DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A major change is on the way for Zane Smith as he and Trackhouse Racing have mutually agreed to part ways after the 2024 season ends.
Trackhouse Racing announced the news Friday evening with a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"Trackhouse Racing and Zane Smith have mutually agreed to separate at the conclusion of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, allowing the 25-year-old former NASCAR Truck Series champion to immediately accept other opportunities," the team said.
"Smith drives the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in an alliance with Trackhouse Racing and will continue for the remainder of this season."
Smith, who won a Truck Series championship with Front Row Motorsports in 2022, agreed to join Trackhouse Racing ahead of the 2023 season. The team did not have a chartered entry for Smith, so they reached a deal with Spire Motorsports, a team with three charters.
Smith took over the No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro at the start of the Daytona 500 and embarked upon a rookie season filled with struggles and successes alike.
Smith started his season with a 13th-place finish in the Daytona 500 but then he finished 29th or worse in 10 of the following 13 races.
Smith has since delivered stronger performances while gaining more experience in the Next Gen car. He finished second behind Joey Logano in a Nashville race featuring five overtime attempts. He finished 17th in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then seventh last weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
"Obviously, I am disappointed that I've been put in a tough spot," Smith said in a statement. "I am diligently exploring quality driving opportunities and hope to quickly wrap up my plans for next year.
"Meanwhile, kudos to our (No. 71) Cup team. We've turned our year around this summer with six top-20 finishes in the last ten races, which includes a top-10 last weekend and a runner-up finish in Nashville.
"With more determination than ever, I will continue to do what I know best and that is to work hard, race my heart out, and prove myself. Thank you to everyone that has and continues to stand behind me."
With the mutually parting of ways, Smith now has the opportunity to find another ride for the the 2025 season. His name has been mentioned in reports regarding Front Row Motorsports' third entry. This deal, if it happened, would mark a reunion for Front Row and Smith.
This mutual parting of ways also provides clarity about Trackhouse Racing's future. The organization has been tied to one of the remaining Stewart-Haas Racing charters, which would help the team expand to three Cup Series entries. Though no deal is complete as of Daytona weekend.
This third charter would most likely be for a car featuring Shane van Gisbergen behind the wheel. The three-time Supercars champion is currently competing full-time in Xfinity, but Kaulig Racing confirmed on Friday at Daytona that SVG's No. 97 will not return for 2025.
Additionally, Trackhouse Racing and Kaulig Racing expanded SVG's Cup schedule with races at Darlington and Atlanta. He will now compete in seven of the final 12 Cup Series races this season.