By Jerry Jordan, Editor
LONG POND, Pa. – Known affectionately by his nickname “NumberNuthin” because he drives the zero car in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, Garrett Smithley is scheduled to make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut next weekend at Michigan International Speedway, sources have confided to Kickin’ the Tires.
Smithley will be driving for Starcom Racing in the organization’s second Cup Series entry – the No. 99 Chevrolet, the source said. Sponsorship is slated to be with Victory Lane Oil, a quick lube service operation that got its start in Ann Arbor, Mi.in 1980.
Reached for comment, Smithley said he could not confirm the news but said he was upbeat and looking forward to a good run at Pocono Raceway. Pressed on the issue, Smithley smiled and said he was “happy” about his future in racing.
In three full seasons at J.D. Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, Smithley has seen consistent improvement in his finishes. Earlier this year, he scored a career-best fifth at Daytona International Speedway and 10th at Talladega Superspeedway. In what is considered an underfunded team compared to other powerhouses in the Xfinity Series garage, Smithley has an average finish in 2018 of 21st – a solid improvement over his starting position average of 29th. Smithley also has seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts and five ARCA series starts. There is no word on if this will be a multi-race deal.
Starcom Racing is a new team, managed by Derrike Cope, that came on the scene in September 2017. An attempt to reach a Starcom representative for comment was unsuccessful at the time of publication.