Zane Smith’s Career in Jeopardy – Denny Hamlin Has His Say After Shocking Exit

Zane Smith, formerly of Trackhouse Racing, finds himself at a career crossroads after the team chose Shane van Gisbergen over him for the 2025 season and beyond. This decision left Smith without a secure seat in the NASCAR Cup Series, sparking a mix of concern and speculation about his future in racing.

Denny Hamlin, a seasoned NASCAR veteran, shared his thoughts on Smith’s predicament during a recent episode of Actions Detrimental. Hamlin, who has occasionally given advice to Smith, expressed a deep understanding of the challenges Smith faces.

“Man, that’s a tough one for Zane Smith. I’m a little closer to this situation than I probably should be because I — not mentored Zane, but I’ve talked to Zane quite a bit, through his NASCAR career, and kind of given advice on different situations as they arise and different opportunities.

“But man, that — you know, this certainly put a tough spot on Zane, because, you know, he thought he had a long-term future at Trackhouse.

“He forgoed other opportunities in the Cup Series to take this opportunity with Trackhouse, and then when you get let go, you then lose out on your other opportunities.

“And so, not ideal for Zane Smith,” he lamented.

Despite this setback, Hamlin highlighted Smith’s improvement and burgeoning performance on-track.

“Certainly, I would — I would back Zane when it comes to what, you know, what the future might hold. I think he’s coming into his own. I think you have not seen the best Zane Smith yet.

“You’re only starting to see now what he can do. I think he’s had some really great finishes. Again, they were one of the teams there — man, they were really bad at the beginning of the year. Terrible, terrible, and then they’ve turned the corner. You know, for whatever reason. Over the last 10 weeks, they’ve turned the corner, and they’re starting to get going,” Hamlin observed.

The competitive nature of NASCAR and the limited availability of seats make securing a position in the Cup Series a daunting task. However, Hamlin remains optimistic about Smith’s career prospects, firmly believing in his talent and future success.

“Now, Zane has got to kind of regroup, and figure out where to go with his career from here. So, I think he’s a good enough talent that he is going to get a good opportunity, a winning opportunity somewhere. I hope it’s in Cup,” he said.

Reflecting on Smith’s journey with the new team, Hamlin praised his growth. The challenges of integrating into what was then a mid-tier team demands significant adaptation, and Smith responded by elevating his performance significantly.

“This is a new car, new team which at the time, was a mid-tier team. What are your expectations, right? But I think he’s taken it to the next level from what I’ve seen. That when given a little bit of experience now, half of season. He’s already turned the corner to being twice as good as he was at the beginning of the season.”

So what’s next for Smith?

“So, what is he gonna do a year from now? Two years from now? I think the ceiling is pretty high on him. I think he’ll get picked up by somebody who sees it.”