Ex-JGR driver set to take reins of Garage 66 entry for Daytona 500 amid Mike Wallace’s fiasco

Garage 66, formerly known as MBM Motorsports, has recently announced Chandler Smith as their driver for the No. 66 QuickTie Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the 67th edition of the iconic Daytona 500 race.

After NASCAR rejected Carl Long's bid to field veteran driver Mike Wallace in the 600-mile-long race, the Ford roster turned to the 22-year-old Smith for their open entry into the season-opener race at Daytona International Speedway.

In an official press release, Long, the owner of Garage 66, said:

"The last few days have been a whirlwind of phone calls and emails after Mike Wallace was not approved to be the driver of our Daytona 500 entry. After several days of non-stop communication with available drivers who could race a Ford, the pieces came together to place Chandler Smith in our car."

Furthermore, Long added:

"I am super pleased to have Chandler in our seat. He has friends behind the wheel of the other cars. At Daytona, we will need all the friends we can find to help race our way into the show! There are a lot of really quality cars attempting this race, which could easily make the most exciting part of the 2025 Daytona 500 the race to be in the race."

Smith is currently signed full-time with Front Row Motorsports in the Truck Series. Before his deal with FRM, the young driver competed for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series last season.

It is worth mentioning that Chandler Smith has previously raced in three events of NASCAR's premier division and has managed to finish inside the top 20 in all of them.

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"Excited to attempt Daytona 500": Chandler Smith makes his feelings known after Garage 66's announcement

Chandler Smith made his NASCAR debut in the Truck Series, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports for four years and claiming five wins. He then stepped up the ladder and joined Xfinity Series, competing for Kaulig Racing and JGR where he secured three wins.

However, after an eventful 2024 Xfinity season with Joe Gibbs' outfit, Smith was left without a ride until FRM's announcement in December. Moving forward to today, the young driver has been presented with another big opportunity by Carl Long's Garage 66 under unforeseen circumstances to pilot the team's entry for the Daytona 500.

Following the announcement of this news, Smith on X wrote:

"Excited to attempt the Daytona 500!"

Moreover, the Talking Rock, Georgia native in the team's press release:

"I’m very excited for the opportunity to race our way into the Daytona 500 with Garage 66. Being in The Great American Race is such an honor, and I can’t thank QuickTie and Carl Long enough for helping put this all together."

Meanwhile, NASCAR will start its 2025 season with the season-opener race on February 16 at Daytona Beach, Florida.