In his early NASCAR career, Garner competed primarily in his home state of California. He won NASCAR California State rookie honors at the Whelen All-American Series level in 2016. In 2017, Garner ranked tenth nationally in the series' late model division points standings, scoring 21 top-fives and 27 top-tens in 27 combined starts at Irwindale Speedway and Kern County Raceway Park.
