Chandler Smith delivered a dramatic victory in Friday's Black's Tire 200 at Martinsville Speedway, capturing his third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection win of the 2026 season. The Entrance Row Motorsports driver began third, led 12 laps and capitalized on a late restart to defeat Ben Rhodes by 0.574 seconds.
Smith remained among the many strongest opponents all through the afternoon, ending third in each levels whereas teammate Layne Riggs dominated the occasion. His No. 38 Ford persistently ran close to the entrance, permitting Smith to problem for the lead throughout a number of restarts.
The decisive second got here with 12 laps remaining when Smith restarted alongside Riggs. He used the skin lane to surge forward of his teammate, taking the lead as Riggs struggled with momentum exiting Flip 4.
Smith managed the remaining laps and secured his tenth profession Truck Collection victory, finishing a Ford sweep of the highest 4 positions. The win additionally marked his first profession victory at Martinsville and supplied momentum heading into his ultimate race with Entrance Row Motorsports.
Regardless of the victory, Smith was mathematically eradicated from championship competition. He stays third within the standings with 2,300 factors, trailing Kaden Honeycutt by 103 markers getting into the Homestead-Miami season finale.
This text initially appeared on Motorsports Wire: e
