The roots of Garage 66 trace back to 2014, when longtime NASCAR driver and mechanic Carl Long and Derek White founded Motorsports Business Management LLC, better known as MBM Motorsports, just before the Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 in Bristol. From this independently-operated organization based in Statesville, North Carolina, a team grew over the years that made a name for itself in several national NASCAR series. In 2017, MBM Motorsports made the leap into the Cup Series with its debut at the Go Bowling 400 in Kansas and has since established itself as a small but persistent constant in the field of part-time teams.
A particularly distinctive chapter in the team’s history concerns the change in leadership and the later name change. After co-founder Derek White was arrested in 2016 for tobacco smuggling and suspended by NASCAR, the Long family took complete control, officially registered under Carl Long’s father Horace. Nearly a decade later, in January 2025, Carl Long decided to consolidate the Cup Series branch of the team under the new name Garage 66, named after the No. 66 that the team has been using for years. The rebrand was meant to streamline operations, clarify responsibilities, and improve the quality of the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse’s performances, while the sister programs in Xfinity, Truck Series, and ARCA continue to operate under the MBM Motorsports name from the same shop in Statesville.
Titles or championships are not part of the team’s record, but rather a remarkable consistency as an independent racing operation against far better-funded competition. Over the years, the Cup car’s number changed several times, from the 46 to the 49 to the 13, before settling on the 66 again. Drivers like Timmy Hill, David Starr, Joey Gase, and Garrett Smithley piloted the car through turbulent phases, including the COVID infections of several team members following the season finale in Phoenix in 2021. Among the sporting highlights of this era is Timmy Hill’s 27th place finish in Texas, a result that counts as a strong achievement for a team of this size.
Today, operational responsibility remains with team owner Carl Long, who leads Garage 66 with a clear focus on consistency and gradual improvement. For the 2026 season, the team relies on a proven driver trio: Casey Mears, Chad Finchum, and Josh Bilicki share the drives in the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. With this experienced combination of routine and consistency, Garage 66 aims to solidify its role as a reliable part-time starter in the Cup field and continue to compete for higher mid-field positions in individual races.
Garage 66 in the News