Former Ford driver Kevin Harvick’s recent comments on Zane Smith and Ford’s relationship may have shattered some fans’ and media insiders’ 2025 Silly Season theories. In a new episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the Cup Series Champion mentioned that Smith and Ford might have bad blood after the driver’s swift 2023 exit.
Zane Smith was once the prized driver of Front Row Motorsports’ Truck Series program. The team believed in him enough to pull their full-time Cup Series driver, Todd Gilliland, out of his full-time chartered entry and into an unchartered car for Smith to race in the Cup Series in 2023.
The pair had just come off a Truck Series title in 2022 and were still competing in the Truck Series but focused on the near future for Zane. That was until Smith shocked everyone and jumped to Chevrolet and Trackhouse racing for 2024.
In a developmental deal racing for Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series this year, Zane started rough. Including multiple finishes outside the top 30. All while Shane Van Gisbergen, Smith’s Trackhouse developmental teammate, won numerous Xfinity Series races.
This unforeseen battle came to a head at Daytona this weekend when Trackhouse announced that, with their new charter, SVG would race for them in the Cup Series, while Smith and the team would part ways after this season.
When Smith departed Trackhouse, many assumed that he would return to FRM, which had just bought a new charter and lost Michael McDowell to Smith’s now former ride at Spire.
This list included former Champion and now media personality Kevin Harvick.
On the Aug. 27 episode of Harvick’s Happy Hour, Harvick said that he thought Smith might go back, but now, things may be different in the place that Smith once called home.
“The only thing that I believe Zane’s in a, you know, strange position at this particular point. Because I thought he was going in the… in the, 34 car. I really thought that’s where he would he would wind up. But it sounds like Ford might be frustrated with, you know, a lot of the things that… that happened when he left the Ford camp. And might not… might not be an opportunity there because of the manufacturer.” — Kevin Harvick
This should come as no surprise. Ford has struggled in the past to develop Cup-caliber talent. Smith seemed to be the answer for Ford, who even granted FRM tier-one support this season, which was assumed to be Smith’s first with the team.
This ties into comments that Harvick made on the July 16 episode of his podcast, where he said, “I don’t think they have a development system,” and also stated, “I think Ford has the worst development program as far as their drivers go.”
These comments were in reference to Ford prospect Hailie Deegan and AM Racing parting ways. Harvick made headlines that week by essentially roasting Ford’s poor developmental program.
In Smith’s case, however, Harvick went on to hint that he doesn’t feel this is on Ford, saying, “There are a lot of politics in this game, and sometimes, the young ones learn the hard way.”
But if this is just a life lesson for Smith, what are his other options?
While rejoining forces is a good option for both, if that were not to happen, FRM would have a plethora of young and experienced talent to choose from.
Drivers like Ryan Preece and Harrison Burton, both in the Ford camp in the Cup Series, are available. Young drivers like Chandler Smith or Riley Herbst could come into play.
While there are options for FRM, Smith’s Cup Series options are slipping away. He could stay at Spire as an in-house driver. However, recent comments from Denny Hamlin have sparked speculation about 23XI.
On the most recent episode of Action’s Detrimental, Hamlin spoke highly of Smith and how he recovered his season in recent weeks. Hamlin even went as far as to say,
“But I think he’s (Smith) taking it to the next level from what I’ve seen, and you just read results that show that… that he’s when… when you know, given a little bit of experience now half a season, he’s already turned the corner to being twice as good as he was at the beginning of the season. So what is he going to do a year from now? Two years from now? So, I think the ceiling is pretty high on him. I think he’ll get picked up by somebody who sees it.” — Denny Hamlin
Of course, this will draw speculation that Hamlin, if 23XI were to expand, could pursue Smith. While unlikely, Hamlin’s endorsement may carry the weight that Smith needs to score a top ride in 2025.
What do you think about all this? Let us know on Discord or X what your take is, and don’t forget you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
