Toyota Development Driver Will Make Truck Series Debut for TRICON
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 3, 2023) — TRICON Garage (TRICON) is pleased to announce that Sammy Smith will join its lineup and make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in the No. 17 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for the season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
The 2023 Xfinity Series rookie contender is fresh off a six-win ARCA Menards Series campaign, claiming five victories in the East division en route to his second consecutive ARCA East title. Smith also added a Sioux Chief Showdown Championship, a win in the ARCA West Series finale at Phoenix Raceway and nine Xfinity Series starts with Joe Gibbs Racing to his impressive 2022 season.
Smith’s Tundra will carry sponsorship from Mobil 1. He will be the first of multiple drivers to fill in behind the wheel of the No. 17 as 17-year-old Taylor Gray will miss the first three races of 2023 due to NASCAR’s age restriction policy. Gray will begin his full-time rookie campaign at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on March 25.
The Truck Series will take the green flag Friday, February 17, at Daytona International Speedway for the NextEra Energy 250. Coverage is set to air at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.