September 21, 2025 • 8 mins
NASCAR driver Zane Smith talks about his career. His recent top-three finish at Bristol. The crossover between NASCAR and country music. As well as naming his favorite racetracks. All in one great interview with us here at 96.9 The Kat. We hope you enjoy!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ninety six point nine the Cat Graham b In Sarah
Lee Zane Smith NASCAR driver Zane Smith on the line,
What is good this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Brother, Yeah, good morning. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Yeah, man, so excited. Now.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I'm from North Carolina. I just moved back from Los Angeles,
where there is a NASCAR following, but it's not like
North Carolina, so it is so cool to be back
and be around NASCAR country.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
I guess you're your point. I mean, we live in
the heart of racing here in Lake Norman area, and
in North.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Carolina or Charlotte area.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
I'm from Huntington Beach, California, where the SoCal fan base.
They are some diehard NASCAR fans too, just not as
much racing out there, so like their tracks are in
Phoenix and like Las Vegas, Sonoma maybe, but you know,
we are going to San Diego next year, so it'd
be really cool to have some SoCal fans back supporting
in NASCAR race.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I think one of the things that I did learn
out there, because I'm actually rocking the Dale Senior T
shirt right now, is it might be smaller pockets on
the West Coast, but NASCAR our fans are religious so
wherever you are might not be as much of an abundance,
but the loyalty and the love that is not geographically
just set to one place for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
You see some of the old merch, you see some
of the new merch. Hopefully we see some of the
newer merge more often. Yeah, you see it all around.
And I mean speaking of that, you know we're in
loud In this week, and yeah, Near Hampshire has some
true organic, just real racing fans. A lot of racing
happening up there, and started to get up.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
There, so I'm geeking out a little bit, and I
promise I won't keep you too long. But when they
said you were calling in just because I do love
NASCAR and I think it is super dope. I love
that it seems like it's expanding definitely. There's a lot
of crossover with our country music community. Did you always know,
like when did you know you wanted to drive? And
if you didn't always know, what was it? Were you
like you know what? I'm good at this?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Yeah, man, I mean to be honest, I just raced.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
All my life. I grew up kind of around it.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I grew up around like just fabrication and the off
road into street and my dad was a team manager
for an off road race team, so it's like I
was always traveling with them, and racing is all I've
ever known, and so yeah, I mean I grew up
on BMX bikes, then got into karting, and I feel
like at that karting age, I remember probably most I
don't remember a whole lot of like my BMX days
(02:18):
racing around the country, but yeah, I mean i'd probably
that time in karting where I was a mixed bag
between you know, one a ago race and NASCAR or
Indy Car and then yeah, we were just winning a
lot of national stuff and yeah, just some some championship
stacked up and I was able to just kind of
climb the ladder, I guess with like legend cars, super
(02:39):
elate models, and then eventually get into tarka and then
you like get handful of starts, maybe in like truck
or Infinity. I looked at it as man, if I
could ever make a living at this, I was gonna
be happy.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
And I kind of had a home there.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
For about like four years in the truck series, and
then we won a championship in twenty twenty two and
that kind of kicked the door down for me to
get a Cup opportunity.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Now I'm in my second ear in the Cup Series
and it's been a crazy ride, roller coaster, a ride,
but won't trade for anything.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
In the world, which is is crazy. Dope.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I am not underplaying what's going on now. But I
love the Truck Series. Is there anything that you missed
from that, because man, I love the Truck Series.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah. Man, the Truck Series is so much fun to watch.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
I would say probably the best thing about it is
you still have your weekend because a lot of the
racing is on Friday or sometimes Saturday, so it was
kind of cool, I guess to.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Have a weekend at home. But yeah, it's just a
lot different, you know.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
It's like kind of going from like college football to
the NFL. And yeah, I mean it's been, like I said,
a crazy ride. But it's been awesome to be able
to race in the Cup Series. And this past weekend
was I mean, I could taste my first Cup win
and my second best finish came this past weekend and
so those days and nights like that, yeah, just make
(03:56):
you excited for the future. And you know we have
seven races left to come that close to your first
Cup win. So great, but makes you hungry to go get.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
It, Yeah for sure, But you're building momental Are we
training in the right directions?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Ay? Yeah for sure.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Definitely need to keep those runs going. And yeah, if
you put yourself in that position more times than not,
it'll eventually happen.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I believe there's so much crossover with country music and Nascar.
