As the latest beleaguered driver to become a byproduct in Carson Hocevar‘s forceful bid for stardom, Zane Smith has a unique perspective of a sizzling star on the rise.
Nearly two years ago, it was Smith — not Hocevar — who was the young driver being handed the keys to a Cup Series ride at Spire Motorsports and anointed as a NASCAR prodigy.
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The circumstances were different — Smith was farmed out to Spire after signing a new contract with Trackhouse Racing, which had yet to expand to three Cup cars. But in a Sept. 16, 2023, news conference at Bristol Motor Speedway, Smith was hailed as the can‘t-miss prospect with a blindingly bright future.
“There was a short list of names, and Zane was at the top of that list the whole time,” Trackhouse founder Justin Marks said. “Huge fan of him, what he‘s accomplished, his talent and his grind.”
Only 11 months later, Trackhouse announced a split with Smith after the nine-time winner and 2022 champion in the Craftsman Truck Series struggled mightily during his first full year in Cup (average finish of 23.2). Hocevar, who also was promoted to Cup after four Truck victories, provided an inconvenient and telling benchmark.
In their rookie seasons as Spire teammates, Smith, 26, finished nine spots behind Hocevar, 23, in the 2024 points standings.
That‘s the historical kindling for a feud that sparked at Iowa Speedway, where Hocevar inadvertently spun Smith after a restart. After falling several laps down for repairs, Smith tried unsuccessfully to return the favor with his No. 38 Ford.
Hocevar poked fun in a social media post after finishing eighth, savagely including the in-car video of Smith‘s failed attempt at side-swiping the No. 77 Chevrolet. Even more dismissively, Hocevar (who was confronted by Smith‘s crew chief after the Iowa race) posted a photo of the “Take a number” machine ubiquitous at supermarket deli counters.
His former teammate was just another dissatisfied customer who dared to cross paths with Hocevar, who has ruffled the feathers of many veterans while running up front weekly.
If that sounds like bulletin-board material for Smith and his team, there will be no shortage of motivation at Watkins Glen International (incidentally, Hocevar and Smith both finished in the top five there last year).
A weekend at the New York road course will offer constant reminders for Smith of how fleeting life can be in the Cup Series.
Shane van Gisbergen, who became Trackhouse‘s third full-time Cup driver this season and essentially sealed Smith being squeezed out of the team‘s plans, will try to win his fourth consecutive race on a street or road course. Connor Zilisch, the 19-year-old phenom who is destined to replace Daniel Suárez at Trackhouse in Cup next year, will race in NASCAR‘s top three national series at The Glen.
It didn‘t work out quite that way for Smith, who landed at Front Row Motorsports for the 2025 season with the scars from “an ugly year” that he believes made him stronger.
“There was a lot of unknowns and uncertainty and just kind of a bad taste, but with that, you move forward,” he said recently about the 2024 season. “I‘m trying to do better at living in the now and appreciating what I‘ve got. Hopefully, I have a long future racing on Sundays, but nothing is ever promised in motorsports.”
Smith‘s career is an excellent case study.
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