CHICAGO — Zane Smith will reach a career milestone this weekend, but the Front Row Motorsports driver is focused on turning it into something more.

Smith is set to make his 100th NASCAR Cup Series start when the green flag drops at Chicagoland Speedway, and the driver of the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse hopes the occasion doubles as his first trip to victory lane at the sport’s top level.

“I hope to get my first Cup Series win,” Smith said during a Ford Racing media call. “It would be awesome. It would be a great place to do it.”

The 25-year-old enters the race with growing confidence, particularly on intermediate tracks. He pointed to improved performance since Charlotte, where he led laps and contended for a win, as evidence his team is trending in the right direction.

“The mile-and-a-halves have been good to us since Charlotte,” Smith said. “I think it’s definitely possible.”

While the 100-start mark is often viewed as a benchmark for young Cup drivers, Smith believes context matters. Race wins remain the goal, but consistent front-running speed has become increasingly important in evaluating progress.

“Everything has to go right for a race win,” Smith said. “But showing that you’re running up front and having good runs is what’s super important.”

Smith said his performance has become more consistent around his 80th start, with several top-three finishes and improved ability to contend late in races. Still, he knows closing out results is the next step.

“I’m honestly leading these races at the wrong time,” he said. “I just need to do it a little bit later.”

Competing for Front Row Motorsports, Smith is mindful of the challenge of taking on NASCAR’s powerhouse organizations such as Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing. He said his team’s gains are a point of pride.

“We’re a smaller team, too, so we’re doing a lot with a little,” Smith said. “I’m proud of how we’re running, but would love to put an exclamation mark on this 100th start.”

Smith’s No. 38 team has shown stronger week-to-week speed than its sister entries at times this season, something he attributes to momentum, communication and improved execution across race weekends.

“Our whole group is a really fun group to work with,” he said. “We’ve had past communication and past times to know what to do for adjustments… and I feel like some of that is showing.”

Preparation for Chicagoland comes with some uncertainty. Smith has limited experience at the track, with just one ARCA start and one Xfinity Series appearance, and he expects the Next Gen car’s response to the surface to be a key variable.

“I’m hearing some comparisons to Charlotte with the bumps, and a combination of Vegas and Kansas,” he said. “The biggest question mark is the bumps with the Next Gen car and how it’s going to handle that.”

Still, Smith said his team’s current form on similar tracks gives him optimism.

“We have good speed on mile-and-a-halves right now,” he said.

Along the way to his 100th start, Smith has leaned on lessons learned from veterans across the garage, singling out Denny Hamlin’s race management and Joey Logano’s ability to maximize results.

“Live to fight another day,” Smith said, describing one of the key principles he has worked to adopt. “Those really good guys are good at that.”

The milestone weekend also carries added significance, falling on the Fourth of July race weekend — a staple on the NASCAR schedule.

“Nothing screams America more than NASCAR,” Smith said. “I’m certainly looking forward to it.”