I mean, I remember I've been very fortunate to build
a relationship with Tyler Hubbard. They did a music video
back to Your Roots or Dig Your Roots with Tim
McGraw and they were doing racing, and it's just so
much crossover. Do you listen to or does country music
play any kind of factor in preparation or do you
(04:36):
put anything on? Or if you could play something in
the car while you were racing, what would it be?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Now?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
I know there's safety issues, but in an ideal world.
Are you into any country artists these days? Are you
into country music?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Man?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I listened to probably mainly country, you know, I would
say definitely a big Morgan Wallen fan. Yeah, Cody Jinks,
Riley green Man, Let's go. Yeah, I'm all over the
boar for sure. You know, we have Taladega coming up,
and we always have some of these big country artists
that come out and play at the race, and yeah,
(05:08):
a lot of their songs kind of coordinate with just
the NASCAR living and and what it means to be
at a race and creating those memories. And yeah, it's
just cool to have best of both worlds.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Talladega is a huge party and uh and just kind
of a it's a playoff race. Man, It's it's just
tough to be I don't know. For those that haven't
been to Talladega, it's a massive, massive, just weekend of
just salecading and partying and uh and yeah you can
take experience an amazing concert Saturday night and then get
to watch some racing Sunday.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Highly recommend it. I've never been, but I've got a
few friends that hook up the RV. They go down
every year. They stay like a week. It never gets
old for them, Like every year is different. The experience
is incredible. Zay is is biased.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I am not. I am telling you first hand.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Talladega is a bucket list sporting event.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Yeah, I mean I've had I don't know, how many
people tell me why am I just now.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Starting to do this?
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Because they're they're they are getting older at that time
and now their hangovers are a lot worse. But I
joke with our friends of like, man, where would we
go if we just were ourselves and like got to
go to a race, and it's always Talladega. Michigan is
actually really underrated. Pocono is really underrated. Lots of bills fans,
which is great, but man, Talladega is just I feel
(06:29):
like what everywhere? All these other tracks try to be.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Man so dope?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
All right, last two questions and they are selfish questions,
So I apologize, but a big fan geeking out so
dope that you were making Tom for ninety six point
nine the cat? Is there a driver that you especially
love beating? I know, I know winning is winning. All
that matters is you see that checkered first. But can
you say, is there someone out there that you particularly
love finishing ahead of Man?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I don't think I got that. I mean I just
kind of go simply with all of them.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, I mean that's a great answer.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, Like not one comes to mind.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I really don't like any of them and just yeah,
just everyone's you know, and we needed two more thoughts
from this past weekend and I would have been a
really happy guy. But for the most part, yeah, I
mean we finished third, so beat whatever that is thirty
seven of them.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah that's aweso and yeah that felt great.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Well, you know better than anybody. But winning is challenging.
Winning is hard in NASCAR, So we love that you're
turning in the right direction. And then the last one
is like, you know, what's your favorite country artist or
what's your favorite child? I know there's no correct answer,
but do you have a favorite track?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
I mean, this is so hard for this is like
asking what's your favorite movie?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Right? I know it's impossible, but I'm just curious.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Or one that stands out above others just at the
top of your head, doesn't have to be your favorite consistently.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
And I wish he had more music. I gotta go
with Riley Green. I'm a big Riley Green guy, big
in a Nascar I just I love his music.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
No, I'm I'm at favorite racetrack like that you're going around.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Oh, oh gotcha? I thought you asked me which artists.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
No, I was just giveing an example of like that's
the dumbest question ever when people are like.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
What's your favorite country artists?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Like most people, Hey, I love a ton of country artists,
So like asking a NASCAR driver what their favorite racetrack
is is probably a loaded question. I'm aware of it,
but as a NASCAR fan, I'm just curious if any
stand out above, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Yeah, I mean, I gotta go with Darlington's a lot
of fun, Kansas for coming up on Darlington Homestead.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Miami is a ton of fun. Just places that are
where there's some.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
Maneuverability, where you could move around, run different lanes, great passes,
and where there's a little bit of tire fall off.
