Chandler Michael Smith Sr. (born June 26, 2002) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 38 Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports, part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driving the No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Hettinger Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 36 Ford Mustang Dark Horse also for Front Row Motorsports.
Smith was a member of Toyota Racing Development's TD2 driver development system from 2018 until the end of 2022 but rejoined the program for 2024, before leaving at the end of the year again to rejoin the Truck Series. In 2027, he will drive for Richard Childress Racing in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Early career and ARCA Menards Series
In 2013, Smith won the bandoleros national championship after two wins at Atlanta, one at Charlotte and one at Bethel Motor Speedway. In 2018, Smith made his ARCA Menards Series debut at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and won the pole after qualifying was rained out. He led 51 laps and finished fifth in the race. In his fourth ARCA start, Smith dominated at Madison International Speedway and won his first race after leading the most laps.
On September 15, 2018, Smith dominated at Salem Speedway, leading nearly every lap to win his second race. On November 2, it was announced that Smith would return to Venturini Motorsports for the 2019 season for eleven races. Smith would run mostly short track events due to age restrictions.
Smith would return to Venturini part-time in the No. 20 for the third year in a row in 2020, with him in the car for thirteen races while Ryan Repko would join the team that year to drive it in most of the races at the larger tracks such as Daytona where Smith was not able to compete at due to being under eighteen. Ten of Smith's races that year were part of the brand new Sioux Chief Showdown, which put him in contention to win that separate championship within the ARCA Series.
On February 21, 2019, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that Smith would run a four-race NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series schedule in the team's Nos. 46 and 51 Toyota Tundras. In just his first truck series start at Iowa, he would capture the pole after qualifying would be rained out with the starting order based on owner's points. Smith would lead the initial 55 laps and finished eighth in the race.
On March 3, 2020, Smith was announced to return to KBM part-time in the Truck Series for the 2020 season. His original schedule included eight races, all in the No. 51, which were at Richmond, Dover, Michigan, Gateway, Bristol, Las Vegas, Talladega, and the season finale at Phoenix. His schedule was shuffled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; at Texas in November, Smith spun and criticized Tanner Gray for the lack of an ability to drive straight; Smith was later blamed by Ben Rhodes for a last-lap incident, although Smith never publicly accepted blame.
Smith was promoted to a full-time Truck Series schedule for 2021, driving the No. 18 for KBM. He almost won the series' inaugural race at Knoxville, but lost the lead to Austin Hill in the closing laps and green-white-checkered attempts. Smith did barely qualify for the playoffs in the tenth and final spot despite being disqualified in the regular-season finale at Watkins Glen. At Bristol, in a must-win situation to make the Round of 8 in the playoffs, Smith won, beating Grant Enfinger and teammate John Hunter Nemechek as Nemechek overshot turn 1 and race leader Sheldon Creed was put into the wall by Smith and overshot turn 1 and spun finishing nineteenth. A 35th-place finish at Las Vegas and a nineteenth-place finish at Talladega cost Smith a chance at the Championship 4. Despite this, he won at Phoenix and finished eighth in the standings.
Smith began the 2022 season with a 21st-place finish at Daytona. He scored wins at Las Vegas and Pocono to make the playoffs. During the playoffs, he won at Richmond and stayed consistent enough to make the Championship 4. Smith finished third at Phoenix and third in the standings.
Smith returned to the Truck Series part-time in 2023, driving the No. 25 for Rackley W.A.R. at Talladega after Matt DiBenedetto parted ways with the team.
On December 20, 2024, Smith announced his return to the Truck Series full-time, driving for Front Row Motorsports in 2025. He would drive the No. 38 as Layne Riggs would move over to the No. 34 after FRM expanded to two full-time trucks. Smith started the season with a sixth-place finish at Daytona. He scored wins at Bristol and North Wilkesboro.
Smith started the 2026 season with a win at Daytona. Smith was the points leader until Rockingham, where he failed post race inspection. He also won at North Wilkesboro.
On July 28, 2026, Smith announced that he would not return to FRM in 2027.
On October 5, 2022, Kaulig Racing announced that Smith would replace A. J. Allmendinger in the No. 16 in 2023 in the Xfinity Series, as Allmendinger would return to a full-time schedule in the Cup Series. Smith began the season with a twelfth place finish at Daytona. Two months later, he scored his first Xfinity win at Richmond. In October of that year, it was revealed that Smith, who originally signed a multi-year contract, would part ways with the team at the end of the season.
On December 13, 2023, it was announced that Smith will join Joe Gibbs Racing and drive the No. 81 Toyota full-time in 2024 after the team bought out Smith's contract from Kaulig. Smith started the season with a fifth place finish at Daytona. He later scored wins at Phoenix and Richmond. Smith was eliminated from the playoffs at the conclusion of the Round of 8 at Martinsville. In addition, he was fined US$10,000 for slapping Cole Custer in a post-race altercation. At the end of the season, Smith parted ways with JGR.
In 2026, Smith made two starts in the No. 5 Ford for Hettinger Racing.
On August 26, 2026, it was announced that Smith will drive full-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 21 Chevrolet for the 2027 season.