SS GreenLight Racing Overview
SS-Green Light Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Based in Mooresville, North Carolina, the team fields Chevrolet Camaro SS cars and is owned by former driver Bobby Dotter, who is the sole proprietor. The team operates with a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, which supports its engineering and chassis programs. SS-Green Light Racing is recognized for its multi-car operations and for nurturing part-time and developing drivers across NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
The team fields several car numbers, including the No. 0 driven primarily by Garrett Smithley and the No. 07 driven by Josh Bilicki, with additional entries such as the No. 14 managed in collaboration with Kaulig Racing. Across its history, SS-Green Light Racing has recorded one victory, captured at Auto Club Speedway in 2022 with Cole Custer driving a collaborative entry with Stewart-Haas Racing. The team has competed in more than 700 national series races since its founding, establishing itself as a reliable independent operation within NASCAR.
Founding and Organizational Origins
SS-Green Light Racing traces its origins to 2000, when it was established as Green Light Racing. The team debuted in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with the No. 45 People Against Drugs Chevrolet, driven by founder Bobby Dotter at The Milwaukee Mile. Dotter, a former driver who had competed across NASCAR’s regional and national levels, organized the operation around a single Truck Series entry supported by modest sponsorship and a small in-house crew.
From its earliest years, Green Light Racing relied on independent ownership, rotating drivers, and seasonal sponsorship agreements. The team’s original structure was simple: one truck, a tight crew, and an owner-driver at the controls. Over time, Dotter expanded the operation into additional Truck Series trucks, including the No. 07 and No. 08, gradually building the workshop and personnel base needed to sustain year-round competition.
Throughout the 2000s, the team operated under the Green Light Racing banner. Its ownership structure shifted several times, with co-owners including businessman Ken Smith, who remained with the team until July 2017, and Texas politician Gene Christensen, who joined as a co-owner before departing. These partnerships allowed Dotter to scale the team’s Truck Series operations while preparing for a transition into NASCAR’s other national divisions.
Growth Into NASCAR Competition
Green Light Racing expanded into the NASCAR Nationwide Series, now known as the Xfinity Series and currently branded the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, in April 2014. The team’s Nationwide debut came at Darlington Raceway with veteran Todd Bodine behind the wheel of the No. 55, run in partnership with Viva Motorsports. Over the following seasons, SS-Green Light broadened its Xfinity presence through affiliations with teams such as Rick Ware Racing, King Autosport, and Go Green Racing, fielding entries numbered 07, 15, 35, 76, 90, and 99.
A pivotal moment came in 2008, when Green Light Racing merged with SS Racing, a team competing in the ASA Late Model Series. The two operations had collaborated previously, and the merger, executed during the economic downturn, brought financial stability and operational synergy. Following the merger, the team adopted the SS-Green Light Racing name, signaling its combined identity and expanded ambitions.
In 2017, the team sold its Truck Series equipment and owner points to Rick Ware Racing and shifted its full focus to the Xfinity Series. That same year, Ray Black Jr. ran the No. 07 full-time, supported by ScubaLife.com sponsorship. The decision to consolidate resources allowed SS-Green Light to deepen its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and concentrate on building competitive Chevrolet Camaro SS entries for the Xfinity Series.
SS GreenLight Racing Competitive Journey
SS-Green Light Racing has progressed through every era of its Truck Series and Xfinity Series history with steady growth, rotating driver lineups, and incremental technical improvements. From its early Truck Series campaigns in 2000 to its modern multi-car Xfinity program, the team has built a reputation for fielding entries across many car numbers while providing opportunities for emerging and part-time drivers.
Early Seasons and Development (2000-2007)
Green Light Racing opened its competitive account in 2000 with Bobby Dotter driving the No. 45 at Milwaukee, finishing seventeenth. In 2001, the team added the No. 07 Truck with Gene Christensen as owner, and over the next several seasons, Dotter, Jason Small, Shane Sieg, and a rotating cast of drivers piloted the team’s Chevrolet entries across the Truck Series schedule. The No. 08 joined the fleet in 2001, with Dotter campaigning for Rookie of the Year and posting a fifteenth-place points finish.
Throughout the early 2000s, the team developed its operational footprint one truck at a time, drawing sponsorship from companies such as Sunbelt Rentals, Auto Air Colors, and Lester Buildings. Drivers including Chad McCumbee, Tim Sauter, and Jason White delivered consistent mid-pack results. By 2007, the team had established itself as a reliable independent Truck Series operator, even as sponsorship markets tightened across NASCAR.
