The motorsport world was left in shock after a dramatic turn of events at the Daytona 500 left Garage 66 on the back foot. The team, formerly known under the moniker MBM Motorsports, had high aspirations for the 2025 Daytona 500. When their initial plans to reintroduce a seasoned professional to the Cup Series fell through, they turned to Truck Series driver Chandler Smith. However, the build-up to the iconic ‘The Great American Race’ didn’t progress as envisaged, with Smith finishing a disappointing 42nd in qualifying and 20th in Duel 1, dashing hopes of a strong start to the season.
The situation soon escalated from bad to worse for the team. Smith, behind the wheel of the No. 66 Ford, lost control and careered into the external wall at Daytona International Speedway. The resulting damage to the car was so severe that it was deemed beyond repair—a devastating blow for Garage 66.
The anticipation was palpable in the lead up to the Daytona 500. Veteran driver Mike Wallace was slated for a much-heralded return to ‘The Great American Race’. However, NASCAR pulled the plug on his comeback, justifying the decision by highlighting Wallace’s absence from Cup Series races since 2015 and his last national series appearance in 2020. The governing body felt a return to the season opener would be too big a leap for the 65-year-old, placing the onus on MBM Motorsports/Garage 66 to find a replacement driver, which led them to Chandler Smith.
In hindsight, the decision seemed to be a misstep. Smith’s underwhelming performance in qualifying was followed by a lackluster showing in Duel 1. This sequence of events culminated with Garage 66 failing to qualify for its very first race. To compound their woes, the No. 66 Ford was involved in a catastrophic crash at Daytona International Speedway after contact with Justin Haley’s No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevy. The damage was assessed, and the car was decommissioned, as the cost of replacing the damaged parts would be a staggering $100,000.
Reflecting on the incident, Carl Long, the owner of the newly rebranded Garage 66, stated, “After stripping chassis 385 down to nothing, it has been decommissioned, non-repairable! The front clip was killed also. This crash will cost us over 100k in parts to put back together. Not the best way to start the year….. but we did start!” The team, already lean after transitioning from MBM Motorsports to save money, found this hefty financial setback from the crash a bitter pill to swallow in their current situation.
Earlier in the year, Garage 66 had named Garrett Smithley as the team’s driver for the pre-season exhibition race at the Bowman Gray Stadium. Despite the rough start, Carl Long’s NASCAR team remains resolved to bounce back from this setback. With the dark cloud of uncertainty currently hanging over the team’s future, they can only hope that their bad luck will soon run its course. As they say, after every storm, the sun will shine again, and Garage 66 is banking on this to turnaround their fortunes in the year ahead.
