Garrett Smithley Bio
Garrett Kirk Smithley (born April 27, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 14 Chevrolet Camaro SS for SS-Green Light Racing with BRK Racing. Over the course of his career, he has also competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series, building a reputation as a hard-working journeyman in NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
Early Life and Background
Smithley was born in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, but moved with his family to Virginia when he was six years old, and later to Georgia during the sixth grade. His father and both of his grandfathers served in the United States military, instilling a strong sense of discipline in the household. As a child, Smithley played baseball and football, while also participating in dance, chorus, and theater. At McIntosh High School, he was active in drama productions, including being cast as the lead in a production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and he was also a member of the Boy Scouts of America.
Smithley has often credited his theater and drama experience with giving him the confidence to take chances later in his racing career. Growing up, he admired NASCAR veterans Dale Jarrett and Carl Edwards. He was drawn to Jarrett at a young age because of his iconic American flag paint scheme. These early influences and creative pursuits helped shape the outgoing personality that would later become part of his identity as a driver.
Path to NASCAR
Smithley began his racing career in 2007, his sophomore year of high school, competing in Bandolero cars at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lanier National Speedway. He captured Rookie of the Year honors in 2008, then moved up to Legends car racing through a relationship with Peachtree City Golf Carts, an opportunity that kept him racing past the Bandolero level when his family could not afford the next step on their own.
In his first year after high school, Smithley was selected to participate in the Richard Petty Driver Search, an early signal that he was tracking toward NASCAR’s national series. He balanced these developmental opportunities with his theater work, eventually making the leap into stock car racing and laying the groundwork for a career that would span multiple NASCAR divisions.
Garrett Smithley Career
Early Career (2007–2014)
Smithley’s earliest stock car work came in the ARCA Racing Series, where he competed in three events in 2013 driving for Derrike Cope. His first start, at Pocono Raceway, marked his first stock car race. In 2014, he made a single ARCA start at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing 18th for car owner Wes Gonder. In 2015, he made a single ARCA appearance for Rick Ware, although engine problems hampered the effort.
That same year, Smithley made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at his home track, Atlanta Motor Speedway, driving the No. 63 Chevrolet Silverado for MB Motorsports. He made three additional Truck starts that season, posting a high finish of 14th at Michigan International Speedway. He returned to Atlanta with MB Motorsports in 2016, finishing 18th.
Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2015–2018)
Smithley made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the final race of 2015 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, driving the No. 70 Chevrolet Camaro for Derrike Cope Racing. He started 34th and finished 28th. On February 16, 2016, it was announced that he would move to JD Motorsports to drive the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro and compete for NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors. Although the original agreement was only for three races, he ran nearly the full schedule, finishing 18th in series points.
Smithley returned full-time to JD Motorsports in 2017, scoring his first two Xfinity top-10 finishes at Daytona and Iowa, and leading his first Xfinity Series lap at Talladega Superspeedway. In the 2018 season opener at Daytona, he overcame a spin to score his first NASCAR top-five result, finishing fifth. He also brought on Wayne Carroll as his new crew chief during the year. For the 2019 Darlington throwback weekend, he piloted a tribute paint scheme honoring MB Motorsports owner Mike Mittler, who had given Smithley his first Truck Series opportunity.
Cup Series Debut (2018–2022)
On June 1, 2018, reports surfaced that Smithley would make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut at Michigan International Speedway with StarCom Racing in the No. 99, though he retired from the race after just one lap with a transmission issue. In 2019, he picked up a part-time ride with Spire Motorsports in the No. 77 Chevrolet, posting a 28th-place finish at the Brickyard 400. Driving the No. 52 Rick Ware Racing Ford at the 2019 South Point 400 at Las Vegas, he drew heavy criticism from Kyle Busch, who blamed Smithley and Joey Gase for costing him a solid run.
Smithley returned to Rick Ware Racing in 2020 for an expanded Cup schedule, beginning with the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas, while also making starts with Spire Motorsports and B. J. McLeod Motorsports. In 2021, he remained with Rick Ware Racing on a part-time basis and attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500 for the first time, driving the No. 13 for MBM Motorsports with sponsor Trophy Tractor. He continued with Rick Ware Racing in 2022, this time in the No. 15 Ford, recording a best finish of 21st at Auto Club Speedway across six starts.
