John Wes Townley Dead

John Wes Townley dead at age 31 after a shooting. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

John Wes Townley, a NASCAR Driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 2008 to 2016, has passed away following a shooting in Athens, Georgia on Saturday.

The first report of Townley's death was noticed on OnlineAthens.com, and TobyChristie.com has confirmed the truth of the report with a long-time public relations representative for Townley.

Townley, who was 31-years old, competed in 76 NASCAR Xfinity Series events as well as 110 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races throughout his career. The Georgia-native scored one-career win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Townley, the son of Zaxby's co-founder Tony Townley, also scored two wins in ARCA Menards Series competition as well.

According to the report from the Athens Banner-Herald, Townley and a 30-year old female were shot. The suspect is believed to be a 32-year old man from Dunwoody, Georgia. The shooting occurred just before 9 PM on Saturday, October 2nd.

According to ACCPD spokesperson Lt. Shaun Barnett, police have had contact with the shooter since the event occurred.

This is a truly sad bit of news for the NASCAR racing community.

As more information becomes public, this story will be updated.