LEBANON, Tenn. – Kyle Busch Motorsports has been on a roll this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, winning seven of the first 11 races.
However, Chandler Smith hasn’t been a part of that string as of yet.
The Jasper, Ga., native hopes to change that statistic this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, and Smith got that quest off to a flying start Friday by leading the lone 50-minute practice session at the 1.33-mile concrete oval.
Smith turned a best lap of 29.649 seconds (161.489 mph) with his No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra to lead the 42 trucks in attendance for the Rackley Roofing 200.
PRACTICE RESULTS: Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200
“It was honestly unbelievable,” said Smith of his fast lap. “I’ve never been here or seen the track in my life. I have a lot of experience at the fairgrounds up the road here a little bit and I’ve always wondered as a kid what this place was like because I don’t remember when NASCAR raced here much, but it’s awesome. I love this race track. I feel like it’s a driver’s racetrack. It’s close to a mile-and-a-half. It’s got the same speed as a mile-and-a-half to it at least, but it drives so much like a short track, which I love to death.
“It should be a fun race tonight.”
Second-fast in Truck Series practice was NASCAR Cup Series star William Byron, who posted a time of 29.686 seconds (161.288 mph) in a second entry for Rackley W.A.R., the No. 27 Crusin Sports/Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado.
Byron jumped to the top of the speed charts briefly inside of five minutes to go on his mock qualifying run, before Smith’s mock run set the pace for the entire field.
Tyler Ankrum was third (29.900/160.134) for GMS Racing in the No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado, with Grant Enfinger fourth and Ankrum’s teammate, Chase Purdy, in fifth.
Austin Hill, Tanner Gray, Zane Smith, Matt Crafton and defending series champion Sheldon Creed closed the top 10.
Making his Truck Series debut, Ryan Preece was 12th overall in the No. 17 Ford F-150 for David Gilliland Racing, while series point leader John Hunter Nemechek ended practice 14th after electing not to make a mock qualifying run late in the session.
Qualifying for the Rackley Roofing 200 is slated for 5 p.m. ET, live on FS1.