John Wes Townley, who made nearly 200 starts across NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series over a nine-year span, was shot and killed in a double shooting in Athens, Ga. on Saturday (Oct. 2).
A report from the Athens Banner-Herald says responders to a shooting near the Athens Five Points area found Townley and a female victim had been shot. Both were transported to a hospital, where Townley passed away from his injuries. The Five Points area refers to a “retail corridor and neighborhood” close to the University of Georgia’s campus.
Additionally, the report stated that authorities were in contact with the perpetrator, who has not been charged as of yet, and that he was known to the two victims.
The son of longtime sponsor Zaxby’s co-founder Tony Townley, he made 76 Xfinity and 110 truck starts during his career. Townley scored his first victory in the latter series on Oct. 3, 2015 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
He recorded five top-five and 24 top-10 finishes during his time in truck competition, adding two ARCA Menards Series victories during eight years in that division. Townley’s ARCA resume also included 15 top-five and 30 top-10 results, as well as two poles.
This article will be updated as more details emerge.
Adam Cheek joined Frontstretch as a contributing writer in January 2019. A 2020 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, he covered sports there and later spent a year and a half as a sports host on 910 the Fan in Richmond, VA. He's freelanced for Richmond Magazine and the Richmond Times-Dispatch and also hosts the Adam Cheek's Sports Week podcast. Adam has followed racing since the age of three, inheriting the passion from his grandfather, who raced in amateur events up and down the East Coast in the 1950s.