Mike Mittler, who passed away earlier this year, was a long-time independent NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series team owner. Over the years, Mittler gave shots behind the wheel of his No. 63 truck to talented drivers who for whatever reason weren’t on the radar just yet.
One such driver was Garrett Smithley.
Mittler gave Smithley four starts in his truck in 2015, and Smithley has turned that into a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series ride at JD Motorsports.
This weekend, at Darlington Raceway Smithley will honor the memory of Mittler with a special paint scheme.
For @GarrettSmithley, this weekend means more than just throwing it back to NASCAR’s history. He will be honoring the late Mike Mittler of @mittler_bros with this tribute to one of NASCAR’s most recognizable independent team owners. #TeamJDM | #NASCARThrowback pic.twitter.com/MGZBF07J9D
— JD Motorsports w/ Gary Keller (@JDMotorsports01) August 28, 2019
Smithley’s car will look just like Mittler’s No. 63 truck except it will be a Chevrolet Camaro and it will be No. 0. However, Smithley will have the 63 riding with him as well as the number will be huge and faded on the rear quarter panels of the car. This is an amazing tribute to a man who gave so much for NASCAR.
