Former NASCAR driver, John Wes Townley, was killed in a shooting in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday. The 31-year-old was fatally shot, and a woman was wounded in a shooting in Georgia, a report says.
According to the Athens Banner-Herald, Townley, who retired from racing in 2017, was killed Saturday in a double shooting that occurred in the Athens Five Points area. The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Saturday in the 200 block of Morton Avenue. Athens-Clarke County police reported.
The Watkinsville native and a 30-year-old had been shot and were rushed to a nearby. Soon after being transported to the hospital, Townley was pronounced dead while the woman remained in critical condition. The woman’s injuries are “serious,” said Lt. Shaun Barnett, a spokesperson for ACCPD.
A 32-year-old suspect, Dunwoody man, was known to the victim. However, there are no charges against him currently. Officers have had contact with the shooter, Barnett said. Police believe the shooting was related to domestic violence as the investigation is ongoing.
Townley was a professional stock car racing driver who competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He was involved in an accident during ARCA qualifying at Pocono Raceway in August 2014. In 2016, Townley was again engaged in an altercation with Spencer Gallagher after the two crashed on lap 154 during the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Townley’s father Tony co-foundered the Zaxby’s chain of chicken restaurants in the Southern United States.
