Samuel L. Smith (born June 4, 2004) is an American professionalstock car racing driver. He competes full-time in theNASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 8Chevrolet Camaro SS forJR Motorsports.
Smith previously competed in theNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series andARCA Menards Series, and won two consecutiveARCA Menards Series East championships in2021 and2022. He also has competed in theCARS Tour, where he has driven for car owners Barry Nelson, Marcus Richmond, and Donnie Wilson as well asKyle Busch Motorsports.
Smith began racing at the age of eight ingo-karts and then began racinglegends cars andlate models. His dad inspired him to start racing.[1]
Smith made his debut in the CARS Tour in May 2019, driving the No. 12Toyota for Barry Nelson. He was fourteen years old at the time. He would run five more races for Nelson that year and another in 2020, before running two races in the No. 19 for Marcus Richmond. Smith returned to Nelson's team in 2021 to compete in the race atOrange County Speedway. Smith competed full-time in the CARS Series in the Super Late Model Tour in 2020, driving the No. 51 (or on occasion, the No. 51S) forKyle Busch Motorsports. That year, he also competed in theWorld Series of Asphalt.[1]
In 2021, KBM decided to temporarily close down their late model team,[2] so Smith moved to Wilson Motorsports for his late model starts that year.[3] He again entered the World Series of Asphalt and won the race driving the team's No. 22 car.[4]
On February 3, 2021, it was announced that Smith would compete in the first five races of theARCA Menards Series East season as well as theWest Series season-finale atPhoenix, all inJoe Gibbs Racing's No. 18 car.[5] In his debut atNew Smyrna, Smith would lose the race toMax Gutiérrez in a three-wide photo finish with him andTaylor Gray.[6] Smith would then go on to win and lead the most laps in the next two races atFive Flags and theNashville Fairgrounds. He also won the pole at Five Flags. AtDover, JGR enteredTy Gibbs (their full-time driver in the mainARCA Menards Series) in the No. 18 and moved Smith to a new second car for the team, the No. 81. (It was originally the No. 18E on the entry list,[7] but since this race was not a combination race, numbers with letters were not allowed and the team had to change the number.) Gibbs would win that race and Smith would finish fourth. AtSouthern National Motorsports Park, Smith would pick up his third win of the season. While the remaining three East Series races were not on his initial schedule, Smith is expected to return to the No. 81 in those three races (at least Iowa)[8] to hold onto the points lead and win the championship. Those three races are combination races with the main ARCA Menards Series, so Gibbs will be in the No. 18.
Smith returned to the East Series in 2022, this time driving forKyle Busch Motorsports. He started the season on a high note, winning the season opener race atNew Smyrna, after starting from the pole and leading 167 laps.[9] He scored another win the in following race atFive Flags, leading 107 laps.[10] His third win of the season came atNashville, as he once again led the most laps, with 156.[11] Smith would also run the main ARCA Menards Series schedule full-time, but because he will not turn eighteen until June 4, 2022, he would skip four races at the larger tracks, Daytona, Talladega, Kansas, and Charlotte.[12] He earned his first main ARCA win atBerlin, leading the final eight laps after race leader,Daniel Dye, suffered a mechanical problem.[13] He would get a second win in the following week atElko, dominating the race and leading 233 laps.[14]
On June 9, 2022, it was announced that Smith would drive for eight races in theNASCAR Xfinity Series forJoe Gibbs Racing, starting atRoad America.[15] On December 6, JGR announced that Smith would drive the No. 18 full-time in2023 with sponsorship fromPilot Flying J.
