Tough Start to Gander Trucks Season Continues for Chandler Smith

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In: NASCAR Truck Series News
After running outside the top 10 for all of the opening stage of Sunday’s NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series event at World Wide Technology Raceway Chandler drove from the 13th position to seventh over the first eight laps of Stage Two, but sustained damage in a Lap-78 accident that took multiple laps to fix under caution and relegated the 18-year-old driver to a 24th-place finish in his fourth start of the season.
 
Stage One Recap: 
  • Smith started from the 12th position after a performance matrix based off his finishing position from the previous race, ranking in owner points standings and the ranking of the fastest lap he turned from the previous race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
  • The 18-year-old driver lost four spots in the opening laps of the race, but on Lap 30 began to make his way back towards the top 10. He moved into 16th on Lap 30, 14th on lap 50 and ended Stage one scored in the 13th spot. 
Stage Two Recap:  
  • Smith communicated to veteran crew chief Danny Stockman that he was “plowing tight,” before hitting pit road for four fresh tires a full load of fuel and chassis adjustments.
  • With the field frozen under NASCAR’s pit road rules for the event, he restarted 13th when Stage Two went green on Lap 61. The JBL Tundra came to life and the talented teenager began to march forward. He was scored 11th on Lap 63, moved up to eighth on Lap 65, and on Lap 70 maneuvered his way up to the seventh position.
  • As he was looking to make his way to the inside of Ben Rhodes for the sixth position, Rhodes held him tight to the inside lane and Smith broke loose and shot up the track. After contact with Rhodes, he went sliding rear first into the outside wall.
  • Smith brought the JBL Tundra to the attention of his crew who pulled out the crinkled fenders under caution and returned their young driver to the track two laps down in the 27th position.
  • He would gain one position and finish Stage Two in the 26th position. 
Final Stage Recap:  
  • Smith would line up 26th for the Final Stage and would end the day three laps down in the 24th position.

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