CONCORD, NC (July 7, 2026) – Zack Mitchell has reached a deal with G.R. Smith Motorsports to become the new driver of the No. 22* on tour with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.
The new pairing will debut on Wednesday night at Stateline Speedway, with plans to continue through the remainder of the 2026 season and beyond.
The move comes after Drake Troutman‘s departure from the team on June 23. Smith partnered with Jake Timm for four races in Minnesota and North Dakota to continue earning owners points while the team evaluated its long-term future. G.R. Smith Motorsports sits sixth in the owners standings entering Stateline, four points behind Cooney Motorsports in fifth.
“First and foremost, I want to thank Jake Timm for stepping in and taking that role and getting us through the northern swing,” Smith said. “I got to know him a lot better over the last two weeks. Great kid, great people, I told him that I’d like to help him out in the future. Just the proximity of Minnesota to North Carolina is a long distance, and getting the equipment primarily back to North Carolina, it was important for me to run out of our shop.
“[Mitchell] is the best kept secret that the national level doesn’t know about. He’s the guy to beat in [the southeast], right? If you get Zack in the south, if you look at his stats per starts, he’s a true wheel man. To be in a situation at this time of year and to have a talent like Zack available, it got me excited to go racing again. I have a lot of respect for Zack. I’ve gotten to follow his racing career closer than most people on the national level just because of where we live. Finished second to him many a time, wishing that he was somewhere else racing when I was a driver and finishing second to him. He’s definitely a talented shoe, and I think he’s ready at this stage of his life to tackle a World of Outlaws national tour.”
One of the top regional racers in the Carolinas in recent seasons, Mitchell is getting his first chance to compete full-time at the national level as part of Smith’s operation. The Enoree, SC driver is a four-time Ultimate Super Late Model Series champion, the 2017 champion of the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series, and he was in contention for the 2026 Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series title prior to partnering with Smith to go World of Outlaws racing.
“I gave [Smith] a call, and you know, we talked for about an hour and a half,” Mitchell said. “Kind of what he was looking for, kind of what I was looking for. We just came to an agreement that we think this would be a a pretty good deal. He put all his eggs in the basket and so did I. It came together really quick, and I’m just really thankful for this opportunity.”
Mitchell’s first week as the driver of the No. 22* will take him to Stateline Speedway (Wednesday, July 8) and Sharon Speedway (Friday-Saturday, July 10-11). To find tickets and more information for both events, click here.
Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.
Zack Mitchell Joining G.R. Smith Motorsports Full-Time With World of Outlaws
CONCORD, NC (July 7, 2026) – Zack Mitchell has reached a deal with G.R. Smith Motorsports to become the new driver of the No. 22* on tour with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.
The new pairing will debut on Wednesday night at Stateline Speedway, with plans to continue through the remainder of the 2026 season and beyond.
The move comes after Drake Troutman‘s departure from the team on June 23. Smith partnered with Jake Timm for four races in Minnesota and North Dakota to continue earning owners points while the team evaluated its long-term future. G.R. Smith Motorsports sits sixth in the owners standings entering Stateline, four points behind Cooney Motorsports in fifth.
“First and foremost, I want to thank Jake Timm for stepping in and taking that role and getting us through the northern swing,” Smith said. “I got to know him a lot better over the last two weeks. Great kid, great people, I told him that I’d like to help him out in the future. Just the proximity of Minnesota to North Carolina is a long distance, and getting the equipment primarily back to North Carolina, it was important for me to run out of our shop.
“[Mitchell] is the best kept secret that the national level doesn’t know about. He’s the guy to beat in [the southeast], right? If you get Zack in the south, if you look at his stats per starts, he’s a true wheel man. To be in a situation at this time of year and to have a talent like Zack available, it got me excited to go racing again. I have a lot of respect for Zack. I’ve gotten to follow his racing career closer than most people on the national level just because of where we live. Finished second to him many a time, wishing that he was somewhere else racing when I was a driver and finishing second to him. He’s definitely a talented shoe, and I think he’s ready at this stage of his life to tackle a World of Outlaws national tour.”
One of the top regional racers in the Carolinas in recent seasons, Mitchell is getting his first chance to compete full-time at the national level as part of Smith’s operation. The Enoree, SC driver is a four-time Ultimate Super Late Model Series champion, the 2017 champion of the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series, and he was in contention for the 2026 Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series title prior to partnering with Smith to go World of Outlaws racing.
“I gave [Smith] a call, and you know, we talked for about an hour and a half,” Mitchell said. “Kind of what he was looking for, kind of what I was looking for. We just came to an agreement that we think this would be a a pretty good deal. He put all his eggs in the basket and so did I. It came together really quick, and I’m just really thankful for this opportunity.”
Mitchell’s first week as the driver of the No. 22* will take him to Stateline Speedway (Wednesday, July 8) and Sharon Speedway (Friday-Saturday, July 10-11). To find tickets and more information for both events, click here.
Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.