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From: Leighton Sibille <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, May 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Subject: Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Advance: North Wilkesboro Speedway
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View this email in your browser NIECE MOTORSPORTSNCTS RACE ADVANCE: NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAYEvent: Window World 250 (250 laps / 156.25 miles) Round: 10 of 25 (Regular Season) Track: North Wilkesboro Speedway Location: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina Date & Time: Saturday, May 17 | 1:30 PM ET Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90Team Stats & Notes– Niece Motorsports North Wilkesboro Stats: Niece drivers have made a combined total of six starts over the past two years at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway. The organization has earned one top-five (fourth with Carson Hocevar in 2023) and two top-10 finishes here. In last year’s race, Ross Chastain was the highest finishing driver for the team in 15th-place.  No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RSTDriver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett– Mills’ North Wilkesboro Stats: Matt Mills has competed in one prior NCTS race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. In last year’s running of the 250-lap event, Mills finished in 18th-place. – Shiplett’s North Wilkesboro Stats: Mike Shiplett called one NCTS race at North Wilkesboro which came last season. Shiplett’s team finished 29th with Bret Holmes as his driver. – On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric and Utilitra, who will serve as his anchor partners for the entire 25-race season. – Recapping Kansas: Mills began the 134-lap race in 18th, but suffered overheating issues which plagued the team throughout the first two stages. Despite being forced to make several unscheduled stops to rectify their issues, Mills and team stayed in the battle to make it into the top-15. Through pit strategy, the No. 42 gained track position late in the going which resulted in Mills earning his best finish of the season in 12th-place. – Points Rundown: After securing his season-best finish last week, Mills gained a spot in the points standings. Up to 18th (and currently tied for 17th with Dawson Sutton), Mills is only 13 points behind Jack Wood in 16th. He now has a 13-point cushion above Andres Perez De Lara in 19th-place. – Quoting Mills: Do you anticipate the groove to move around the track like last year, or will it be mainly around the bottom? “Last year, I felt like the track was very temperature-sensitive. On the first day before it rained, we were ripping the top on both ends. But on the second day when we went back, we could only really move the lane up in (turn) one and two. It switched up on us, so it’s hard to really know what to expect going back into it this time. I was happy with the progress that we made on our truck towards the end of the race last year. Hopefully, we can use what we learned there to build off from as a good place to fire off with once we start practice.”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.  No. 44 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RSTDriver: Conner Jones | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers– Jones Joins the Team: 19-year-old Conner Jones has been signed on to drive Niece Motorsports’ No. 44 Chevrolet in select NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events beginning this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Jones, a multi-time CARS Tour Late Model Stock race winner, has made 22 NCTS starts over the course of the past two seasons for ThorSport Racing. In 2023, the Fredericksburg, Virginia native won the World Series of Asphalt Pro Late Model title at New Smyrna Speedway which ranks high among his list of racing accomplishments. – Jones’ North Wilkesboro Stats: Conner Jones has competed in two NCTS races at the 0.625-mile short track in North Wilkesboro, but experienced early exits in both starts. Jones finished 29th in 2023 due to electrical issues and finished 35th last year after getting involved in a crash. Though he’s had tough sledding in both truck races here, Jones has shown speed in the late model ranks. Last year, he impressed by winning the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Series finale at the track. In three LMSC races, Jones finished inside the top-five twice. He also finished sixth in the CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series’ season finale here last year. – Rogers’ North Wilkesboro Stats: Wally Rogers has called one NCTS race at North Wilkesboro, which was during the series’ return in 2023. Working with Lawless Alan in that race, his team finished in 19th-place. – On the Truck: Jones’ No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Niece Equipment. The truck will sport a new, patriotic-themed paint scheme highlighting the team’s appreciation of the U.S. military. – Quadruple Duty: Jones has a busy schedule ahead of himself this weekend as he will compete in four different races on the property. Starting off on Thursday, he will drive his family-owned No. 44 car in the CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series. On Friday, he’ll race the No. 44 for Mike Darne Racing in the CARS Tour Late Model Stock division before focusing on Saturday’s NCTS race. Lastly on Sunday, he’ll race the No. 99 car in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series for Jamie Tomaino Racing. – Recapping Kansas: Bayley Currey and the No. 44 team ran inside the top-10 near the start of the race in Kansas, but left with a disappointing finish. Currey fought the handling on his truck during