By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
Prior to the weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Garrett Smithley made his return to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Thursday Thunder, a summer racing series featuring bandoleros and legend cars.
Smithley ran in the program at Atlanta from 2008 to 2011 with a few races in the 2012 program.
“Thursday Thunder has always been really special,” explained Smithley in a press release. “I started racing Legends and Bandolero cars when I was 15. I raced my first season in 2008 and won championships and races. It’s where I got my start so to come back mean a lot to me.”
During the evening, Smithley ran in both feature events of the VP Racing Fuels Pro Division in the quarter-mile “Thunder Ring”. Smithley finished eighth and seventh, respectively, in both features.
Because the series propelled him into the driver he is today, Smithley’s goal in returning to his roots was to give back to the program that made him into a NASCAR star.
“For me, this is where I started and this is where I want to give back to. When people ask me ‘Hey, where do I need to go and what do I need to do to be a racecar driver?’ I tell them to go buy a Legends or Bandolero car and to run in this Legends series,” Smithley continued.
Smithley will hit the track this weekend at New Hampshire in Xfinity competition driving the No. 0 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports.