During Saturday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, a member of Sammy Smith’s pit crew caught on fire during a stop. Not only did he get extinguished by the quick-acting safety crew, he finished the pit stop. Then, when he got out of the care center, he suited back up and finished the race!
Ryan Zunk was the crew member who took the brunt of the scary situation. The rear tire changer was getting the lugs off the wheel and sparks came from his impact wrench and the lugs themselves. As the fueler, Ray Hernandez gave the car gas, it was ignited.
It was already a scary video on the original TV broadcast. However, we now have the helmet cam footage from Zunk, courtesy of Joe Gibbs Racing.
What’s so amazing about that video is how it all happened so quickly. Sammy Smith pits, he gets the wrench going on the wheel, and that’s when the sparks fly. All it takes is one. Everyone on the pit crew was great, the safety crew was awesome as well.
Sammy Smith was the pole-sitter for this race. However, things didn’t work out in his favor. In his final race with Joe Gibbs, Smith finished P9.
Next year, Sammy Smith is moving onto JR Motorsports, and that could be a great pairing. His time with JGR had run its course it seems and he is ready to try a new path in NASCAR.
Sammy Smith could be a champion soon
At just 19 years old, Sammy Smith has championship potential. He’s made mistakes in his rookie season in the Xfinity Series. However, the two-time ARCA East champion is more than just a well-sponsored wheelman. He’s got skills.
Smith moves to Josh Berry’s No. 8 car next season as Berry moves up to take Kevin Harvick’s Cup Series seat. That is a car that has put two drivers into the Cup Series in the last two years with Noah Gragson and Berry.
Right now, the Cup Series pipeline feels a little overcrowded for Chevy and Toyota. So, I’m not sure how soon Smith expects a Cup ride. He is very young. He won’t be 20 until next June. However, seeing drivers like Ty Gibbs and Carson Hocevar given rides at 20 might make him itchy for a big-time job.
I fully expect Sammy Smith to win multiple races next year. He won the spring Phoenix race this season for his lone victory. He was sixth overall in the points this year – let’s step it up another notch. Smith performed well, not great, in the playoffs. I know he’s got his eyes on a Championship 4 appearance in 2024.
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