NASCAR NEXT Driver Zane Smith made his debut with MDM Motorsports on Saturday in the ARCA Racing Series (ARS) Eddie Gilstrap Motors Fall Classic 200 by Meadow View/Salem Crossing at Salem Speedway located in Salem, Ind. The 18-year-old Huntington Beach, Calif., native finished second after leading nearly 60 laps.
Smith was fastest in ARS practice and backed that speed up in qualifying by winning the General Tire Pole Award. Smith and the No. 28 KMC Wheels MDM Motorsports team elected to check the car over after hitting the wall on his pole winning qualifying lap. Due to ARS rules, the KMC Wheels Toyota would have to start from the rear.
When the green flag dropped on the Eddie Gilstrap Motors Fall Classic 200 by Meadow View/Salem Crossing, Smith wasted no time working his way through the field, and by lap five, he made his way into the top-15. Fighting a loose race car on lap 66, the MDM Motorsports crew made the call to tighten up the No. 28 KMC Wheels Toyota during the first caution. He cracked the top-five just before the halfway point. He took the lead on lap 141 and set sail. With just a few laps to go, Smith battled for the win but came up one spot short. He finished second, his fifth top-five of the season.
“We had a great KMC Wheels Toyota,” said Smith. “Obviously, we all wish that we would’ve finished one spot further ahead, but that’s racing. It was a great start to a great relationship. I had a ton of fun driving this Camry. We’ll get ready for the next one and come back even stronger.”
Next up for the ARS is a trip to Chicagoland Speedway on Thursday, Sept. 14 for the Scott 150. For more information about MDM Motorsports, visit www.MDMMotorsports.com.
MDM Motorsports PR
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