Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Advance: Richmond Raceway

– Niece Motorsports Richmond Stats: Niece drivers have made a combined total of 17 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Richmond Raceway. The organization captured a victory at this track back in 2023 with Carson Hocevar, and its drivers have picked up one top-five and two top-10s. Last year, Kaden Honeycutt was the team’s lead finisher in 14th-place.

– Strength in Numbers: Niece Motorsports will debut a fourth, part-time entry in its NCTS fleet on Friday as the No. 41 Silverado returns to the track for the first time since Phoenix, 2024.

– Crew Chief Change: Winning crew chief, Mike Shiplett, will lead the No. 41 team in select events that it plans to compete in to close out the season. Shiplett, who has been associated with the organization for a year, had been on top of the pit box for the No. 42 team before shifting over to the part-time team.

– Gould’s Richmond Stats: Matt Gould will make his first NCTS start at Richmond Raceway on Friday night.

– Shiplett’s Richmond Stats: Mike Shiplett has called one NCTS race at Richmond, resulting in a 21st-place finish with Bret Holmes last year. Shiplett is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) winner at the short track, winning with Kyle Larson in 2017 and Cole Custer in 2019. In total, Shiplett earned four top-fives and six top-10 NXS finishes here. Through 12 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts, Shiplett picked up a pair of top-10s including a best of seventh with AJ Allmendinger in 2011.

– On the Truck: Gould’s No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Niece Equipment, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with DQS Solutions & Staffing, J.F. Electric, and Precision Vehicle Logistics.

– Quoting Gould: You’re looking to make your second start of the season, but first at Richmond. Who have you leaned on the most to help you at this track?

“I’ve heavily leaned on Kevin Harvick for preparing for Richmond. Kevin has given me a lot of good input on what to do and how to approach different situations. I’m really excited for this weekend, building the truck with my crew chief, Mike Shiplett, and the No. 41 team has been fun. It’s an honor to carry the Niece Equipment, DQS Solutions & Staffing, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and J.F. Electric colors this week and I hope to have a good run for them all.”

About Niece Equipment: For over 30 years, Niece Equipment has provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Our reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. Each of our water and fuel/lube trucks are engineered with quality and durability in mind. Our capability ranges from 2,000 gallon water trucks to 12,000 gallon water towers. The fuel/lube trucks we offer range from 600 to 4,000 gallons.

– Mills’ Richmond Stats: Matt Mills has made two NCTS starts at Richmond Raceway. In Mills’ first series start in 2023, he qualified and finished in fifth place. Last year, he finished 35th due to a tire bead failure. Mills has made a total of seven starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) here, including two 13th-place runs in 2020.

– Polinski’s Richmond Stats: Landon Polinski will make his first-career NCTS start on top of the pit box on Friday night.

– On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with DQS Solutions & Staffing and Precision Vehicle Logistics.

– Recapping Watkins Glen: Matt Mills and the Utilitra team snuck away with an impressive top-10 result at Watkins Glen. Mills fought through adversity by overcoming fuel pickup issues which plagued a large amount of the field. After swapping a fuel pump out on pit road, and narrowly avoiding carnage on the track, Mills picked up his best finish ever on a road course in ninth-place.

– Points Rundown: With one race left to run in the regular season, Mills faces a must-win situation to qualify for the NCTS Playoffs. Mills enters Richmond sitting 18th after gaining one position last weekend in Watkins Glen. He is 12 points behind his new teammate, Andrés Pérez de Lara, in 17th, and nine points ahead of Jack Wood in 19th.

– Quoting Mills: You’ve said that Richmond is your favorite track, but why is that, and how does this place suit your driving style?

“Richmond is one of the tracks that I picked up on early in my career. It suits my style because it requires patience and you need to be calculated from lap one all the way through the end of the run. You’ve got to manage your tires here, and it’s kind of a home track for me, so there’s some extra motivation there. It’s just always been one of those places I’ve loved. I’m looking forward to getting back there and hopefully getting a good finish for everyone at J.F. Electric, DQS Solutions & Staffing, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and our No. 42 team.”

About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.

About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.

– Pérez de Lara’s Richmond Stats: Andrés Pérez de Lara will make his first-career NCTS start at Richmond Raceway under the lights on Friday.

– Rogers’ Richmond Stats: Wally Rogers has called seven NCTS races in his career at Richmond. Rogers’ best result, a 10th-place finish, was delivered by Ron Hornaday in 2005. Last year, Rogers’ No. 41 team finished in 23rd with Bayley Currey at the wheel. In 14 NXS starts at the short track, Rogers picked up two top-fives with Kevin Harvick, including a runner-up finish in 2008. He has also called six NCS races at ‘The Action Track’.