So all those three that I just named are pretty
much the bread and butter for that.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Oh Man nailed it.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Thanks so much for making Tom Man like really, I
sincerely appreciate know you're a busy guy, but it was
really cool for me. It's really cool for the station,
and we'll be.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Pulling for you absolutely. Thanks Man.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Yeah, I'd be good brother,
Ninety six point nine the Cat Graham b In Sarah
Lee Zane Smith NASCAR driver Zane Smith on the line,
What is good this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Brother, Yeah, good morning. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Yeah, man, so excited. Now.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I'm from North Carolina. I just moved back from Los Angeles,
where there is a NASCAR following, but it's not like
North Carolina, so it is so cool to be back
and be around NASCAR country.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
I guess you're your point. I mean, we live in
the heart of racing here in Lake Norman area, and
in North.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Carolina or Charlotte area.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
I'm from Huntington Beach, California, where the SoCal fan base.
They are some diehard NASCAR fans too, just not as
much racing out there, so like their tracks are in
Phoenix and like Las Vegas, Sonoma maybe, but you know,
we are going to San Diego next year, so it'd
be really cool to have some SoCal fans back supporting
in NASCAR race.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I think one of the things that I did learn
out there, because I'm actually rocking the Dale Senior T
shirt right now, is it might be smaller pockets on
the West Coast, but NASCAR our fans are religious so
wherever you are might not be as much of an abundance,
but the loyalty and the love that is not geographically
just set to one place for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
You see some of the old merch, you see some
of the new merch. Hopefully we see some of the
newer merge more often. Yeah, you see it all around.
And I mean speaking of that, you know we're in
loud In this week, and yeah, Near Hampshire has some
true organic, just real racing fans. A lot of racing
happening up there, and started to get up.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
There, so I'm geeking out a little bit, and I
promise I won't keep you too long. But when they
said you were calling in just because I do love
NASCAR and I think it is super dope. I love
that it seems like it's expanding definitely. There's a lot
of crossover with our country music community. Did you always know,
like when did you know you wanted to drive? And
if you didn't always know, what was it? Were you
like you know what? I'm good at this?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Yeah, man, I mean to be honest, I just raced.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
All my life. I grew up kind of around it.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I grew up around like just fabrication and the off
road into street and my dad was a team manager
for an off road race team, so it's like I
was always traveling with them, and racing is all I've
ever known, and so yeah, I mean I grew up
on BMX bikes, then got into karting, and I feel
like at that karting age, I remember probably most I
don't remember a whole lot of like my BMX days
(02:18):
racing around the country, but yeah, I mean i'd probably
that time in karting where I was a mixed bag
between you know, one a ago race and NASCAR or
Indy Car and then yeah, we were just winning a
lot of national stuff and yeah, just some some championship
stacked up and I was able to just kind of
climb the ladder, I guess with like legend cars, super
(02:39):
elate models, and then eventually get into tarka and then
you like get handful of starts, maybe in like truck
or Infinity. I looked at it as man, if I
could ever make a living at this, I was gonna
be happy.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
And I kind of had a home there.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
For about like four years in the truck series, and
then we won a championship in twenty twenty two and
that kind of kicked the door down for me to
get a Cup opportunity.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Now I'm in my second ear in the Cup Series
and it's been a crazy ride, roller coaster, a ride,
but won't trade for anything.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
In the world, which is is crazy. Dope.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I am not underplaying what's going on now. But I
love the Truck Series. Is there anything that you missed
from that, because man, I love the Truck Series.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah. Man, the Truck Series is so much fun to watch.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
I would say probably the best thing about it is
you still have your weekend because a lot of the
racing is on Friday or sometimes Saturday, so it was
kind of cool, I guess to.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Have a weekend at home. But yeah, it's just a
lot different, you know.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
It's like kind of going from like college football to
the NFL. And yeah, I mean it's been, like I said,
a crazy ride. But it's been awesome to be able
to race in the Cup Series. And this past weekend
was I mean, I could taste my first Cup win
and my second best finish came this past weekend and
so those days and nights like that, yeah, just make
(03:56):
you excited for the future. And you know we have
seven races left to come that close to your first
Cup win. So great, but makes you hungry to go get.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
It, Yeah for sure, But you're building momental Are we
training in the right directions?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Ay? Yeah for sure.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Definitely need to keep those runs going. And yeah, if
you put yourself in that position more times than not,
it'll eventually happen.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I believe there's so much crossover with country music and Nascar.
