Lakeland's City Garage Motorsports set to make on-track debut

LAKELAND, Fla. - Inside a nondescript auto repair shop along Combee Road in Lakeland sits the newest team under the NASCAR umbrella.

The owner of the shop, Stuart Weiss, just couldn't help but turn his childhood passion into his newest business.

"I've just been a racing fan my whole life and grew up with it," Weiss said. "I even raced a little in my 20s."

Unfortunately for Weiss, his racing career never quite panned out.

But the passion, and need, for speed never left him and three years after opening City Garage Auto Repair Shop, Weiss had his boldest idea yet.

"I said 'Hey. Call NASCAR and see if they have a way to help people to become owners,'" Weiss recalls telling his business developer, Jason Smith.

Soon after, Smith and Weiss were in the pits at Daytona International Speedway getting a crash course on what it meant to start a racing team from scratch.

"The minute we walked into the pits, I turned to (Jason) and said, 'We're going racing,'" Weiss recalls.

From there, Weiss and Smith started to build their team from the ground up.

"I believe in miracles," says Smith. "I'm a man of faith, so I believe where there is a will there is a way. And I'm a fan of big dreams."

Those dreams led the pair from Lakeland to the ARCA Series, just a few steps below the NASCAR Cup Series.

After acquiring their team and car, the only question was who would drive the No. 85 City Garage Ford Fusion? The answer to that question was also found in Lakeland.

"I had asked (to race) since I was little and the answer was always 'No. No, No.'" said Becca Monopoli.

Now, at least as far as City Garage Motorsports was concerned, the answer was yes.

With 14 years of racing experience, including some experience in ARCA, Weiss and Smith turned the wheel over to Lakeland driver Becca Monopoli.

"I'm just ready for it,' Monopoli said.

The team, however, could not say the same when they approached their driver back in February.

Since, City Garage Motorsports has kept its doors closed to make sure everything is ready for its debut on July 19 at the Circle City 200 in Indianapolis.

"I'm ready to go and waiting until July. The countdown is on," Monopoli said. "It's going to be fun to learn this new car and see what it can do and what I can do in it. I'm excited to move up to this level and just grow more."

Only now, Monopoli, Weiss and Smith are all growing toward a shared dream.

"As far as what I wanted to be when I grew up, I'm not sure if it was ever a race car driver. But I'm glad I am now," Monopoli said.

Regardless of when that dream started, however, it's one that has now set City Garage Motorsports on the track toward success and, hopefully, victory lane. 

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