the day, but was able to find grip once the crew made adjustments in the race. Late in the going however, Currey lost control of his truck in turn two resulting in a crash. Though the team finished the race, they were mired back a few laps behind the leaders. – Owner Points Rundown: The No. 44 team dropped two positions in owner points following last Saturday’s 26th-place finish at Kansas. Heading into North Wilkesboro, the team is 17th in points, nine points behind TRICON Garage’s No. 15 entry in 16th and five ahead of ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 entry in 18th. – Quoting Jones: What are some of your thoughts on joining the No. 44 team this weekend? “I’m very thankful to come on board with Niece Motorsports this year and be a part of everything they’ve got going on. My goals are pretty big here; I hope to run inside the top-10 at these tracks. I’ve struggled in the Truck Series in the past, and I’ve had some struggles, but I’ve worked through them. My main goal is to run well consistently and I think we can accomplish that. Having Wally (Rogers) in my corner to lean on, along with Kaden (Honeycutt) and Matt (Mills) for advice is definitely going to help.” You’ve had success at North Wilkesboro before in a late model, so how do you transition that into running well in a truck? “I think first of all, I need to be better on pit road than what I have been in the past. I need to get in and get out of there quicker. Track position is key in these races, so once I get that part nailed down it should help us out a lot. Other than that, I just need to stay focused all race long and keep the hunt going.”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.  No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing / Masked Owl Technologies Chevrolet Silverado RSTDriver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould– Honeycutt’s North Wilkesboro Stats: Though he didn’t compete in last year’s race, Kaden Honeycutt has made one NCTS start at North Wilkesboro. Honeycutt finished 17th in his lone series start in 2023, but has made plenty of laps around this track in the short track ranks. Last year, Honeycutt won the CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series finale and in turn clinched the series championship. In four CARS Tour Late Model Stock Series starts here, Honeycutt earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes. – Gould’s North Wilkesboro Stats: Phil Gould has called two NCTS races at North Wilkesboro. In 2023, Gould’s team finished in fourth-place with Carson Hocevar. Last year, his truck finished in 15th with Ross Chastain at the wheel. – On the Truck: Honeycutt’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from DQS Solutions & Staffing and Masked Owl Technologies, who will serve as his anchor partners for the majority of the season. – Triple Duty: Honeycutt will compete in three of the five races planned for this weekend at North Wilkesboro. In addition to his NCTS duties, Honeycutt looks to defend his CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series victory on Thursday night driving the No. 47 Chevrolet for Bryson Lopez Racing. On Friday, he’ll move onto the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Series as he take the reins of the No. 71 Chevrolet for Hettinger Racing. – Recapping Kansas: Kaden Honeycutt qualified the highest out of the team in seventh-place. The No. 45 was a contender through the opening two stages, picking up a total of seven points. When a caution came out during the green flag pit cycle, however, the team was trapped one lap down, forced to take the wave-around. Stuck in traffic, Honeycutt struggled to maintain the speed which he had up front. Luckily, the team rebounded nicely for a eighth-place finish. – Points Rundown: By virtue of picking up his fifth top-10 finish in nine races last Saturday, Honeycutt gained a spot in the championship points standings. Moving up to eighth-place overall, Honeycutt is scored 19 points behind Jake Garcia in seventh, and now has an eight-point gap over Layne Riggs in ninth. – Quoting Honeycutt: How different is it to race here in a truck compared to the late models? “I think the truck race is more dependent on handling for sure. I think it will be a slower pace too. I know that sounds crazy, but with how light the late models are, you’re getting around there very fast and things happen quickly. Truck racing, things are a little bit slower and you’re able to make more decisions clearly. So because of that, I think that running those races will be helpful because I can make those decisions quicker. I think we’ll have a good truck to bring here this weekend compared to how we were in Martinsville. I think we’ll have another good shot at bringing home a win.”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. About Masked Owl Technologies: Masked Owl Technologies (MOT) is an industrial solutions integrator specializing in developing customized automation and controls processes. They take a consulting-based approach to identify the root cause of system challenges and incorporate tested, emerging technology into industrial solutions that mitigate risk and solve complex problems, the first time. About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2025, the team celebrates its 10th consecutive season competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) where it fields the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45. Since its founding in 2016, Niece Motorsports has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 200+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a trusted build shop for the Chevrolet Silverados of multiple NCTS teams as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.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). |
