Former NASCAR driver, son of Zaxby’s co-founder, fatally shot in Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. — Former NASCAR driver John Wes Townley was killed in a double-shooting Saturday night in Georgia, authorities said. He was 31.

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Townley, of Watkinsville, died in Athens, and a 30-year-old woman was seriously injured, Athens-Clarke County coroner Sonny Wilson told the Athens Banner-Herald.

Townley’s father, Tony Townley, is the co-founder of Zaxby’s, the Athens-based chicken restaurant chain, the newspaper reported.

According to Athens-Clarke County Police Department spokesman Lt. Shaun Barnett, authorities responded to a shooting in the Five Points neighborhood of Athens at about 9 p.m. EDT, the Banner-Herald reported.

John Wes Townley and the woman were taken to an area hospital after the shooting, the newspaper reported. John Wes Townley died of his injuries at the hospital and the woman’s injuries are “serious,” Barnett said.

Police identified the gunman as a 32-year-old man from Dunwoody, Georgia, the Banner-Herald reported. Barnett said the gunman was known to the victim and there are currently no charges against him, the newspaper reported.

John Wes Townley competed in NASCAR from 2008 to 2016, according to NBC News. He competed in 110 Camping World Truck Series races and 76 Xfinity races. He had one career victory, winning a truck race on Oct. 3, 2015, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the network reported. He finished eighth in the Truck Series points standings in 2015.

During his career, Townley had one win, five top-five finishes, 24 top-10 finishes and captured two poles in 110 starts, CBS Sports reported.

Townley also was a two-time winner at Daytona International Speedway, winning ARCA races there in 2013 and 2016, according to CBS Sports.

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