Garrett Smithley began the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series as the driver of the #99 for B.J. McLeod Motorsports, but a disastrous start to the season has him finding a ride elsewhere for the fourth race. On Tuesday, he announced he has signed with DGM Racing to drive the #91 Chevrolet Camaro in Saturday’s event at Phoenix Raceway with plans of more starts later in the year.
“This weekend at Phoenix Raceway I will drive the No. 91 www.DozerWinchParts.com Chevrolet for DGM Racing with plans to run additional races with the team this season,” reads a statement from Smithley. “Mario and Michelle Gosselin, thank you for picking me up when I was down, the opportunity to drive your race cars is an honor.
“I remain steadfast in my extreme desire to compete at the highest levels of motorsports. I know that I have many years of racing ahead of we and look forward to the next challenge and the next opportunity.
“A special ‘thanks’ to Jeff Miller, Maxx Miller, LouAnn Norris and everyone at Trophy Tractor for all you have done for we and continue to do for we Thank you to all my partners, supporters, fans and friends for continuing to support me.”
Smithley and the #99 failed to qualify for the 2023 opener at Daytona, and was excluded from the grid for the next race at Fontana when qualifying was rained out. He succeeded in making the third round at Las Vegas, but a power steering fluid leakage relegated him to thirty-sixth. As he moves to DGM for Phoenix, BJMM has withdrawn the #99 and will continue with just the #78 for Anthony Alfredo.
The DGM #91 also missed the show at Daytona with Josh Bilicki before running Fontana and Las Vegas with Ross Chastain and Bilicki, respectively finishing twenty-fourth and thirty-first. The car was opened in 2021 as a part-time car before running the full 2022 calendar with Mason Massey, Preston Pardus, and Mason Filippi and placing thirty-third in owner points with a pair of top tens.
DGM also fields the #92 full-time for Josh Williams while Alex Labbé failed to qualify at Daytona in the #36.
Smithley, who has raced in the Xfinity Series since 2015, is no stranger to DGM as he finished twenty-first at Charlotte in the #36 in 2022.