Chandler Smith’s Bristol Truck Series struggles have cast a shadow over his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff hopes after mechanical failures led to a disappointing finish at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 11. Both Smith and fellow contender Jake Garcia endured race-ending technical issues, putting their advancement to the next playoff round in serious jeopardy as the series shifts to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Mechanical Troubles Hamper Playoff Pursuits
At Bristol Motor Speedway, both Jake Garcia and Chandler Smith returned to pit road following the 250-lap feature, but celebrations were notably absent. Among the 10 playoff drivers, they were the two unfortunate competitors to experience mechanical failures. These setbacks dropped both Front Row Motorsports’ Smith and ThorSport Racing’s Garcia below the playoff cutline, increasing the pressure with only a single opportunity left in the opening round to secure a spot in the next phase.
Layne Riggs Triumphs While Contenders Falter
While Layne Riggs managed a remarkable victory after working through adversity on the track, the atmosphere was dramatically different for Garcia and Smith. Garcia described the emotional toll after the setback, saying,
“It was an immediate sense of dread, sadness and frustration, all those things,”
—Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing driver. He continued,
“Hate it for all the guys. They brought me a super fast truck and did a really good job all day throughout practice to get us better.”
—Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing driver.
Early Onset of Issues for Chandler Smith
Smith’s troubles began in the opening stage. Driving the No. 38 Ford, he reported a loss of power within the first laps. Despite repeated radio calls and a pit stop for assessment, no immediate solution surfaced, so the crew sent the truck back out, already several laps behind. The situation escalated, prompting a second pit visit under green flag conditions—a costly maneuver at a short track like Bristol. Smith recounted,
“We fired back off a restart, it was really good and was running the top and was passing … for third or fourth or something like that,”
—Chandler Smith, No. 38 Ford driver. He added,
“And when I was around the top, just as I was on the outside whoever that was, it just cut out. Just completely stopped and then went back, and I was like, ‘Oh that’s weird. It’s probably a fuel pickup,’ then I cleared the guy, went to the bottom, and it wasn’t really doing it as much, but when back markers and stuff forced me back up top, well I went back up top and started doing it again.”
—Chandler Smith, No. 38 Ford driver.
Despite swapping out the ECU, the culprit remained elusive. Smith reflected,
“I don’t think it was the ECU. I think it was a little sensor that connects to the engine and the high loads here in Bristol, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, and I don’t know for sure that this is what it was.”
—Chandler Smith, No. 38 Ford driver. The problematic sensor left Smith 11 laps down after additional penalties forced a third visit to pit road, culminating in a 30th-place result that left him trailing the playoff cutline by 24 points. Remarkably, his confidence remained steady as he faces another short track, stating,
“I’m confident regardless of what the outcome is in New Hampshire,”
—Chandler Smith, No. 38 Ford driver. He also emphasized the team’s resilience:
“What we’ve been able to accomplish with this 38 team this year, with what we came in and how late this deal came about, the trucks that we inherited, how fast everybody got assembled together, no matter what happens, we want to go to the Championship 4. That’s the goal.”
—Chandler Smith, No. 38 Ford driver.
Jake Garcia’s Strong Start Unravels
For Jake Garcia, what started as one of his best races quickly soured. After capturing his third career pole and spending most of the first stage running second, he overtook Corey Heim to claim the stage win—the first in his career. Misfortune struck during the pit stop and subsequent contact, dropping him to 11th as the stage break concluded. Things continued to decline after the restart when power steering problems arose, soon recognized as symptoms of a larger engine issue. Garcia shared,
“First thing I noticed was the power steering went out,”
—Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing driver. He continued,
“It was a bolt on the motor that broke that we can’t control at all.”
—Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing driver.
The faulty bolt forced Garcia’s Ford behind the wall for 28 laps, and though he returned to the race, he was left simply nursing the truck and hoping to gain places from any other dropouts.
“ThorSport Racing repaired Jake Garcia’s No. 13 & he is back on track. The finish will not be indicative of the speed in his stage 1-winning Ford.#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/d4TdEYffgY”
—Mark Kristl, Journalist. Yet, that hope never materialized, and Garcia could do little more than circulate the circuit to the end, finishing a distant 33rd. Now 14 points beneath the cutline, Garcia’s playoff dreams are on thin ice.
Looking Ahead: The Road to New Hampshire
Chandler Smith and Jake Garcia both shift their focus to the looming cutoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, understanding the significant deficits they must overcome. With margins of 24 and 14 points respectively, both drivers need either exceptional performances or comparable misfortune to strike others above them in order to secure a place in the Round of 8. Garcia commented on the daunting challenge,
“We’ll have to play it by ear,”
—Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing driver. He maintained a sense of optimism amid adversity:
“Sucks being behind in these situations, but really excited about what we brought today, and I think there’s some positives to look at even though it was so heartbreaking.”
—Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing driver.
The uncertainty at Bristol, underscored by turbulent emotions and mechanical woes, carries over to the next event as both teams know that playoff advancement remains mathematically possible. The lessons learned on the demanding half-mile track will fuel their last-ditch efforts at New Hampshire, where the unpredictable nature of short track racing may yet offer a final shot at postseason redemption for Smith, Garcia, and their determined crews.
