Chandler Smith loses his cool and punches Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer after Martinsville race
Following the Martinsville Speedway Xfinity Series race, Chandler Smith confronted Cole Custer in the pit lane. Smith lost his cool and punched Custer before the pit crews jumped in and separated the two drivers.
Chandler Smith is a 22-year-old driver piloting the No. 81 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He was eliminated from the playoffs after the National Debt Relief 250 in Martinsville, and is currently without a seat for the 2025 season.
According to NASCAR insider Chris Knight, Smith threw a punch at Custer after having a heated exchange in the pit lane. Custer didn’t hit Smith back even before the pit crews and NASCAR officials came to the scene.
The physical alternation seemed to stem from a back-to-back incident starting on lap 220 when the No. 81 Toyota bumped the No. 00 Ford Mustang of Cole Custer to take second place. A caution was thrown shortly after Brandon Jones got wrecked after making contact with Sheldon Creed.
On the restart, defending champion Cole Custer bumped Smith who was running in P2. However, both drivers dropped a few positions due to the incident, giving Aric Almirola a comfortable lead ahead of Sammy Smith.
At the conclusion of the race, Almirola won the National Debt Relief 250, sweeping the Xfinity races at Martinsville this year. He was followed by Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith, respectively.
Meanwhile, Cole Custer finished in P4 after starting from P10.
Austin Hill, AJ Allmendinger, Cole Custer, and Justin Allgaier secured a spot for the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. This means Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith, Jesse Love, and Sam Mayer were eliminated from playoff contention.
“I could be working for my dad’s construction business”: Chandler Smith on his future after the 2024 season
Following the playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Chandler Smith opened up about his future in the sport. The Georgia native said he could start working for his father’s construction business given he doesn’t have a seat for 2025.
Speaking with veteran NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, the outgoing No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing driver said:
"Well, I don’t have a ride next year, Bob. I could be working for my dad’s construction business and I could be hanging it up at the end of this year. So, that being said, all craps will not be given at Martinsville. And we were really fast there in the spring, just don’t need to wreck in practice so I can make my life a little easier not having to drive from the back, hopefully."
He added:
"If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. If not, we still had an amazing season this year, and super, super grateful for the opportunity that I had this year with everybody that I was able to work with at Joe Gibbs Racing."
Smith joined the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023 with Kaulig Racing before signing with JGR for this year. He scored two wins, 16 top-5s, and 21 top-10s in the No. 81 Toyota Supra.