Colin Garrett made his Xfinity Series debut in Friday night’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway, driving the No. 66 Racing For Heroes Toyota for MBM Motorsports.

Qualifying was cancelled due to persistent rain, resulting in the field being set by owners points. Colin started P24 and steadily gained positions until issues with tire pressure caused him to start moving back.

This race was the second for Colin to run the Racing For Heroes logo. Sadly, a friend of RFH committed suicide just days before the race, proving that Racing For Heroes mission of combating Veteran suicide is critical. Colin ran a memorial to this fallen hero, SSG Eric Patton, on the back of the car.

Colin Garrett will make his Xfinity Series debut Friday at Richmond Raceway driving the No. 66 Toyota for MBM Motorsports, the team announced Wednesday.

Garrett, 18, will make his first start in a national NASCAR series event. He has 14 starts in the K&N Pro Series East since last year with one top five and seven top 10s.

Garrett won the 2017 NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division championship.

A native of Elmo, Virginia, Garrett will be sponsored this weekend by “Racing For Heroes,” an approved 501(c)3 charity that empowers Veterans through motorsports, health, wellness and employment opportunities.

“I’m super stoked to be running with MBM Motorsports for my NASCAR Xfinity debut,” Garrett said in a press release. “I’m going there to gain experience in one of the top three national series, and to finish in the top 20 would be a great day for us overall.”

Colin Garrett and Sam Hunt Racing debuted the #18 Racing For Heroes Chevy in Saturday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series-East Zombie Auto 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway, finishing with a strong P7. He started 12th in the lineup and completed all laps of the 150-lap event.

This was the second K&N East race of the 2019 season, and the second Top 10 finish in a row for Garrett and the #18. After the Bristol race, he’s currently fourth in the 2019 K&N East point standings.

Mike Evock, founder of Racing For Heroes, and three of his RFH group joined the team for the race. Photo: Sam Hunt, team owner, is 3rd from left; Mike Evock is far right.

From catchfence.com: “It appears that their technical alliance with Rette Jones Racing paid off for Sam Hunt Racing in Thunder Valley. The popular driver from Virginia didn’t qualify strong on Friday night and didn’t have the best No. 18 Toyota Camry during the early stages of the race – but as the race laid out, Garrett’s car came to life and the driver maneuvered back-to-back top-10 finishes to open the 2019 season.”

Car hauler will become a traveling meet-up spot for Veterans and active duty

NASCAR driver Colin Garrett announced today that he’s partnering with Racing For Heroes (RFH), a nonprofit based at Virginia International Raceway that was founded by Service-Disabled Army Special Forces CW3 Mike Evock to help save other Veterans’ lives by fighting the epidemic of Veteran suicide.

Click image to download PDF

Research shows the excitement and adrenaline that comes with racing helps Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), by improving neurological and emotional connections that may have been damaged or blown off track by trauma.

RFH also helps Veterans beat addiction to opioids that were prescribed for pain, get access to innovative treatments like infrared light therapy and stem cell treatments, and land new jobs. In 2018, RFH helped Veterans get jobs totaling salaries of $1million per year and we’re rapidly growing this much-needed service.

We invite you to review Racing For Heroes’ Form 990’s. You’ll see that no salaries are paid because the organization is supported by staff from the for-profit company, RFH Tactical Mobility.

The goal of the Garrett-RFH partnership is to help save the lives of more heroes through a national campaign to raise awareness of RFH’s free programs that combat suicide.

Colin and his brothers

The military has special meaning to Garrett: both of his brothers are active duty Army, and he is proud to have in his family Veterans of all branches of the military and all major conflicts.

Colin will hold Meet & Greets throughout the US to raise awareness of Racing For Heroes. Fans will be able to track his car hauler through innovative technology provided by another partner, Propel GPS.

The hauler will become a traveling meet-up spot for Veterans, Active Duty and their families, a place where they can learn more about RFH’s free services and build community with others who understand how they feel.

“I’m super excited to be partnering with Racing For Heroes. I recently visited their facility at VIR and am amazed by all they do for Veterans, and all of it for free,” Garrett said. “I’m looking forward to helping promote their efforts with events around the country, and by running the Racing For Heroes logo on my #18 and #24 Chevys.”

Mike Evock, founder of Racing For Heroes, said “we’ve been searching for a way to expand our mission of using motorsports therapy to combat the Veteran suicide epidemic. The views Colin has expressed and his support for our military and Veterans is exactly what we were hoping for in a partner. This partnership will ultimately help change the lives of those in need.”

In February Garrett announced Invest Southern Virginia as another nonprofit he would promote this season. Racing For Heroes’ headquarters is in Southern VA and their plans to build a one-stop medical center behind the race shop at VIR align with ISV’s economic development mission. When completed, the medical center will provide free medical and mental health services to participating Veterans and their families.

Download our flyer to learn more about Racing For Heroes’ mission and how Colin will be working with them.

Colin Garrett and Sam Hunt Racing are putting hugely funded teams on notice: talent CAN compete in a sport that is so dominated by big money.

