Garrett Smithley

Garrett Smithley Bio

Garrett Kirk Smithley (born April 27, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He has competed across NASCAR’s three national series, including the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, as well as the ARCA Menards Series. Smithley is best known for his long tenure as a part-time and underfunded journeyman driver who has run several race-to-race deals with smaller teams while building a reputation as a self-promoter who handles much of his own sponsorship work.

A native of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, Smithley has been a fixture in the NASCAR garage since his Xfinity Series debut in 2015. Across his career, he has driven for a long list of teams, including JD Motorsports, SS-Green Light Racing, Rick Ware Racing, DGM Racing, MBM Motorsports, and B. J. McLeod Motorsports, building experience across Chevrolets, Fords, and competitive midfield programs.

Early Life and Background

Garrett Kirk Smithley was born on April 27, 1992, in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. His father and both of his grandfathers served in the United States military, instilling in him a strong sense of discipline. When he was six, his family moved to Virginia, and later to Georgia in the sixth grade, where he attended McIntosh High School and became involved in theater, including a lead role in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Smithley also played baseball and football as a child and was active in dance, chorus, and the Boy Scouts of America. He has credited his theater experience with giving him the confidence needed to take risks on track. Growing up, he looked up to NASCAR Cup Series champions Dale Jarrett and Carl Edwards, drawn in particular to Jarrett’s patriotic American-flag paint scheme.

Path to NASCAR

Smithley began his racing career in 2007, his sophomore year of high school, in Bandolero cars at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lanier National Speedway. He won Rookie of the Year in 2008, then moved up to Legends car racing with Peachtree City Golf Carts after buying a replacement golf cart from the team. Smithley has said that relationship kept him racing past Bandoleros, since his family did not have the resources to advance to Legends cars on their own. He was also selected for the Richard Petty Driver Search in his first year after high school.

He advanced into stock car racing in 2013 with a partial ARCA Menards Series schedule driving for Derrike Cope. After additional ARCA starts, Smithley made his NASCAR national-series debut in 2015 in the Craftsman Truck Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway for MB Motorsports, and later that same year made his first Xfinity Series start at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Derrike Cope Racing.

Garrett Smithley Career

Early Career (2013–2015)

Smithley made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2013 at Pocono Raceway in a Derrike Cope entry, his first stock car race. He ran a limited ARCA schedule through 2015, with a single start in 2014 at Talladega and a 2015 run for Rick Ware cut short by engine trouble at Daytona.

In the Truck Series, Smithley debuted at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2015 with MB Motorsports, posting a high finish of 14th at Michigan across three additional starts that year. He closed 2015 with his first Xfinity Series outing at Homestead in a Derrike Cope Racing No. 70, finishing 28th.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Breakthrough (2016–2019)

On February 16, 2016, Smithley was announced as the driver of the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports, running for NASCAR Rookie of the Year. Although the deal was initially for three races, he ran the full season and finished 18th in series points. He posted top-15s in both Talladega races and cracked the top 20 multiple times, though road-course struggles, including an engine failure at Watkins Glen, slowed his season.

Smithley returned to JD Motorsports full-time in 2017, scoring his first two Xfinity top-10s at Daytona and Iowa, and led his first series lap at Talladega. In 2018, he opened the year with his first NASCAR top-five finish at Daytona in the No. 0, and he spent time in the No. 15 during a number swap with teammate Matt Mills. He returned to JD Motorsports again in 2019 and ran a tribute scheme at Darlington Raceway honoring Mike Mittler, the MB Motorsports owner who had given Smithley his first Truck Series opportunity.

In 2020, Smithley joined SS-Green Light Racing through an alliance with Rick Ware Racing, debuting in the No. 07 at Charlotte. After a stint with B. J. McLeod Motorsports in late 2022, he returned to JD Motorsports in the No. 4 for part of the schedule, posting a best finish of 16th at Talladega.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights (2015–2023)

Smithley’s Truck Series career began at his home track, Atlanta Motor Speedway, with MB Motorsports in 2015. He made three more starts that season, highlighted by a 14th-place run at Michigan, and returned to Atlanta in 2016 for MB Motorsports with an 18th-place finish.

He rejoined the series in 2019 at Texas Motor Speedway with Chad Finley Racing as part of an effort to race in all three NASCAR national series in one weekend, then signed with Niece Motorsports for the Charlotte Truck event in 2020. His final Truck start came at Talladega in 2023 with the No. 14 entry.

NASCAR Cup Series (2018–2022)

Smithley made his Cup Series debut in 2018 at Michigan with StarCom Racing, retiring after one lap with a transmission problem, and ran additional Cup events that season with Premium Motorsports. In 2019, he picked up a part-time ride with Spire Motorsports in the No. 77, posting a 28th-place run at the Brickyard 400, and also drove the No. 52 Rick Ware Racing Ford at Las Vegas.

