Update: JD Motorsports will welcome back an old friend Garrett Smithley and marketing partner Trophy Tractor for the remainder of the 2023 season starting with this weekend’s Raptor 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Georgia driver Smithley, who ran four full Xfinity seasons with JDM from 2016 to 2019, is returning to JDM in the No. 4 Chevrolet at AMS, one of NASCAR’s fastest tracks.
Smithley will be teammates with Brennan Poole, who drives the JDM No. 6 Chevy.
Smithley, a steady, consistent driver who rarely ran into on-track issues in his previous stint with JDM, helped the team keep its goal of finishing strong at tracks across the demanding Xfinity schedule.
“It’s great to have Garrett back,” said team owner Johnny Davis, who is a veteran presence in NASCAR’s No. 2 level series. “He’s easy to work with, has the talent to get the most out of our race cars and knows when to go and when to be patient. We’re excited to pick up where we left off with him, Preparing fast, reliable cars to race.”
Smithley is a veteran with 146 Xfinity starts including fifth and eighth-place finishes at Daytona International Speedway and a pair of 12th place finishes at Talladega Superspeedway with JDM.
Since its 2022 renovation, Atlanta Motor Speedway fits into the superspeedway category. Elevated banking in the turns has made the track much faster and has brought pack-like racing to the track.
“I can’t wait to get back to Atlanta Motor Speedway,” said Smithley, who began his racing career at Atlanta. “Old Atlanta was my favorite track, but running the cup last year on the new surface was valuable, and I’m excited to take what I learned to JDM.”
— JD Motorsports —
Original Post: Bayley Currey, who was scheduled to return to JD Motorsports for a second straight season, will depart the two-car organization, effective immediately, a crew member from the organization tells TobyChristie.com on the condition of anonymity.
Garrett Smithley, who previously drove for JD Motorsports on a full-time basis for four seasons between 2016 and 2019, will take over the driving duties of the No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro for the remaining 29 NASCAR Xfinity Series events in 2023, starting Saturday at Atlanta.
— Toby Christie —
JD Motorsports confirmed to me that Garrett Smithley will be taking over the No. 4 car for the rest of the 2023 Xfinity Series season. The team will make the announcement today. @TobyChristieCom had it first. #NASCAR
— Dustin Albino (@DustinAlbino) March 14, 2023