A heat index exceeding 100 degrees took its toll on several NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers in North Wilkesboro Speedway’s FaithFest 250, but it was Chandler Smith who made the heat even more unbearable, picking up his second consecutive victory at the historic short track in dominating fashion.
In recording his second victory this season and the ninth of his career, Smith led 105 of the 250 laps. His 8.479-second victory over Front Row Motorsports teammate Layne Riggs was the largest short-track victory margin in the Truck Series since it made its debut in 1995. Smith took the lead for the first time on lap 146 and never lost it.
“It was after eight laps when… Stage three started I just instantly started riding, but our truck was so good that it didn’t matter,” Smith said. “I rode all the way to the very last lap. It was funny, they were reading my lap times off and I’m like, ‘Man, I’m sorry. I know you all probably think I’m just out here pushing it.’
“Truthfully, one thing that I have learned in short-track racing… when you intentionally go to save tire, most of the time you actually hurt yourself more than you help yourself. So, just driving underneath the tire, going as hard as you can but staying underneath it and not over slipping the right-front or the right-rear, that’s what I would call the most efficient way to save tire. That’s what I started doing from lap eight of the run all the way to the end and it’s crazy that we still ended up with that big of a margin of victory.”
David Jensen//Getty Images
Chandler Smith.
It was the second straight year that Smith and Riggs have finished 1-2 at North Wilkesboro. Ford now has six victories this year, winning four of the last six events. Front Row Motorsports now has 21 victories. Its six victories this year are the most in a single season for that organization.
However, it wasn’t Smith’s domination that caught everyone’s attention. That was reserved for the intense heat and humidity. Spectators sitting on the front stretch could be seen fanning themselves as the field took the green flag at 12:48 p.m. ET. It was 86 degrees, but the high humidity made it feel like 104 to 107 degrees.
“Under green-flag conditions, for me, you’re so focused and focused in on the task at hand that the heat is secondary,” Smith said. “You mentally block it out because you can’t focus on the heat. The part that sucks is when you’re under caution and you don’t have to focus and you’re just riding around. That’s when the heat soaks and you start noticing the little things like the fan ain’t blowing good air at all.”
During the event, Carson Hocevar complained that his feet were burning. After the race, several drivers needed attention after climbing from their oven-like trucks.
Frankie Muniz had to be helped from his truck and then escorted to a nearby ambulance. Kaden Honeycutt was among those cramming ice packs inside his driver’s uniform. Christian Eckes poured ice down his back.
Forty-eight-year-old Ryan Newman, who hadn’t competed in a truck race since 2018, sat on the pit wall, with his head in his left hand and a bottle of Gatorade in his right while his 15-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, poured water on him. Even New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen had to sit beside his truck with a wet towel.
“I’m cooked. I get some air con, I’ll be sweet,” Van Gisbergen said after his third-place finish in his inaugural truck race at North Wilkesboro.
Riggs, who has won four races this year, was one of the drivers who acquired ice bags every time he pitted. He pulled off his cool shirt as soon as he exited his truck.
“It was probably one of the hottest races I’ve ever been in,” said Riggs, the standings leader.
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.
But for a couple of sketchy, short-lived gigs right out of college, Natalie Neff has had the good fortune to spend the entirety of her professional life around cars. A 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 1972 VW Beetle, 1999 Ducati Monster and a well-loved purple-and-white five-speed Schwinn currently call her garage home.