Dark Horse Rising: Garage 66 Picks Chandler Smith for the Great American Race

AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 03: Chandler Smith, driver of the #18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota, speaks to the media during the NASCAR Championship 4 Media Day at Phoenix Raceway on November 03, 2022 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Garage 66 has tapped Chandler Smith to steer their No. 66 QuickTie Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the 67th running of the Daytona 500. For the 22-year-old phenom from Talking Rock, Georgia, it’s another notch in an already impressive belt of NASCAR accomplishments.

Smith, who burst onto the scene in the ARCA Menards Series with ten wins, has proven his mettle with five Craftsman Truck Series victories and three Xfinity Series wins, two of which came last season en route to a Top 5 championship finish. In 2025, he’ll run full-time for Front Row Motorsports in the Truck Series, but not before he takes on the high banks of Daytona in one of motorsport’s most iconic events.

*”I’m thrilled to have this shot with Garage 66 and to try to race into The Great American Race,”* Smith said. *”It’s an honor just to be part of the Daytona 500. Huge thanks to QuickTie and Carl Long for making it happen.”*

This isn’t Smith’s first dance at Daytona. He’s logged Top 20 finishes in all three of his NASCAR Cup Series starts, including a Top 15 in the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400. And with superspeedway experience under his belt, Smith might just be the dark horse that surprises everyone on race day.

For Carl Long, the mastermind behind Garage 66, the past week has been a whirlwind. After Mike Wallace was deemed ineligible for the 500, Long scrambled to assemble a backup plan worthy of the moment. Enter Chandler Smith.

*”It’s been chaos since Mike was ruled out, but Chandler is exactly who we needed,”* Long explained. *”He’s got talent, connections, and the kind of grit you need to survive Daytona. With Roush-Yates power and Chandler’s ability, we’ve got a real shot at making the field in what could be one of the most competitive entry lists in years.”*

Speedweeks kicks off on February 12 with practice and single-car qualifying, followed by the ever-tense Daytona Duels on February 13. The 67th Daytona 500—the crown jewel of stock car racing—is set for February 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET. With Smith behind the wheel and the stakes higher than ever, Garage 66 is ready to fight for their place in racing history.

 

Greg Engle