Three takeaways from Zane Smith’s second straight win at Daytona

Zane Smith captured his second straight win at Daytona late Friday evening after unpredictable weather came through the area unannounced that caused mist to lay over the two and a half mile Superspeedway. Even though only 79 of the 100 laps completed, folks still have more than enough to take away from the 24th annual NextEra Energy 250. 

  1. Zane Smith is one of the top contenders

Kind of an easy one right? Zane led a total of 17 of the 79 laps completed Friday night. Though he scored no stage points as he was out of the top 10 on lap 20 and 40, he still finds himself locked in the playoffs and currently fourth in the regular season standings. Be on the lookout from that Smith kid from Las Vegas, because he is already the favorite to win the championship in 2023. 

  1. Rain delays can happen anytime: Even on a sunny day

Friday afternoon saw sunny skies with 70 degrees temperature to make a beautiful afternoon in Daytona Beach, Fla. But when day turned into night, the “rain” showed up. The truck race had three weather related cautions/delays in the 79 lap event, even when nothing popped up on the radar. Next time you show up to the track, make sure to bring a jacket incase of any scenario. 

  1. Craftsman Truck Series won’t help you win the Daytona 500

Four drivers that qualified for this year’s Daytona 500 were a part of the Craftsman Truck Series event Friday night. Drivers like Z. Smith, Chase Elliott, Travis Pastrana and Corey LaJoie, buckled in to compete with the tough truckers. While most would think that this would help them with the big race on Sunday, Z. Smith seems to disagree. 

“In all honesty, the Cup car is so much different than I feel like anything. But there are a few similarities I feel like in the truck race and how the Cup car is in a way. Like I said, they’re so far apart.”

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will compete in two weeks when they travel to Las Vegas, Nev., to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.   

 

Kaleb Vestal
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