A 2015 rewind and a 2016 preview for the top five finishers last season in the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. Today: Regan Smith, the fourth-place finisher in the XFINITY Series standings.
Team: JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet (in 2015), plans unknown for 2016
Wins: 2 (Mid-Ohio and Dover)
Strides: High expectations accompanied the 2015 season for the 2014 championship runner-up. Smith answered with a pair of wins and 13 consecutive top-10 efforts to close out the season in yet another legitimate run toward the XFINITY Series title. But a rough start put him in catch-up mode right off the bat. While he came up short, Smith again proved himself an elite-level competitor on the verge of hoisting a championship trophy.
Setbacks: Finishing just shy of the title despite an impressive season -- only four times in 33 races did he finish worse than 13th place -- would normally be considered a good year. Team changes at JRM, however, have left the proven veteran and former series runner-up still looking for a 2016 ride.
Quoteworthy: "You never know 'til it's all said and done and everything's pieced together. I would think it will be a sad day in the sport when guys running up front and consistently winning races, pretty sad if they don't have a ride the next year -- especially at my age. I'm just coming into my prime and feel like someone could capitalize on me learning what I've needed to learn over the years. Obviously nothing is a lock until it's said and done, but we're working hard to solidify that."
What's next: This is the million-dollar question for the talented 32-year-old. Smith has proven himself a winner in both the Cup and XFINITY ranks but is still looking for the right opportunity for 2016.