BRISTOL, Tenn. — Chandler Smith surged to victory in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 11, 2025, fending off Kyle Larson in a thrilling seven-lap sprint to the finish. Driving the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford, Smith claimed his first win of the season, his second at the 0.533-mile track, and the $50,000 Triple Truck Challenge bonus as the highest-finishing series regular.
Smith led a race-high 127 laps, seizing control from Corey Heim before a caution on Lap 237 set up the final restart. Larson, piloting the No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet with 27-lap fresher tires, overtook Heim for second but couldn’t close the 0.934-second gap to Smith. “I’m more excited for the team than I am for myself,” Smith said. “This group came together—we hired my crew chief (Jon Leonard) two weeks before Daytona… My life’s been really, really crazy recently, and there were a lot of unknowns about my future going into the season.” His win ended Larson’s bid for a weekend sweep across NASCAR’s three national series.
Larson, who finished second, overcame a pit road speeding penalty and tight handling in Stage 2. “We fell back on that long run in the second stage—got super tight,” Larson said. “Then I sped on pit road, but on that next stop, I think that probably helped us… Still, to get to second is good.” Despite fresher tires after pitting on Lap 162, Larson couldn’t overtake Smith’s commanding performance on the concrete oval.
Corey Heim took third, maintaining his points lead, 18 ahead of Smith. Tyler Ankrum and Ben Rhodes rounded out the top five. Bayley Currey earned his first career stage win in Stage 2 but retired early due to transmission issues. A Lap 53 crash eliminated reigning champion Ty Majeski, Frankie Muniz, Stewart Friesen, and Brandon Jones. Rajah Caruth led 85 laps on a unique tire strategy, finishing ninth.
The race, which averaged 72.32 mph over 1 hour, 50 minutes, and 33 seconds, saw eight cautions for 66 laps and six lead changes among five drivers. Bristol’s high-banked layout, known for intense short-track racing, challenged drivers’ precision, with NASCAR reporting 250 laps completed under demanding conditions. Smith’s victory bolsters Front Row Motorsports’ momentum in a competitive season, with the team eyeing playoff contention.
Smith’s path to victory wasn’t without obstacles. A late-season deal to join the No. 38 team left uncertainties, as he noted: “We kind of had our backs against the wall putting this group together.” His resilience paid off, positioning him as a contender in upcoming races. Larson, meanwhile, shifts focus to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series races at Bristol on April 12 and 13, aiming for additional podiums.