During the2023 season, Smith scored his first win atPhoenix; at the age of eighteen, he became the youngest Xfinity Series winner at Phoenix and the fourth youngest winner in series history.[16]
On September 26, 2023, it was announced that Smith would leave JGR after the 2023 season and move toJR Motorsports in the No. 8 car for2024.[17] Smith started the season with a 23rd place finish atDaytona. He made the playoffs as the 12 seed with no wins, four top-fives, and thirteen top-tens. During the playoffs, Smith scored his second career Xfinity win (first win of the 2024 season) atTalladega.[18]
Smith started the2025 season with a 24th-place finish atDaytona. AtMartinsville, he wreckedTaylor Gray while fighting for the lead on the final overtime lap, triggering a multi-car pileup. As a result, Smith was docked 50 driver points and finedUS$25,000.[19] AtRockingham, Smith finished second toJesse Love, but Love was disqualified after failing post race inspection; as a result, Smith earned his first win of 2025.[20]
On February 3, 2023, it was announced that Smith would make his Truck Series debut in the 2023 season-opener at Daytona, filling in forTaylor Gray in theTricon Garage (previously David Gilliland Racing) No. 17 truck due to Gray still being seventeen years old and therefore not able to race there.[21]
Spire Motorsports announced on March 27, 2024, that Smith was added to the No. 7Chevrolet Silverado for a four-race schedule.[22]
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ARCA Menards Series | Joe Gibbs Racing | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 107 | 35th |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 8 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 385 | 1st | ||
| ARCA Menards Series West | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 39th | ||
| 2022 | NASCAR Xfinity Series | Joe Gibbs Racing | 9 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 230 | 30th |
| ARCA Menards Series | Kyle Busch Motorsports | 16 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 851 | 4th | |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 375 | 1st | ||
| ARCA Menards Series West | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 143 | 24th | ||
| 2023 | NASCAR Xfinity Series | Joe Gibbs Racing | 33 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 2248 | 6th |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | Tricon Garage | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† | |
| ARCA Menards Series West | Hattori Racing Enterprises | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 38th | |
| 2024 | NASCAR Xfinity Series | JR Motorsports | 33 | 1 | 7 | 16 | 2185 | 11th |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | Spire Motorsports | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | NC† | |
| 2025 | Michelin Pilot Challenge – GS | Van der Steur Racing | ||||||
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | JR Motorsports | 33 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 2222 | 8th | |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | Spire Motorsports | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | NC† |
† As Smith was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | NOAPSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2022 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Toyota | DAY | CAL | LVS | PHO | ATL | COA | RCH | MAR | TAL | DOV | DAR | TEX | CLT | PIR | NSH | ROA 24 | ATL | NHA | POC 31 | IRC | MCH 12 | GLN 3 | DAY 38 | DAR | KAN 8 | BRI 14 | TEX | TAL | ROV | LVS | HOM | MAR 18 | PHO 10 | 30th | 230 | [23] |
| 2023 | DAY 19 | CAL 19 | LVS 17 | PHO 1* | ATL 17 | COA 4 | RCH 19 | MAR 2 | TAL 33 | DOV 6 | DAR 11 | CLT 10 | PIR 30 | SON 9 | NSH 34 | CSC 6 | ATL 10 | NHA 5 | POC 6 | ROA 31 | MCH 38 | IRC 28 | GLN 18 | DAY 21 | DAR 17 | KAN 35 | BRI 9 | TEX 3 | ROV 11 | LVS 17 | HOM 9 | MAR 3* | PHO 9 | 6th | 2248 | [24] | |||
