Zane Smith R&D results after Talladega

After the Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR selected Zane Smith’s No. 38 car for further evaluation at its R&D Center. The extra scrutiny followed an impressive performance, raising the question of whether the Front Row Motorsports entry would face any penalties.

The inspection ultimately came back clean, with no violations found on the No. 38 Ford. That’s a major positive, especially considering past cases where post-race inspections have led to hefty penalties, including significant points deductions.

Heading into Texas Motor Speedway, Smith is currently 20th in the standings, sitting 43 points below the playoff cut line with 16 races remaining in the regular season. With momentum on his side, he’ll look to keep building speed as Front Row Motorsports continues pushing for stronger results in 2026.