NASCAR XFINITY DRIVER CHANDLER SMITH TO SERVE AS HONORARY GRAND MARSHAL AT PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL

NASCAR XFINITY DRIVER CHANDLER SMITH TO SERVE AS NASCAR YOUTH

SERIES HONORARY GRAND MARSHAL AT PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

SPEEDWAY, IN (May 27, 2023) — Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 16 Kaulig

Racing Chevrolet, has been named the Honorary Grand Marshal for the NASCAR Youth

Series’ national race at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Ore. on June 1-3.

Smith, who is currently sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity point standings, visited

victory lane earlier this season with his win at Richmond Raceway in April. This is his

first full-time season in the NXS and is competing for Rookie of the Year honors.

A native of Talking Rock, Ga., Smith has only known one thing in his young life -

racing. He raced quarter midgets before making the leap to bandoleros and late models.

In 2018, at age 16, Smith raced in the ARCA series part-time earning two wins and six

top-five finishes. He went on to win five more times in 2019 in ARCA while competing

part-time in the NASCAR Truck Series.

Driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2021, Smith collected his first NASCAR

Truck Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway. He also won at Phoenix Raceway later that

same year while on his way to winning Rookie of the Year.

Last season, Smith was highly competitive in the NTS as he finished the season

third in the point standings after scoring three wins, nine top-fives and 16 top-10

finishes.

Smith joins a long and impressive list of NASCAR Youth Series Honorary Grand

Marshals. Iconic and legendary drivers like Mario Andretti, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano,

Josef Newgarden, Kyle Busch, Arie Luyendyk, James Hinchcliffe, Chase Elliott and

Alexander Rossi.

With almost 60 NYS-sanctioned clubs located all across the country, thousands

of kids ages five and up, along with their families, participate in quarter-midget racing.

Some notable NASCAR graduates of quarter midget racing include Jeff Gordon, Joey

Logano, Ryan Newman, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Justin Allgaier, Harrison Burton,

Justin Haley, Chandler Smith, Carson Hocevar, Daniel Dye and Todd Gilliland. For more

NASCAR Youth Series, presented by COOKOUT

25@usacnation.com