Regan Smith will replace the injured Aric Almirola in the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford during the Monster Energy Open Race on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Almirola suffered a compression fracture in his T5 vertebra after ramming into a collision between Joey Logano and Danica Patrick on Saturday at Kansas Speedway. He was released from a Kansas City-area hospital Sunday and the team said he probably wouldn't need surgery.
RPM has called a news conference for Friday to provide an update on Almirola’s condition.
Smith, a one-time teammate of Almirola at now-defunct Dale Earnhardt Inc., and veteran of 211 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts, has been tabbed as a substitute before, notably replacing Tony Stewart at Watkins Glen in 2014 the night after Stewart struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. in a sprint car race. Smith had spelled Dale Earnhardt Jr. for one race in 2012 when the Hendrick Motorsports driver was diagnosed with a concussion and missed two events.
Smith’s lone Cup win came at Darlington in 2011 for Furniture Row Racing. He finished third, second and fourth, respectively, as a full-time Xfinity Series driver for JR Motorsports from 2013-2015, collecting five wins during that span.
He currently drives on the Camping World Truck Series for Ricky Benton Racing.
The Monster Energy Open is the prelude to Saturday's All-Star Race. Three drivers from the Open, which has three stages, will advance to the All-Star Race later that night. Neither event is worth regular-season points, but the winner of the All-Star Race will receive $1 million.
The regular season resumes May 28 in the Coca-Cola 600 at CMS. Almirola is 23rd in points after 11 races.
