Chandler Smith discusses future after latest NASCAR race

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Chandler Smith. Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Chandler Smith could be 'hanging it up' if season doesn't end with Xfinity Series title

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Oct 26, 2024 7:41 PM ET

Chandler Smith fought and clawed his way to a 13th-place effort in Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, but he was very blunt when asked about the future of his season.

Smith now sits 28 points below the cut line to make the Championship Four, with only the Nov. 2 race at Martinsville remaining for him and the No. 81 team to make the championship race.

Despite a solid 2024 season in which he's won two races and made the penultimate round of the postseason, Smith's future in NASCAR is anything but secure.

Chandler Smith, who is 28 points below the cutline, said he could be working for his dad’s construction business next year so no craps will be given as he tries to win and advance at Martinsville: pic.twitter.com/wG98LgBtKS
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 26, 2024

"I don't have a ride next (for) year," Smith told Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass. "I could be working for my dad's construction business and be hanging it up at the end of this year. With that being said, all craps will not be given at Martinsville."

Smith has been a beneficiary of having funding to help him on his journey up the NASCAR ladder, but it appears that said funding has run dry. Despite an impressive body of work in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series, Smith isn't seen as a top free agent in either the Xfinity Series or Cup Series, and with Joe Gibbs Racing's 2025 Xfinity Series lineup filling up, Smith may be forced to hit the job market.

It's an unfortunate reality for Smith and plenty of other young, talented drivers who attempt to make it in modern-day racing: At the end of the day, sponsorship and funding trump talent and driving acumen, at least in developmental series.

If Smith isn't able to win at Martinsville or win the 2024 Xfinity Series championship, his offseason could be much longer than originally intended.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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