likely set to remain in his seat alongside Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith after having been rumored to join RCR himself, Riggs will probably be back in the No. 34 Ford for a fourth season with the team, leaving them with only the No. 38 truck to fill.
Chandler has plenty of O'Reilly Series experience, winning at Richmond Raceway and finishing ninth in the standings in his rookie season with Kaulig Racing back in 2023.
In 2024, he moved to Joe Gibbs Racing, reuniting him with Toyota, the manufacturer with which he won five Truck Series races at Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2021 and 2022. He won at Phoenix Raceway and Richmond and finished fifth in points before his 2025 Truck Series return.
The 2026 season is Smith's fourth full Truck Series season, and he has won multiple races in each of those seasons. His career-high points finish of third came in his three-win 2022 season. He recorded two wins in each of 2021 and 2025 and placed eighth in the standings both years.
Add us as a preferred source on Google