Garrett Smithley signs full-time Xfinity Series deal with SS-Green Light Racing

One of NASCAR‘s journeymen is getting a full-time ride. Garrett Smithley is racing for SS-Green Light in the Xfinity Series for 2025. This is the first full-time season for Smithley since 2019 with the now-defunct JD Motorsports.

Garrett Smithley has defined his career by racing for low-budget teams. You could argue that JDM is the best equipment that he has been in for his career. Still, the 32-year-old has five top-10s in the Xfinity Series in 180 starts.

Landing this full-time ride is a big deal. SS-Green Light Racing is coming off a season where they did not have a full-time driver. So, the pairing in the No. 14 car could prove to be fruitful.

Smithley and SS-Green Light have a history together. Back in 2020, Smithley had part-time starts with the team. He managed a P8 finish at Talladega.

🚨 He’s Back 🚨 @GarrettSmithley returns to SS-Greenlight Racing Full-Time in the #14 Chevrolet for the 2025 @NASCAR_Xfinity Series Season! pic.twitter.com/ghJ8RoUoxX

— SS GreenLight Racing (@SSGLR0708) December 19, 2024

There really is a thing to say about consistency in NASCAR. From a driver and team perspective, a full-time season is a good thing. The team can learn with the driver and build a relationship.

Garrett Smithley has been a journeyman for his career. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have talent. This is a driver who has managed to land 76 starts in the Cup Series.

His time in Cup was spent with teams like Rick Ware Racing, Spire Motorsports, StarCom Racing, Premium Motorsports, and others. His most recent start was in 2022 with RWR.

SS-Green Light Racing is a small-budget team. This is likely not a playoff contender. Expectations won’t be super high for Smithley. That doesn’t mean that this duo can’t have success.

Garrett Smithley is a good hire for SSGL Racing

Overall, this is a solid signing. Garrett Smithley for a full season is going to do more to help this team get better overall than putting 10 different drivers in it. He is experienced, but not old for a racecar driver. There is potential here.

While it was a number of years ago now, Smithley took JD Motorsports to top-20 in points three out of four seasons with the organization. This is an organization that no longer exists as of this season, and it arguably got worse after Smithley was no longer with the team.

So, good for SS-Green Light. They are making a solid move overall by getting a full-time driver and one like Smithley should, at the very least, serve them well. I don’t think there is going to be anything shocking about his time in the car, besides a top-10 at a superspeedway, and that might be what this organization needs. A calm, no nonsense season.

Garrett Smithley hasn’t been full-time going on five years now. Can the consistency of a full-time season let him show his abilities again? I think so but we won’t know until we see the car on the track.