SS GreenLight Racing Overview
SS GreenLight Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The organization fields the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for a rotation of drivers and the No. 14 Chevrolet Camaro primarily for Garrett Smithley, and it operates from Mooresville, North Carolina. The team maintains a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and has worked in collaboration with other NASCAR organizations on select entries.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The operation traces its roots to Green Light Racing, which began competing in the Camping World Truck Series in 2000 with Bobby Dotter driving. Over time Dotter moved from driving into team leadership while the organization expanded its race program and ownership structure. The team listed owners include Bobby Dotter, Randy Knighton, and Beth Knighton, and its early years focused on establishing a durable presence in NASCAR national series competition.
In response to economic pressures and the evolving motorsports landscape, Green Light joined with SS Racing in 2008. The merger blended personnel, equipment and sponsorship relationships, creating the combined SS GreenLight Racing identity that sustained the organization through fluctuating budgets and allowed it to pursue expanded entries across NASCAR national divisions.
Growth Into NASCAR Competition
After beginning as a Truck Series outfit, the group built a multi-truck effort through the 2000s and developed experience with a variety of drivers and sponsors. The team ran numerous part-time and full-time campaigns in the Camping World Truck Series, fielding a range of truck numbers and bringing aboard drivers who produced top-ten runs and competitive qualifying efforts.
By the mid-2010s SS GreenLight Racing transitioned resources toward the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team made its Xfinity Series debut in 2014 and incrementally increased its Xfinity program, using technical partnerships, driver rotations and collaborative entries with larger Cup- and Xfinity-level organizations to remain competitive and field full-season efforts when funding permitted.
SS GreenLight Racing Competitive Journey
SS GreenLight Racing’s motorsports trajectory moved from Truck Series regular to a sustained Xfinity Series presence. The organization has balanced full-season entries with a mix of part-time starts, driver development efforts and strategic alliances with established NASCAR teams to secure equipment, engineering and sponsorship support.
Early Seasons and Development (2000–2013)
The team began competition in the Camping World Truck Series in 2000 and ran a wide range of drivers across the 2000s, including owner-driver appearances by Bobby Dotter. In the Truck Series the organization fielded multiple truck numbers over the years, recorded several top-ten finishes and secured at least one pole position in truck competition.
Across that era the operation refined its shop practices and sponsorship model while navigating the typical instabilities of lower-budget national-series teams. The 2008 merger with SS Racing reorganized the shop and consolidated resources, enabling SS GreenLight Racing to remain on the grid and invest in future Xfinity efforts.
Breakthrough in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2014–Present)
SS GreenLight Racing first entered the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2014 and steadily expanded its presence through a mixture of full-time and multi-driver part-time entries. The team has relied on driver rotations, bringing in veterans, up-and-comers and ringers for superspeedway races to maximize sponsorship value and on-track results.
The program’s most prominent milestone in Xfinity competition came on February 26, 2022, when Cup Series driver Cole Custer scored the team’s first Xfinity Series victory at Auto Club Speedway in a collaborative entry involving Stewart–Haas Racing. The organization has also recorded notable finishes such as Gray Gaulding’s runner-up result at Daytona in 2020 and various top-ten efforts at superspeedways and intermediate tracks.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2023–Present)
In recent seasons the team has alternated manufacturers and driver lineups to align with technical alliances and sponsorship arrangements, switching to Ford equipment in 2022 and returning to Chevrolet in 2023. The current roster for the 2025 season includes multiple drivers in the No. 07 entry such as Patrick Emerling, Nick Leitz and Alex Labbé, while Garrett Smithley was announced to drive the No. 14 full-time for 2025 as part of a sponsorship and ownership arrangement with BRK Racing.
SS GreenLight Racing continues to leverage partnerships with larger teams and select collaborative programs, including a 2024 joint effort with Kaulig Racing that fielded the No. 14 entry at Daytona. The organization’s direction emphasizes fielding competitive equipment through alliances, sustaining multi-car entries when sponsorship allows, and providing opportunities for a diverse stable of drivers.
Engineering Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The team’s technical approach centers on partnership-driven performance: strategic alliances provide chassis, engines and engineering resources while SS GreenLight adapts setups to the strengths of individual drivers and track types. Collaborations with Richard Childress Racing and other teams supply technical depth, and the organization has shown particular competitiveness at superspeedways and intermediate tracks where strong drafting and race management yield results.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Key moments include the 2008 merger with SS Racing, the programmatic shift from full-time Truck Series competition to an Xfinity focus in 2017, Gray Gaulding’s second-place finish at Daytona in 2020 and the team’s first Xfinity Series victory at Auto Club Speedway in 2022. Those milestones reflect the team’s persistence in national-series racing and its capacity to generate notable results through alliances and opportunistic entries.
SS GreenLight Racing Achievements and Results
Over its national-series history the team has compiled a verified record of race entries and measured accomplishments across Truck and Xfinity competition. Official statistics list a total of 737 races competed across national series, with the Xfinity program and Truck efforts forming the bulk of that tally.
Xfinity Series Achievements
SS GreenLight Racing’s Xfinity program has produced the team’s lone national-series victory, secured at Auto Club Speedway in February 2022. The Xfinity program has supplied a platform for driver development and for multiple part-time and full-time drivers to compete at NASCAR’s second-tier level, including notable top-ten and top-fifteen finishes at major events.
Truck Series and Development Program Success
In the Camping World Truck Series the team ran a lengthy program from 2000 through 2016, collecting top-ten finishes and at least one pole position in truck competition. The Truck Series years served as the team’s training ground for operations, crew development and sponsor relationships and helped launch or support the careers of multiple drivers who later appeared in Xfinity competition.
Across all national series the team’s verified totals include 1 race victory, 1 pole position, and zero drivers’ championships, reflecting the organization’s role as a competitive independent team that often partners with larger organizations to field strong entries on key weekends.
