By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Chandler Smith, making his third of four starts this season for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday evening brought home his No. 51 iBuyPower Toyota to an impressive second-place finish in the UNOH 200.
The 17-year old Georgia native, in his first NASCAR start at the famed track had a fast truck from the moment the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series rolled into Thunder Valley.
Smith rounded out both practice sessions for the series 11th on the speed charts. During series qualifying, the young driver ran a lap of 125.379mph good for a seventh place starting spot on the grid.
Smith ran at the front of the field all evening, finishing out stage one in the fifth position, opting to stay out on the track between stages.
When the race went green for the start of stage number two, Smith was third, a position he would hold on to until the conclusion of the stage.
With pit road open, he brought his Toyota to the attention of his KBM crew for service, taking four tires and fuel.
4 and fuel for @CSmithDrive and @iBUYPOWER team after Stage 2 pic.twitter.com/PNlddQDeVm
— Kyle Busch Motorsports (@KBMteam) August 16, 2019
With 70 laps remaining, Smith was scored in the ninth position, but he wouldn’t stay there long, as he continued to pick off drivers one by one.
When the caution flew with 18 laps to go, Smith was up to the second position, a position he would hold on to as the checkered flag flew.
“We definitely made the most of it.”, said Smith post-race.
Smith’s second-place finish at Bristol marks his third Top-10 in only three series starts with his worst finish being eighth in his series debut at Iowa after starting on the pole for that event.
P2 at Bristol, was in position to win just needed to be a little better, thanks to all the fans that showed up we had one heck of a crowd! Thank you @ibuypowerpc @toyotaracing @kbmteam solid night! pic.twitter.com/vcUCbRn2G8
— Chandler Smith (@CSmith_Racing) August 16, 2019
Smith will return to the NGOTS for KBM in the No. 46 Tundra in November when the series heads to ISM Raceway in Avondale, AZ.