Chandler Smith will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 in a third Chevrolet entered by Kaulig Racing.
The team announced Wednesday that Smith, 20, plans to run five Cup races with sponsorship from Quick Tie Products. Smith will run the full Xfinity schedule for Kaulig.
“This is a dream come true for me,” Smith said in a statement released by the team. “As a kid, you always have the goal of one day racing in the Cup Series. I’m hoping that comes true in this year’s Daytona 500.”
Smith joins a group of Daytona 500 entries, including Jimmie Johnson and Travis Pastrana, who will be battling for one of four non-charter spots in the starting field.
Smith finished third in the Craftsman Truck Series standings last year, recording three wins, nine top fives and 16 top 10s.
“We’re extremely excited about continuing our sponsorship of Chandler,” Quick Tie CEO Harvel Crumley said. “We started sponsoring him when he was eight years old. It has been a great experience over the years seeing him grow and become a very talented driver.”