He returned to Rick Ware Racing on an expanded schedule starting at the 2020 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas and continued with RWR in 2021, attempting his first Daytona 500 in the No. 13 for MBM Motorsports with sponsorship from Trophy Tractor. In 2022, Smithley ran a partial Cup schedule in the No. 15 for Rick Ware Racing, with a best finish of 21st at Auto Club Speedway across six starts. His Cup career best points finish remains 48th, set in 2020.

SS-Green Light Racing Era (2024–Present)

On December 19, 2024, Smithley was announced as the full-time driver of the SS-Green Light Racing No. 14 Chevrolet Camaro SS for the 2025 season. On January 24, 2025, the team announced that Beth and Randy Knighton of Knight Fire Protection would take an ownership stake in the entry, forming BRK Racing. Smithley stepped out of the car at Circuit of The Americas in February 2025 so that Carson Hocevar could qualify it, then returned at Phoenix.

On December 10, 2025, it was revealed that Smithley would return to SS-Green Light Racing with BRK Racing for a majority of the schedule in the now-renumbered No. 0 car. He has also made select Cup starts, including the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in the No. 66 Ford for Garage 66.

Driving Style and Strengths

Smithley is best known for his consistency on restrictor-plate tracks, where he has logged multiple top finishes in the Xfinity Series at Daytona and Talladega. He has built his career as a sponsorship-savvy, do-it-yourself driver, personally calling companies to secure partners each week and operating his own LLC to manage finances. His willingness to sacrifice seat time for the greater good of his team, including giving up his car at COTA, has also been a defining trait of his late career.

Notable Races and Milestones

Smithley earned his first NASCAR top-five in the 2018 Xfinity Series opener at Daytona and his first Truck Series top-15 at Michigan in 2015. He attempted his first Daytona 500 in 2021 with MBM Motorsports and has run a handful of Cup Series events with StarCom Racing, Spire Motorsports, Rick Ware Racing, and Garage 66. Across the Xfinity Series, he has accumulated six top-ten finishes without a win.

Garrett Smithley Career Wins

Across his NASCAR career, Garrett Smithley has yet to record a victory in any of the three national series or the ARCA Menards Series. His strongest results have come in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he has posted six top-ten finishes and a best points result of 18th in 2016.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights

Smithley has zero wins in the Xfinity Series, with six top-ten finishes, zero poles, and a best points result of 18th in 2016. His first top-ten came at Daytona in 2017, followed by another at Iowa, and his highest series finish was a fifth at Daytona in the 2018 season opener.

Other Wins and Performances

Smithley has not recorded a win in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, or ARCA Menards Series, with a best Truck result of 36th in points in 2015 and a best ARCA result of 64th in 2013. He won the Bandolero Rookie of the Year award in 2008 and was selected for the Richard Petty Driver Search in his first year out of high school.

Garrett Smithley Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Garrett Smithley was raised in a military family, with his father and both of his grandfathers having served in the armed forces. His family relocated from Pennsylvania to Virginia and later to Georgia during his school years, which is where he first got involved in local short-track racing. He has credited his family, along with sponsors and team owners, for keeping his racing career moving forward despite limited financial resources.

Personal Life

Smithley attended McIntosh High School in Georgia, where he was active in theater, dance, chorus, the Boy Scouts of America, and school sports. He has cited his early theater training as a key source of the confidence he brings to racing. Looking beyond driving, Smithley has expressed an interest in becoming a television announcer after his racing career ends.

2025 Season Performance

Garrett Smithley entered 2025 as the full-time driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet Camaro SS for SS-Green Light Racing, with new BRK Racing ownership led by Beth and Randy Knighton of Knight Fire Protection. He stepped aside at Circuit of The Americas in February 2025 so that Carson Hocevar could attempt to qualify the car, with Smithley returning to the seat at Phoenix, a decision he described as a way to help his team and protect his own season.

Through his 2025 Xfinity Series schedule, Smithley has continued his role as a plate-track specialist and consistent part-time contender in the midfield, with the team positioned solidly in the owner standings. On December 10, 2025, the team revealed that Smithley would be back in 2026 in the re-numbered No. 0, signaling long-term plans with SS-Green Light Racing and BRK Racing.

Beyond the Xfinity Series, Smithley made a high-profile appearance in the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, driving the No. 66 Ford for Garage 66, giving him another opportunity to showcase his Cup-level experience. With a renewed team partnership, a stable car number, and continued sponsorship relationships, Smithley’s 2025 campaign has been about consistency, longevity, and building toward a stronger 2026.