For a second consecutive year, Garrett Smithley will serve as the primary driver of a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series entry for SS-GreenLight Racing, the team confirmed in an announcement on Wednesday.
Smithley, a veteran of more than 200 contests in NASCAR’s second-tier division, will serve as the anchor driver of the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro in 2026, beginning with the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on February 14.
??@GarrettSmithley is back with a new look for 2026. pic.twitter.com/rwwC70jFGa
— SS GreenLight Racing (@SSGLR0708) December 10, 2025
In an attempt to take a step forward in the team’s overall performance for the upcoming season, SS-GreenLight Racing and BRK Racing (owned by Beth and Randy Knighton) will be leasing motors for the No. 0 Chevrolet from ECR Engines.
“We are excited to build on our program from last year and continue to make strides with Garrett,” said Bobby Dotter, owner of SS-GreenLight Racing. “Having Beth and Randy has been a huge benefit to our team and we look forward to another great season, with new series partner O’Reilly Auto Parts.”
In 25 starts as driver of the No. 14 (the second entry for SS-GreenLight Racing in 2025), Smithley recorded a single top-10 finish in the Summer event at Daytona International Speedway, finishing in eighth, plus additional top-15s at Martinsville in the Spring and Talladega in the Fall.
“I am super happy and thankful to be back with SS-GreenLight Racing and BRK Racing. Last year was the first time working with Bobby [Dotter] for more than a couple one-off races and he was great to work with,” said Garrett Smithley. “We definitely want to continue to improve the program, so having Beth and Randy back will be instrumental in that. We have put some things in place to make the 2026 season a success and I’m very thankful for all the support from our sponsors and fans.”
“Being back in the No. 0 car feels like home,” Smithley added. “This is the 10-year anniversary of my first season in the No. 0 with JD Motorsports, so, this will be a special year.”
Last January, SS-GreenLight Racing announced that it had entered a strategic partnership with BRK Racing for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign to work with the team’s No. 14 Chevrolet entry and Garrett Smithley. Now, after a solid first season, Beth and Randy Knighton are back for more.
“2025 was a big learning curve for us, but we had a great year and we are looking to improve on that,” said Beth Knighton of BRK Racing. “We love working with Bobby and Garrett and we are excited about the program we are building for this coming season.”
Randy Knighton, also of BRK Racing, says: “We are thankful to be back with SS-GreenLight Racing and Garrett. I’ve been in racing for a long time, so having this opportunity to be a part of the SSGL ownership group has been a lot of fun. We expect to continue to grow and move up the standings for 2026.”
The 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign will begin at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 14 at 5:30 PM ET on The CW, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