| 2024 | JR Motorsports | 8 | Chevy | DAY 23 | ATL 10 | LVS 8 | PHO 9 | COA 36 | RCH 9 | MAR 7 | TEX 8 | TAL 21 | DOV 33 | DAR 34 | CLT 3 | PIR 3 | SON 33 | IOW 4 | NHA 12 | NSH 30 | CSC 13 | POC 9 | IND 18 | MCH 5 | DAY 23 | DAR 5 | ATL 7 | GLN 19 | BRI 15 | KAN 22 | TAL 1 | ROV 10 | LVS 32 | HOM 22 | MAR 2 | PHO 15 | 11th | 2185 | [25] |
| 2025 | DAY 24 | ATL 4 | COA 11 | PHO 14 | LVS 14 | HOM 21 | MAR 10 | DAR 9 | BRI 4 | CAR 1 | TAL 31 | TEX 18 | CLT 38 | NSH 10 | MXC 10 | POC 8 | ATL 33 | CSC 7 | SON 9 | DOV 24 | IND 7 | IOW 15 | GLN 3 | DAY 2 | PIR 22 | GTW 33 | BRI 37 | KAN 4 | ROV 3 | LVS 20 | TAL 9 | MAR 2 | PHO 6 | 8th | 2222 | [26] | |||
| 2026 | DAY 5 | ATL | COA | PHO | LVS | DAR | MAR | CAR | BRI | KAN | TAL | TEX | GLN | DOV | CLT | NSH | POC | COR | SON | CHI | ATL | IND | IOW | DAY | DAR | GTW | BRI | LVS | CLT | PHO | TAL | MAR | HOM | -* | -* | [27] | |||
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | NCTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2023 | Tricon Garage | 17 | Toyota | DAY 14 | LVS | ATL | COA | TEX | BRD | MAR | KAN | DAR | NWS | CLT | GTW | NSH | MOH | POC | RCH | IRP | MLW | KAN | BRI | TAL | HOM | PHO | 102nd | 01 | [28] | ||
| 2024 | Spire Motorsports | 7 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | LVS | BRI | COA | MAR 8 | TEX | KAN | DAR | NWS 5 | CLT | GTW | NSH | POC | IRP 6 | RCH | MLW 17 | BRI | KAN | TAL | HOM | MAR | PHO | 83rd | 01 | [29] | ||
| 2025 | DAY | ATL | LVS | HOM | MAR | BRI | CAR 16 | TEX | KAN | NWS 10 | CLT | NSH | MCH | POC | LRP | IRP | GLN 6 | RCH 4 | DAR | BRI | NHA | ROV | TAL | MAR | PHO | 84th | 01 | [30] | |||
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 81 | Toyota | DAY | PHO | TAL | KAN | TOL | CLT | MOH | POC | ELK | BLN | IOW 18 | WIN | GLN | MCH | ISF | MLW 5 | DSF | BRI 2 | SLM | KAN | 35th | 107 | [31] |
| 2022 | Kyle Busch Motorsports | 18 | DAY | PHO 3* | TAL | KAN | CLT | IOW 2 | BLN 1 | ELK 1* | MOH 3 | POC 12 | IRP 2 | MCH 4 | GLN 5 | ISF 4 | MLW 1* | DSF 3 | KAN 3 | BRI 1* | SLM 1** | TOL 1 | 4th | 851 | [32] | |
| ARCA Menards Series East results | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | AMSEC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Toyota | NSM 2* | FIF 1* | NSV 1* | SNM 1 | 1st | 435 | [33] | ||||
| 81 | DOV 4 | IOW 18 | MLW 5 | BRI 2 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | Kyle Busch Motorsports | 18 | NSM 1* | FIF 1* | DOV 5 | NSV 1* | IOW 2 | MLW 1* | BRI 1* | 1st | 426 | [34] | ||
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 81 | Toyota | PHO | SON | IRW | CNS | IRW | PIR | LVS | AAS | PHO 3 | 39th | 41 | [35] | |||
| 2022 | Kyle Busch Motorsports | 18 | PHO 3* | IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | EVG | PIR | AAS | LVS | PHO 1* | 24th | 143 | [36] | ||
| 2023 | Hattori Racing Enterprises | 81 | PHO | IRW | KCR | PIR | SON 2 | IRW | SHA | EVG | AAS | LVS | MAD | PHO | 38th | 42 | [37] | |
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)
| CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | CLMSCTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2019 | Nelson Motorsports | 12 | Toyota | SNM | HCY | ROU | ACE 9 | MMS 3 | LGY 3 | DOM | CCS 3 | HCY 5 | ROU 2 | SBO | 13th | 173 | [38] | ||
| 2020 | SNM | ACE 5 | HCY | HCY | DOM 14 | FCS | LGY | 24th | 61 | [39] | |||||||||
| R&S Race Cars | 19 | Toyota | CCS 19 | FLO | GRE | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Nelson Motorsports | 2N | Chevy | DIL | HCY | OCS 20 | ACE | CRW | LGY | DOM | HCY | MMS | TCM | FLC | WKS | SBO | 57th | 13 | [40] |
(key)
| CARS Super Late Model Tour results | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | CSLMTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2020 | Kyle Busch Motorsports | 51S | Toyota | SNM 12 | JEN 2 | BRI 7 | NSH 20 | 3rd | 207 | [41] | ||||
| 51 | HCY 7 | HCY 6 | FCS 2* | FLC 3 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | Donnie Wilson | 22 | Toyota | HCY | GPS 3 | NSH 5 | JEN 1 | HCY | MMS | TCM 20 | SBO | 7th | 75 | [42] |
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