I mean, I remember I've been very fortunate to build
a relationship with Tyler Hubbard. They did a music video
back to Your Roots or Dig Your Roots with Tim
McGraw and they were doing racing, and it's just so
much crossover. Do you listen to or does country music
play any kind of factor in preparation or do you
(04:36):
put anything on? Or if you could play something in
the car while you were racing, what would it be?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Now?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
I know there's safety issues, but in an ideal world.
Are you into any country artists these days? Are you
into country music?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Man?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I listened to probably mainly country, you know, I would
say definitely a big Morgan Wallen fan. Yeah, Cody Jinks,
Riley green Man, Let's go. Yeah, I'm all over the
boar for sure. You know, we have Taladega coming up,
and we always have some of these big country artists
that come out and play at the race, and yeah,
(05:08):
a lot of their songs kind of coordinate with just
the NASCAR living and and what it means to be
at a race and creating those memories. And yeah, it's
just cool to have best of both worlds.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Talladega is a huge party and uh and just kind
of a it's a playoff race. Man, It's it's just
tough to be I don't know. For those that haven't
been to Talladega, it's a massive, massive, just weekend of
just salecading and partying and uh and yeah you can
take experience an amazing concert Saturday night and then get
to watch some racing Sunday.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Highly recommend it. I've never been, but I've got a
few friends that hook up the RV. They go down
every year. They stay like a week. It never gets
old for them, Like every year is different. The experience
is incredible. Zay is is biased.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I am not. I am telling you first hand.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Talladega is a bucket list sporting event.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Yeah, I mean I've had I don't know, how many
people tell me why am I just now.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Starting to do this?
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Because they're they're they are getting older at that time
and now their hangovers are a lot worse. But I
joke with our friends of like, man, where would we
go if we just were ourselves and like got to
go to a race, and it's always Talladega. Michigan is
actually really underrated. Pocono is really underrated. Lots of bills fans,
which is great, but man, Talladega is just I feel
(06:29):
like what everywhere? All these other tracks try to be.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Man so dope?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
All right, last two questions and they are selfish questions,
So I apologize, but a big fan geeking out so
dope that you were making Tom for ninety six point
nine the cat? Is there a driver that you especially
love beating? I know, I know winning is winning. All
that matters is you see that checkered first. But can
you say, is there someone out there that you particularly
love finishing ahead of Man?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I don't think I got that. I mean I just
kind of go simply with all of them.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, I mean that's a great answer.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, Like not one comes to mind.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I really don't like any of them and just yeah,
just everyone's you know, and we needed two more thoughts
from this past weekend and I would have been a
really happy guy. But for the most part, yeah, I
mean we finished third, so beat whatever that is thirty
seven of them.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah that's aweso and yeah that felt great.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Well, you know better than anybody. But winning is challenging.
Winning is hard in NASCAR, So we love that you're
turning in the right direction. And then the last one
is like, you know, what's your favorite country artist or
what's your favorite child? I know there's no correct answer,
but do you have a favorite track?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
I mean, this is so hard for this is like
asking what's your favorite movie?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Right? I know it's impossible, but I'm just curious.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Or one that stands out above others just at the
top of your head, doesn't have to be your favorite consistently.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
And I wish he had more music. I gotta go
with Riley Green. I'm a big Riley Green guy, big
in a Nascar I just I love his music.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
No, I'm I'm at favorite racetrack like that you're going around.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Oh, oh gotcha? I thought you asked me which artists.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
No, I was just giveing an example of like that's
the dumbest question ever when people are like.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
What's your favorite country artists?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Like most people, Hey, I love a ton of country artists,
So like asking a NASCAR driver what their favorite racetrack
is is probably a loaded question. I'm aware of it,
but as a NASCAR fan, I'm just curious if any
stand out above, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Yeah, I mean, I gotta go with Darlington's a lot
of fun, Kansas for coming up on Darlington Homestead.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Miami is a ton of fun. Just places that are
where there's some.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
Maneuverability, where you could move around, run different lanes, great passes,
and where there's a little bit of tire fall off.
So all those three that I just named are pretty
much the bread and butter for that.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Oh Man nailed it.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Thanks so much for making Tom Man like really, I
sincerely appreciate know you're a busy guy, but it was
really cool for me. It's really cool for the station,
and we'll be.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Pulling for you absolutely. Thanks Man.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Yeah, I'd be good brother,
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