With the 2019 racing season kicking off during Florida Speedweeks at the New Smyrna World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, Garrett proved he’s already revved up for a great season.

His racing started Friday night with a 4th place finish in Super Late Models, driving the #24 from Fat Head Racing, and continued Monday with races for both the K&N Pro Series East and Super Late Models.

Racing the #18 InvestSouthernVirginia.com Chevrolet in the K&N East race, the Sam Hunt Racing team systematically hunted down cars in front of them and led 64 of the 175 laps. After getting sideways with help from another driver late in the final laps, they finished 6th.

Colin and Sam Hunt Racing were THE story of the night Monday, though:

With guidance from Frank Deiny in the tower and exceptional work from crew chief Clinton Cram and the entire SHR team, a small, one-car team took the big corporate race teams to task. They gave notice with this performance that they are for real.

Later Monday night in Super Late Model action, Garrett finished 4th for the second race in a row and is in 2nd place overall for the World Series SLM championship as of Tuesday morning.

Tonight (Tuesday)  will be a 50-lap Super Late Model if the weather holds out.  Wednesday and Thursday are 35-lap SLM’s, and Saturday is the 100-lap finale, after which the champion will be named.

You can watch the upcoming New Smyrna World Series races live on Fanschoice.tv. or see the replays on NBCSN.

Your Leader, @ColinGarrettWeb pic.twitter.com/mB5HMezVfk

— Sam Hunt Racing (@Team_SHR18) February 12, 2019

Listen to Colin’s radio interview after 2019 Florida Speedweeks:

NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Super Late Model driver Colin Garrett announced today that he has selected The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation‘s initiative, Invest Southern Virginia, as the nonprofit he will promote during 2019. Invest Southern Virginia helps connect growing advanced manufacturing, data center, and technology companies to qualified sites in the Southern Virginia region.

Garrett, a native of South Boston in Southern Virginia, selects a nonprofit each year to promote through his racing. This year he wanted to select one that will directly impact as many people as possible in his home region.

“MBC’s fiber broadband affects everyone’s life in Southern Virginia, even if they don’t use the internet,” Garrett said. “From helping improve education to attracting new businesses, MBC plays a huge role in our region’s economic growth. It just made sense that I select their initiative, Invest Southern Virginia, as my nonprofit for 2019.”

“Promoting Invest Southern Virginia is the perfect way for me to give back to my community in a way that can pay off for decades to come. It’s humbling to think of being able to be part of making a difference like that,” he added.

“Our goals are aligned – we’re both pushing hard for wins that will advance our future,” said Lauren Mathena of Invest Southern Virginia. “We are excited about being selected as Colin’s nonprofit partner for 2019, allowing us a bigger stage to showcase the great things that Southern Virginia has to offer. We look forward to him taking Invest Southern Virginia nationwide!”

Invest Southern Virginia will make its NASCAR debut during Florida Speedweeks on the hood of Sam Hunt Racing’s K&N Pro Series #18 Chevrolet, when Garrett races at New Smyrna’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, February 9-17.

Running Super Late Model #24 Chevy Camaro at New Smyrna’s World Series

K&N Pro Series and Super Late Model NASCAR driver Colin Garrett announced today that he will race his #24 Super Late Model Chevy Camaro for Jamie Yelton’s Fat Head Racing in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway, February 7-16.

Colin and the team are at New Smyrna for testing this week in preparation for Florida Speedweeks.

“I’m stoked to be back with Jamie Yelton and Fat Head Racing for the World Series. It’s been a dream of mine to run this event for several years and to finally be able to do this is awesome,” Garrett said. “They always put together fantastic cars so I’m looking forward to climbing in my #24 Chevy Camaro for the first event of Speedweeks.”

Garrett and Fat Head raced together last November when he made his first Super Late Model start at South Boston Speedway in the CARS Tour.

FHR’s previous Super Late Model wins include the Short Track U.S. Nationals at Bristol in May 2017 with Cup veteran Bubba Wallace driving, and a win in the 2015 World Series in New Smyrna with David Garbo driving.

Last week Sam Hunt Racing announced that Garrett will also be racing their #18 Chevy Camaro in the K&N Pro Series East. The 18-year-old South Boston, Virginia, native ran the #18 in twelve of the fourteen races for Hunt-Sellers Racing last year, racking up 1 top five and 5 top ten finishes throughout the season. Despite not running the full season, Garrett finished 10th in overall points for the K&N Pro Series East.

For business or sponsorship inquiries regarding Colin, contact him through his Partnership page or email [email protected].

Veteran Crew Chief Clinton Cram Returns to Lead Experienced Team

18-year-old Colin Garrett, driver of the No. 18 car for Hunt-Sellers Racing in last year’s K&N Pro Series East, will return to drive the car for Sam Hunt Racing in the 2019 season, the team announced today. Much of the 2018 team’s roster will also return for 2019, including veteran NASCAR Xfinity and K&N Crew Chief Clinton Cram, setting the foundation for an exciting and competitive season.

The South Boston, Virginia, native ran the No. 18 in twelve of the fourteen races for Hunt-Sellers Racing in the 2018 season, racking up 1 top five and 5 top ten finishes throughout the season. Despite not running the full season, he finished 10^th in overall points for the K&N Pro Series East.