SS-Green Light Racing Era (2020–Present)
Smithley joined SS-Green Light Racing in 2020 as part of an alliance with Rick Ware Racing, debuting with the team at Charlotte in the No. 07. On November 1, 2022, it was announced he would run full-time for B. J. McLeod Motorsports in the No. 78 Chevrolet, although the number was later changed to the No. 99. After failing to qualify for Daytona and Auto Club, and finishing 36th at Las Vegas, he was released from the team. He made a start with DGM Racing at Phoenix before returning to JD Motorsports in the No. 4 for select races, with a best finish of 16th at Talladega.
On February 13, 2024, it was announced that Smithley would run the No. 6 for JD Motorsports in the first four races of the season. He remained with the team until they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following the race at Pocono Raceway, then ran a limited schedule with Alpha Prime Racing and Joey Gase Motorsports. On December 19, 2024, he was announced as the full-time driver of the SS-Green Light Racing No. 14 for 2025, with Beth and Randy Knighton of Knight Fire Protection taking an ownership stake under the BRK Racing banner. In February 2025, Smithley stepped out of the car at Circuit of The Americas so Carson Hocevar could replace him and guarantee a qualifying run for the team, before returning at Phoenix.
Driving Style and Strengths
Smithley is known for his aggressive on-track mentality, a trait he has openly tied to a deliberate decision not to grow too close with other Xfinity Series regulars. His restrictor plate racing has produced several of his strongest results, including top-fives at Daytona and Talladega, while his partnerships with crew chiefs like Wayne Carroll have helped him extract consistency on intermediate tracks. He has also taken on a publicist-like role with his teams, personally reaching out to potential sponsors each week.
Notable Races and Milestones
Smithley scored his first NASCAR top-five finish in the 2018 Xfinity Series opener at Daytona, recovered from a spin to finish fifth, and posted top-tens at Daytona and Iowa in 2017. His 2019 Brickyard 400 result of 28th marked his best Cup Series finish of that season, and his 2021 Daytona 500 attempt with MBM Motorsports was a career milestone. He has also made starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Atlanta, Michigan, Texas, and Charlotte, completing his goal of competing in all three NASCAR national series in a single weekend at Texas in 2019.
Garrett Smithley Career Wins
Smithley has not recorded a victory in any of NASCAR’s three national series. His strongest results to date are his top-five at Daytona in 2018 and his multiple top-10 Xfinity finishes at Daytona, Iowa, and Talladega. He has, however, captured Rookie of the Year honors in the Bandolero division and has posted competitive restrictor plate runs across multiple seasons.
Xfinity Series Highlights
Smithley’s best Xfinity Series finish remains the fifth place he scored in the 2018 season opener at Daytona. He finished 18th in series points in 2016 and added two top-10s in 2017 at Daytona and Iowa, along with his first laps led at Talladega. He has competed in Xfinity events for Derrike Cope Racing, JD Motorsports, MBM Motorsports, SS-Green Light Racing, DGM Racing, B. J. McLeod Motorsports, Alpha Prime Racing, and Joey Gase Motorsports.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the national series, Smithley has competed in the ARCA Menards Series and the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour. His 2008 Bandolero Rookie of the Year award at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lanier National Speedway remains one of the earliest honors of his career, and he has continued to run selected Late Model events while balancing his NASCAR commitments.
Garrett Smithley Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Smithley comes from a family with deep military ties, with his father and both of his grandfathers having served in the armed forces. While his family was not wealthy enough to support a natural progression through the racing ladder, his mother encouraged his theater pursuits, which ultimately gave him the self-assurance to pursue a racing career. His relationship with the team at Peachtree City Golf Carts proved pivotal, as it kept him racing when finances were tight.
Personal Life
Smithley has remained connected to his theater roots throughout his racing career, often citing the confidence he gained on stage as central to his willingness to take risks behind the wheel. After his driving days, he has publicly stated his ambition to become a television announcer, an interest shaped by years of engaging with fans, sponsors, and media. He continues to maintain an active presence on social media, where he interacts with supporters and shares updates from the track.
2025 Season Performance
Smithley began the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season as the full-time driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet for SS-Green Light Racing, with Knight Fire Protection highlighted as a key sponsor. The team added BRK Racing as a co-ownership partner in January, strengthening the operation heading into the new year. He made his preseason appearance in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, driving the No. 66 Ford for Garage 66, the rebranded Cup Series arm of MBM Motorsports.
Early in the regular season, Smithley chose to step out of the car at Circuit of The Americas so Carson Hocevar could attempt to qualify the entry, a decision Smithley framed as a way to give his team the best chance at success. He returned to the No. 14 at Phoenix, where he continued his full-time campaign. With SS-Green Light Racing’s expanded resources and the BRK Racing alliance, Smithley’s 2025 schedule represents one of the most stable opportunities of his Xfinity career.