Chandler Smith didn’t need to lead most of Friday night’s Black’s Tire 200 to leave Martinsville Speedway with the biggest prize. While his Front Row Motorsports teammate Layne Riggs controlled much of the race, Smith waited for the right moment, made his move on the final restart, and turned it into his third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory of the 2026 season.
Smith started third and spent much of the evening near the front, but the No. 38 Ford never dominated the lap chart. Riggs did, leading 156 of the race’s 200 laps and sweeping both stages. Riggs looked positioned to take a major step in the championship fight, especially with points leader Kaden Honeycutt struggling to stay inside the top five. However, Martinsville had one more twist waiting.
With 13 laps remaining, Smith lined up outside Riggs for the final restart. He got the launch he needed, carried momentum through the high lane and cleared his teammate for the lead. Riggs lost ground coming off Turn 4, and Smith took control of the closing stretch. He led the final 12 laps, holding off Ben Rhodes by 0.574 seconds to claim his first Martinsville victory.
The win was Smith’s 10th career Truck Series triumph in 111 starts and his first at the historic Virginia short track. It also marked his third victory of the season, adding another result to a year that has kept him among the series’ strongest performers. The No. 38 team did not need to lead 100 laps or dominate every restart. It needed to be in position when the race was decided.
Rhodes finished second, 0.574 seconds behind, while Riggs settled for third after leading the most laps. Ty Majeski crossed the line fourth, and Tristan McKee finished fifth. McKee’s night was another notable chapter after the 16-year-old made history earlier Friday by becoming the youngest pole winner in NASCAR national series history. He led 29 laps and remained competitive throughout the race.
But the race was far from clean. Nine cautions interrupted the 200-lap distance, accounting for 67 laps under yellow, while seven lead changes were recorded among four drivers. Even so, the late restart ultimately shaped both the race result and the championship picture. Honeycutt finished 14th after being shuffled back in the closing laps, but he still leads the standings. Riggs cut the deficit to 20 points, setting up a winner-take-all-style pressure test at Homestead, though Honeycutt retains the advantage.
Smith, meanwhile, was eliminated from championship contention despite the victory and sits 103 points behind the leader. Now the Truck Series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Nov. 6 season finale. Honeycutt and Riggs will settle the championship, while Smith arrives with a Martinsville clock and another win to add to his résumé. For a driver who spent much of the night watching his teammate lead, he made sure the final moment belonged to him once it counted.
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