In a wild overtime finish to kick off the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, Chandler Smith beat Gio Ruggiero, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski and John Hunter Nemechek in a four-wide photo finish to win Friday’s Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway.
The 23-year-old from Talking Rock, Ga., was in sixth entering turn 3 on the final lap, but found a hole on the bottom lane in the final hundred feet to sneak away with the win. The victory comes 24 hours after Smith failed to make the Daytona 500 with Front Row Motorsports.
“I was surprised the 62 didn’t block it,” Smith told Fox Sports. “The seas literally just parted. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ty Majeski.”
The win is Smith’s first at Daytona and the eighth of his Truck Series career.