“I’m excited to return to Sam Hunt Racing for the 2019 season. I wasn’t planning on running any NASCAR touring series races this year, but when I got the call I was super stoked,” Colin remarked. “We all worked together really well for my rookie campaign in 2018, so it should be interesting to see how it goes with the new environment with the team now. I can’t wait to unload in New Smyrna and get to work in my #18 Chevy SS!”

Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing, said “I’m really excited to have Colin back in the car in 2019. He had to learn a lot in a very short amount of time last year, so I’m excited to see what he can bring to the table now having some experience under his belt. It’s always fun to see drivers and younger kids mature into these roles – and Colin has a bright future. I hope to see him evolve into a leader of this group, as everyone at SHR is fully behind him this season.”

“I’m excited to see how Colin does in 2019. He’s developed a lot over the last couple of years and was really impressive in the last couple of Late Model races we ran last year. I think the K&N series helped a lot with that,” said Frank Deiny Jr., Garrett’s coach and spotter for 2019 and Crew Chief of his Late Model team, including for the 2017 championship season.

In 2017, just his third season of racing, Garrett was South Boston Speedway’s Limited Sportsman Division Champion and broke the track’s qualifying speed record twice during the season. He received the UNOH Youth Achievement Award in both 2016 and 2017, and was Rookie of the Year at SoBo in 2016. He also won two Pole Awards and one race in his Dominion Raceway Late Model Division debut in 2017, and won race 2 of the 2018 season at Dominion.

For business or sponsorship inquiries regarding Colin, contact him through his Partnership page or email [email protected]. For business or driver development inquiries regarding Sam Hunt Racing, contact [email protected].

Colin Garrett won two awards at the NASCAR Touring Series 2018 Banquet: K&N Pro Series East 10th in Points, and the Driver Achievement Award.

With him finishing 10th in points despite missing the first 2 races, we can’t help but wonder how he would have finished if he had raced them all!

Colin Garrett loved his days on the road this season as a rookie in the NASCAR K&N East Series, but he’s happy to be coming home on November 3, even if it means a little extra work.

Garrett will compete in both the Late Model Stock and the Super Late Model portions of the autosbynelson.com 250 CARS Response Energy Tour race at South Boston Speedway, which will take the green flag at 3 p.m. on November 3.

This time a year ago Garrett was celebrating South Boston’s Limited Sportsman championship, but early in 2018 he made the big jump to the K&N Series. Even though he missed the first race of the season, Garrett finished 10th in the final K&N East standings with one top-five and five top-10 finishes. The lone top five was a third in one of the twin 100-lappers at South Boston.

“It was a frustrating year, but a learning year,” said the 2017 Halifax High School graduate. “We were really fortunate to have the opportunity with Hunt-Sellers Racing. We were going to a lot of big tracks and learning the sensation of speed, learning how to manipulate the air. We got to go to all the tracks this year, so if we go back, I’ll be better.”

Garrett lives about 15 minutes from South Boston Speedway, and even though he’s toured the country racing this summer he may be most excited about that short ride from home next weekend.

“It’s kind of cool being at a different track each week, to get to drive different tracks and meet a lot of people. But it’s exciting to come back to my home track, to the track where I won my first race and where I won a championship,” said Garrett.

Garrett will be driving a Sellers Racing entry in the 125-lap Late Model race on November 3 and a Super Late Model prepared by Jamie Yelton and his Fathead Racing team. It is the same Super Late Model that current Cup regular Bubba Wallace won a race with at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017.

Garrett tested the car at South Boston a week ago but the AutosbyNelson 250 will be his first Super Late Model start.

“In the K&N cars I got used to a lot of power with a big, heavy car, but getting into a light car with a lot of power, there’s a big difference,” said Garrett, who is sponsored by Propel GPS and EMRYS Properties. “The power isn’t a big deal; it’s how quickly everything happens. I’ve got to work on slowing my hands down.
“The K&N and Late Model cars, you have to whip them around they are so heavy, but the supers are so light and so specific, you can’t do that. It’s going to be interesting going back and forth. I’m going to have to adjust for sure.”

Garrett will be driving the same car in the Late Model portion of the event that he drove to a fifth-place finish in the season-end doubleheader at South Boston, one of only a handful of Late Model starts he had in 2018.

“I ended up wrecking it in the second race that night, but we’ve got it back together good,” said Garrett. “We were running second in the first race, overheated and I had to come in and wound up fifth. It’s going to be cooler for this race and the track is going to be grippier. It’ll fit my driving style a little better so I can attack a little more.”

The twin 125-lap races will determine the CARS Tour championship in each division. Gates open at noon with the Super Late Model race set to begin at 3 p.m. followed by the Late Model Stock race.

Adult tickets are $10 in advance until 5 p.m. on Friday, November 2 and $15 the day of the race. Children age 12 and under will be admitted free with a paying adult. Advance tickets may be purchased by calling 877.440.1540 or stopping by the track.

from SouthBostonSpeedway.com