NASCAR star reveals Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano lessons ahead of Cup Series milestone

NASCAR Cup Series star Zane Smith has opened up on how a pair of legends have influenced him, as he prepares for his 100th Cup Series start this weekend.

The Front Row Motorsports star will be racing at Chicagoland for the first time in his Cup Series career this weekend, as he continues to chase his first win in the series.

Speaking to the media this week, Smith namechecked Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano as two drivers he's tried to learn from since moving up from the Truck Series, saying that he's starting to see some growth in his own driving.

Perhaps with some of that growth in mind, he called a win this weekend at the revitalized mile-and-a-half oval 'definitely possible', admitting that he's hoping to mark start number 100 with a victory.

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Smith reveals NASCAR legends' lessons

Asked for any lessons he's been taught in his 99 previous starts, he said: “You learn a little bit from everybody, but certainly Denny (Hamlin) is really good. He’s been doing it a long time and he’s been in many different scenarios.

"His car is really fast and he’s really good too, so he’s really good at just being smart in a situation of like, ‘Hey, live to fight another day’. That was the area where I’ve had to get better.

"When I was in the Truck Series, the races go by so fast so you’ve got to go, and you’ve got to take control of the race to where you’ve got to do that too and track position is extremely important in the Cup car, but at the same time just live to fight another day because a lot of things happen throughout the race. I feel like those really good guys are good at that."

He added: "One that stands out to me is Joey Logano. He grinds out a race. There have been many times where I’ve been running around him and I end up 15th, and I look at the scoring pylon and he’s like fifth. I’m like, ‘How did he get up there?’

"But it’s just a lot of small, right moves and good strategy. I’m seeing that in myself now, so I’m happy with that.”

On his 100th start specifically, he said: “I hope to get my first Cup Series win. I don’t know if that counts before 100 starts, but it would be awesome. It would be a great place to do it.

"We have Vermeer on board this weekend, which that was a crowd favorite when we ran that scheme last year, so it would be awesome to pull that off. The mile-and-a-halves have been good to us since Charlotte, so it’s exciting and I think definitely possible.”