It came down to a two-lap shootout between defending NASCAR Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith to see which driver took home the big trophy with the number ‘2022’ engrained on the side of it.
Smith led for a majority of the race, but had to earn the title by beating out Rhodes, who took two tires to secure track position just eight laps prior.
The strategy call nearly paid off for Rhodes, who made waves a year ago with his postrace press conference, but ultimately came up a little more than a car-length short.
“I’d rather put it into his hands,” crew chief Chris Lawson said. “I just let him work. It’s kind of weird because he gets mad at me sometimes because I don’t talk to him (enough). I just let him go to work and do his thing.”
It’s a reverse of what happened in 2021, when Smith fell one spot short of reaching his championship goal for the second year in a row.
Smith wasn’t going to let it happen again.
“I wasn’t going to — (Front Row Motorsports owner) Bob Jenkins was going to get a wrecked chuck or a championship trophy at the end of the day,” Smith said. “I was not going to lose another one.”
The championship caps off a successful year for Smith and the Front Row Motorsports team, which captured four race wins over the season.
“Yeah, definitely a lot has changed,” Smith said. “I have literally stood in this parking lot three years in a row not knowing what I’m going to be doing (the) next year. I knew going into this, because I’ve been through way worse times, and regardless of outcome tonight, I’m going to have a job next year, and that’s such a weight off your shoulders.”
This time around, though, Smith knows his plans.
In 2023, Smith will drive the same No. 38 truck in the series full-time and will also get a number of Cup Series starts in certain weekends with Lawson serving as crew chief, according to Front Row Motorsports GM Jerry Freeze.
NASCAR Truck Series championship race results
Lucas Oil 150
Phoenix Raceway
Fri. November 5, 2022
1. Zane Smith (P)
2. Ben Rhodes (P)
3. Chandler Smith (P)
4. John Hunter Nemechek
5. Stewart Friesen
6. Grant Enfinger
7. Corey Heim
8. Tanner Gray
9. Kaden Honeycutt
10. Carson Hocevar
11. Derek Kraus
12. Matt Crafton
13. Layne Riggs
14. Tyler Ankrum
15. Colby Howard
16. Jake Garcia
17. Taylor Gray
18. Lawless Alan
19. Chase Purdy
20. Ty Majeski (P)
21. Dean Thompson
22. Matt DiBenedetto
23. Tyler Hill
24. Austin Wayne Self
25. Blaine Perkins
26. Chris Hacker
27. Timmy Hill
28. Johnny Sauter
29. Jack Wood
30. Christian Eckes
31. Hailie Deegan
32. Rajah Caruth
33. Spencer Boyd
34. Keith McGee
35. Armani Williams
