Zane Smith<\/a> sat atop the pit box for JR Motorsports\u2019 No. 8 Chevrolet during last Saturday\u2019s Xfinity Series race at Atlanta when his phone started \u201cblowing up.\u201d<\/p>\n The gist of the messages barraging the 19-year-old who was a week away from making his Xfinity Series debut?<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Jimmie Johnson<\/a> just gave you a huge shout out.\u201d<\/p>\n The seven-time Cup champion was serving as an analyst on Fox Sports 1\u2019s broadcast and had brought up Smith. The mention meant a lot to Smith, who \u201calways looked up\u201d to Johnson, a fellow California native.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of hard not to look up to him,\u201d Smith told NBC Sports. \u201cWe kind of come from the same backgrounds. Our dads worked in off-road racing and come from nothing.\u00a0I always have weird D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu with him. I say that a lot, but it trips me out all the time. If I can be half the dude he can be I\u2019ll be happy. \u201d<\/p>\n The New Guy<\/strong><\/p>\n Of the six drivers slated to drive JR Motorsports\u2019 No. 8 Chevrolet this year in the Xfinity Series, Smith is not like the others.<\/p>\n Dale Earnhardt Jr.<\/a>, Chase Elliott<\/a>, Jeb Burton<\/a>, Ryan Preece<\/a> and Ryan Truex<\/a> are all veterans with 56 or more starts across NASCAR\u2019s three national series.<\/p>\n Smith, a member of the 2018-19 NASCAR Next class<\/a>, has only one Gander Outdoor Truck Series start and will make his Xfinity debut today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n A winner of four Menards ARCA Series races, Smith said he entered this weekend \u201csuper focused.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was actually just talking to my dad (Mike) about it,\u201d Smith said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s crazy how we\u2019ve gotten this far and really everyone that\u2019s got me to this point.\u201d<\/p>\n A native of Huntington Beach, California, Smith has competed since he was a 3-year-old riding a BMX bike.<\/p>\n After making the switch go karts, he steadily moved up the ranks, racing in Legends cars, Super Late Models and ARCA before making his only Truck Series start last June at Gateway Motorsports Park. He finished fifth for DGR-Crosley.<\/p>\n \u201cWe won\u2019t move up until I win everything you kind of can. Or if you don\u2019t win, you put yourself in contention to,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n So why move to Xfinity after just one impressive Truck Series start?<\/p>\n \u201cIn my opinion, and a lot of people will kind of tell you as well, is that the Truck Series can kind of teach you bad habits,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI\u2019ve kind of watched that from a lot of people. I feel like the Truck Series is kind of on its own. They just drive different from the rest. I totally agree if you have the money or the backing to go do a full year of trucks, absolutely I would first. But with my situation I can\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith\u2019s situation is a group of dedicated investors who have backed him since his go-kart days.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s more than just slapping your logo on a side of a car,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to get me to the top-level (Cup)\u00a0and then I pay them back.\u201d<\/p>\n The major investors in the group consist of Roy Debhan of ProAm Racing, Tim Casey of La Paz Margarita Mix and La Paz Racing and former Truck Series team owner Jimmy Smith<\/a>.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also received support from the Herbst family, which operates Herbst Smith Fabrication and whose Terrible Herbst Motorsports odd-road team his father manages.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had to figure out how to get to the race track when I was in go karts when a race weekend would cost a couple grand,\u201d said Smith.\u00a0 \u201cNow it\u2019s a couple hundred. It\u2019s tough getting to the race track and a lot of fans I think needed to be educated on that no matter who you are you\u2019re going to have to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n Next Chapter<\/strong><\/p>\n After a 2018 season where Smith finished second in the ARCA point standings, Smith landed at JR Motorsports for a tentative eight-race schedule after a deal with GMS Racing failed to come together.<\/p>\n After Las Vegas, he\u2019s set to compete at Bristol Motor Speedway (April 6), Richmond Raceway (April 12 and Sept. 20), Dover International Speedway (May 4 and Oct. 5) and Iowa Speedway (June 16 and July 27).<\/p>\n