– On the Truck: Pérez de Lara’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Telcel, a Mexican telecommunications giant, along with associate partners, Claro and Infinitum.

– Recapping Watkins Glen: Ross Chastain and the Protect Your Melon team had a truck that contended for the lead early on, but became victims of a common fuel pickup issue which ended their day. Chastain started inside the top-10 and finished second in stage one, but were forced to change a fuel pump at the end of stage two. Unfortunately, the issue continued to plague the No. 44 for the rest of the event, and the team retired in 30th-place.

– Owner Points Rundown: Niece Motorsports’ No. 44 team is currently tied for 16th in the owner points standings with TRICON Garage’s No. 17 entry following a promising display of speed in Watkins Glen. Entering Richmond, the team is 20 points behind Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet in 15th, and 34 points ahead of McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s No. 81 Chevrolet in 18th.

– Quoting Pérez de Lara: Since you’ve never been to Richmond before, what kind of prep work have you been studying to prepare for this weekend?

“Even though I’ve never raced at Richmond before, we know it’s a tough track that’s very technical. I’m just trying to get as much information as I can through the sim and watching film. There are a lot of things that I have to adapt to being with a new team and also working with a new crew chief in Wally (Rogers). Man, I feel like it’s been a great week with all of the people receiving me in the shop. I’m excited about that and am ready to get to work. We’re looking for a good result in Richmond to build a notebook and get stronger through the rest of the season in the last eight races with Niece Motorsports.”

About Telcel: Telcel is Mexico’s leading telecommunications company, providing nationwide coverage, cutting-edge mobile connectivity, and high-speed internet services to millions of users. With over 30 years of experience, Telcel continues to innovate in digital communication, offering solutions that keep people connected anytime, anywhere.

– Currey’s Richmond Stats: Bayley Currey has competed in two NCTS races at Richmond Raceway. Currey’s best finish of 18th came in 2023, and he finished 23rd in last year’s event. In five NXS starts at the short track, Currey’s best result of 19th-place was secured in 2020.

– Gould’s Richmond Stats: Phil Gould has called five NCTS races held at Richmond. Gould is a past winner of this event, having won it in 2023 with Carson Hocevar. Last year, Gould’s No. 45 team finished 14th here with Kaden Honeycutt. In NXS competition, Gould picked up a pair of poles at the track with Brian Scott in 2013 and 2014. Through 12 NXS starts, Gould owns three top-fives and five top-10 results, including a runner-up finish with Scott in 2013.

– On the Truck: Currey’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from DQS Solutions & Staffing, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with J.F. Electric and Precision Vehicle Logistics.

– Recapping Watkins Glen: Connor Zilisch and the No. 45 team took the scenic route to a top-10 finish in Watkins Glen. Zilisch started off strong by finishing fourth in stage one and was on his way to a repeat performance in stage two before getting punted off the track by another competitor. After getting stuck in the gravel pit, Zilisch was trapped a lap down for a good portion of the race. Finally, the team earned the free pass to get back in contention, and the No. 45 charged towards the front once again. Though the truck was battered at the checkered flag, Zilisch and team carried it home to an eighth-place finish.

– Owner Points Rundown: Niece Motorsports’ No. 45 team is on the cusp of qualifying for the Owner Playoffs, but is facing stout competition in the regular season finale. Though the team is posted sixth in overall points, they are currently ninth when factoring in race winners. Entering Richmond, the team has a 14-point cushion above the cutline, with CR7 Motorsports’ No. 9 team only seven markers behind in tenth. A good finish on Friday night could see the team jump above Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team, which is eight points ahead.

– Quoting Currey: What are your thoughts on driving a new truck for the rest of the season?

“I’m really excited to be back in the truck this week with the No. 45 group, and am very thankful to everyone at DQS Solutions & Staffing, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and J.F. Electric for thinking of me to put in their truck in this situation. We’re in a tight points battle right now on the owner side, and I’m going to do everything I can to keep us in the Playoffs. Hopefully we can bring back a trophy at the end of the year for them, and hopefully we can get another one this weekend.”

About DQS Solutions & Staffing: Guided by a mission to achieve excellence and adaptability, DQS partners with clients to create custom solutions that address unique business challenges. Recognized as Michigan’s fastest-growing company and #22 in the nation on the Inc. 5000 list, DQS drives industry growth while giving back through its nonprofit, Foundation for Pops, and partnerships like the River Rouge School District.

Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).