Rick Ware Racing, which had a great start to the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season in the Daytona 500, has announced that Garrett Smithley will return to the team as he makes his first NCS start of the 2022 season in the No. 15 car this weekend at Auto Club Speedway.
“We’re excited to have Garrett (Smithley) back in the fold at RWR,” said team owner Rick Ware in a release. “He has been an integral part of our organization the last few years. Our alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford and Roush Yates Engines will allow us to continue to build our program and be able to add another quality driver to our 2022 NASCAR Cup Series line up.”
Primary sponsorship for the entry at Auto Club Speedway will come from Jacob Companies. Any sponsorship announcements for Smithley for future events will be announced later.
Smithley will not only start this weekend at Auto Club, but he’ll remain the driver of the No. 15 Ford Mustang throughout the three-race West Coast Swing, which also includes Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.
The 29-year old driver is appreciative of the opportunity.
“As the NASCAR Cup Series enters a new era of stock car racing with the Next Gen car, I felt it was extremely important to not only remain in the Cup Series, but to do so with an organization like RWR,” said Garrett Smithley. “The opportunity that Rick and Lisa (Ware) have offered me is special, and I am blessed to have them in my corner. I am looking forward to being a part of the next chapter at RWR, and representing Jacob Companies on-track in California.”
The Rick Ware Racing No. 15 team sits 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series Owner Point standings after David Ragan scored an eighth-place finish for the organization despite being crashed on the final lap while coming to the checkered flag.
Smithley will hope to keep the momentum going for RWR on the West Coast.
