Clean and consistent for Chandler Smith at Charlotte Motor Speedway 

Step One Motorsports Ambassador and Kaulig Racing driver Chandler Smith came off the back of participating in NASCAR’s All-Star weekend to step foot on the grounds of Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The series has raced at this location in the spring since 1978, with 200 laps separating those competing from a race finish – or better yet, a race win. The asphalt oval is just 1.5 miles in length (2.4 kilometers) but with average speeds of over 115 miles an hour (185 kilometers per hour), drivers are tested from start to finish of the 300-mile (480-kilometer) contest. Separated into three stages, as is customary of the NASCAR series, the race provided ample opportunity for drivers, Smith included, to show their on-track prowess. 

Smith qualified in P10 for the race, known as the Alsco Uniforms 300. The race was initially scheduled for Saturday but was delayed to Monday morning due to inclement weather that prevented on-track running. The Kaulig Racing driver moved up several spots to P7 ahead of his first pitstop, gathering stage points at the end of stage one with a sixth-place finish. Shortly afterward, a red flag halted the race which was then pushed to later in the night for resumption. Smith’s consistency shone through in the second stage of the race, in which he also finished sixth, garnering yet more points. There was a yellow flag, or caution period, ahead of the No. 16 Chevy’s second stop where he dashed in for more fuel and four fresh tires. However, Smith had to stop one more time for additional fuel for the remaining laps, and he crossed the line in P13 at the end of the event. Once again, the young driver showed his racing aptitude and extracted the maximum from his machinery, despite several aspects of the race not falling in his favor. 

Smith next competes in NASCAR Xfinity on the United States west coast in Oregon at Portland International Raceway (3 June 2023).