Overview
- Hettinger Racing announced that Chandler Smith will drive its No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Phoenix on March 7 and Las Vegas on March 14.
- Smith races full time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Front Row Motorsports and leads the standings after a Daytona victory on February 13.
- Saturday’s GOVX 200 at Phoenix will mark Smith’s 70th O’Reilly start, and he captured this race in 2024 with a strong record at both Phoenix and Las Vegas.
- Team owner Chris Hettinger said Smith’s feedback and experience are intended to shorten the new program’s learning curve after using multiple drivers early in 2026.
- Phoenix on-track activity begins Friday with practice at 7 p.m. ET and qualifying at 8:05 p.m. ET, and the GOVX 200 airs Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio coverage.