Breakthrough in NASCAR (2008-2016)
The 2008 merger with SS Racing marked a major operational breakthrough, giving the team renewed financial backing and a unified identity. That same year, the team expanded its Xfinity Series footprint and continued to scale its Truck operations. In 2010, the team fielded the No. 23 Truck with Jason White, who won the pole at Daytona and finished tenth in points, the team’s strongest Truck Series result to that point.
By 2014, SS-Green Light had formally entered the Xfinity Series with the No. 55 at Darlington, and in 2015, Ray Black Jr. ran the No. 07 Truck full-time with ScubaLife.com sponsorship, finishing twelfth in points with a fifth-place result at Daytona. That success prompted the team’s leadership to formalize its Xfinity ambitions, leading to the 2017 decision to close the Truck Series program and redirect resources to the Xfinity Series.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2017-Present)
Since 2017, SS-Green Light Racing has operated as a dedicated Xfinity Series team. The organization has fielded the No. 07 full-time for drivers including Ray Black Jr., Joe Graf Jr., and Blaine Perkins, while expanding to additional entries such as the No. 08, the No. 14, and the No. 0. In 2022, Cole Custer delivered the team’s first victory at Auto Club Speedway, driving a collaborative entry with Stewart-Haas Racing.
Today, the team is owned solely by Bobby Dotter and operates a Chevrolet Camaro SS program supported by its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing. In December 2024, the team announced that Garrett Smithley would drive the No. 14 full-time in 2025, and on December 10, 2025, the team confirmed it would field the No. 0 primarily for Garrett Smithley, with Josh Bilicki driving the No. 07 and Alex Labbé sharing the No. 0. The team also briefly entered the ARCA Menards Series in 2024 at Daytona with Patrick Emerling in the No. 08.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
SS-Green Light Racing’s core identity centers on providing competitive seats for a rotating roster of drivers while maintaining operational reliability across multiple car numbers. The team’s Chevrolet Camaro SS program, supported by Richard Childress Racing, focuses on steady race finishes and selective superspeedway performance, where the team has historically excelled, including top-ten and podium finishes at Daytona and Talladega.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
The team’s most significant milestone came on February 26, 2022, when Cole Custer captured its first victory at Auto Club Speedway. Additional landmark moments include Jason White’s 2010 pole at Daytona in the Truck Series, Ross Chastain’s third-place finish at Bristol in 2012, Gray Gaulding’s second-place run at Talladega in 2019, and the team’s first ARCA Menards Series start in 2024 at Daytona with Patrick Emerling.
SS GreenLight Racing Achievements and Results
SS-Green Light Racing has accumulated more than 700 starts across NASCAR’s national series, with a verified victory, a single pole position, and consistent mid-pack finishes. The team’s competitive record reflects decades of independent operation, strategic manufacturer partnerships, and steady development of driver talent.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Achievements
In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, formerly the Xfinity Series, SS-Green Light Racing has recorded one victory, one pole position, and 354 races competed. The team’s breakthrough came in 2022 at Auto Club Speedway with Cole Custer. Standout results include Gray Gaulding’s second-place finish at Talladega in 2019, multiple top-ten finishes at Daytona and Talladega, and championship-level stability through the efforts of drivers including Ray Black Jr., Joe Graf Jr., and Blaine Perkins.
Conference Achievements
Conference achievements for SS-Green Light Racing center on consistent full-season entries and notable individual results. Ray Black Jr. finished nineteenth in the 2016 Xfinity Series standings with nine top-twenty finishes and a best result of fourteenth at Bristol. In the Truck Series, Bobby Dotter finished fifteenth in 2001 and fourteenth in 2002 in the No. 08, while Jason Small finished twenty-second in 2002 in the No. 07.
Divisional Achievements
Across divisional competition, SS-Green Light Racing has fielded entries in both the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series. The team recorded a tenth-place Truck Series points finish in 2010 with Jason White in the No. 23, along with seventeenth-place finishes in 2012 with Ross Chastain and nineteenth-place finishes in 2009 with Chad McCumbee. In the Xfinity Series, the team has maintained multi-car operations across the No. 07, No. 08, No. 14, and No. 0, supporting numerous developing drivers.
Series Achievements
In series competition, SS-Green Light Racing has totaled 382 Truck Series races, 354 Xfinity Series races, and one ARCA Menards Series start, amassing 737 races overall. The team has captured one pole position, earned one victory, and operated more than a dozen car numbers across its history, including the No. 0, No. 03, No. 06, No. 07, No. 08, No. 14, No. 15, No. 21, No. 23, No. 35, No. 45, No. 55, No. 76, No. 77, No. 78, No. 81, No. 90, and No. 99.