———- Forwarded message ———
From: Leighton Sibille <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Mar 11, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Subject: Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Preview: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
To: <[email protected]>
View this email in your browser NIECE MOTORSPORTSNCTS RACE ADVANCE: LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAYEvent: Ecosave 200 (134 laps / 201 miles) Round: 3 of 25 (Regular Season) Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Date & Time: Friday, March 14 | 9:30 PM ET Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90Team Stats & Notes– Niece Motorsports Las Vegas Stats: Niece drivers have made 36 combined NCTS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The team has garnered one top-five and six top-10s, including a runner-up finish by Ross Chastain in 2019. Last year, Connor Mosack was the highest-finishing team driver in 19th-place. – Heading in the Right Direction: All three Niece Motorsports teammates showed prowess through strong teamwork in Atlanta. By working together, the trio were able to move into the picture towards the front of the field, with two trucks finishing inside the top-10. – For a Great Cause: Through a partnership with Speedway Children’s Charities Las Vegas, the organization will host four lucky winners as they experience the Ecosave 200 on top of a pit box. The experience will be up for bidding in the days leading up to the race. To learn more, visit this link.  No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RSTDriver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett– Mills’ Las Vegas Stats: Matt Mills has started four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since 2017. His best finish of 15th-place came in 2022, and last year, the driver of the No. 42 finished 31st after a crash. Mills has made nine NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts with a best result of 24th-place in fall, 2019. – Shiplett’s Las Vegas Stats: Mike Shiplett is a two-time winner at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, having swept both NXS races in 2018 with Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain. Shiplett has also captured two NXS poles, both with Cole Custer in 2019. In nine NXS starts, his drivers have accrued four top-fives and seven top-10 finishes. He’s called one previous NCTS race at the track, finishing 12th last March with Bret Holmes. In 2008, Shiplett made his debut as a Cup Series crew chief in his first of nine starts at the 1.5-mile intermediate. – 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 Atlanta: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team had a solid outing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After starting the best for the team in 24th, Mills fought a loose handling truck early on to finish 28th in stage one. When adjustments were made at the start of stage two, Mills passed several trucks to move into 14th-place. Towards the finish, Mills worked with teammates, Bayley Currey and Kaden Honeycutt, to push to the front. The No. 42 crossed the line in 13th. – Points Rundown: Following his 13th-place result in Atlanta, Mills picked up five spots in the championship points standings. Mills is now tied with Dawson Sutton for 21st heading into Vegas, three points behind Matt Crafton in 20th. – Quoting Mills: This is the first true test of the intermediate package, so do you think your crew has made some good gains on it over the off season? “Yeah, I’m really excited to go to Vegas. It’s one of my favorite race tracks, and I think our mile-and-a-half program was starting to get a lot better on our No. 42 Silverado last year. So going into Vegas, I’ll have one of my trucks that we raced last year that was really good. I’m looking forward to going to a track where we’ll have to lift a little more so it’s more about race craft. Hopefully we can have another good weekend for our J.F. Electric / Utilitra 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.  No. 44 Masked Owl Technologies / DQS Chevrolet Silverado RSTDriver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers– Currey’s Las Vegas Stats: Bayley Currey has competed in three NCTS races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His personal-best result of 16th-place came in the fall of 2018, and last year, Currey finished 28th. In eight NXS starts, Currey’s best finish is a 13th-place effort in the fall of 2021. – Rogers’ Las Vegas Stats: Wally Rogers has called 10 previous NCTS races held at Las Vegas since 2004. Ryan Truex earned Rogers’ personal-best truck finish back in 2020 when he finished 12th. Rogers has also made seven NXS starts here, securing one top-five (fourth with Kevin Harvick in 2008) and three top-10s. He’s also made five Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway. – On the Truck: Currey’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Masked Owl Technologies and DQS Solutions & Staffing. – Recapping Atlanta: For the second straight week, Bayley Currey and the No. 44 team challenged for a victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After suffering a mechanical issue in qualifying and starting 30th, Currey quickly began to climb through the field. Finishing 15th in stage one and 13th in stage two, the Masked Owl Technologies Chevrolet came to life once in cleaner air up front. Currey worked with teammates, Kaden Honeycutt and Matt Mills, to devise a plan to lead the pack. In the closing laps, Currey led the charge on the inside lane to come home with an impressive fourth-place finish. – Points Rundown: Coming off a tie for his best-career finish in Atlanta, Currey made significant ground in the points standings. Since moving up from 22nd to 11th, Currey now sits only one spot outside of the Playoffs. He is one point behind Jack Wood in 10th, and six points ahead of Tanner Gray in 12th. – Bullring Roots: At the start of Currey’s career, he raced in the USLCI and INEX Pro Series legends cars at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. Currey competed in three races at the 3/8th-mile short track in 2009, and won two of the features. – Quoting Currey: You’ve said plenty of times that you wish you could have this race back from last year, so going into this weekend, do you change your approach at all? “I definitely feel good about our mile-and-a-half speed; I think that’s been something that we’ve always shined at. Vegas was just one of those races last year where I tried to do too much too quick. I got myself in a bad spot and took us out of contention in the race. I’ll think my moves through a little bit more this time. I was definitely being aggressive last year and was thinking how important it was to get stage points and track position on restarts, so on that initial start I was doing too much. We were making ground, but I just kept pushing it until I pushed it a little too far. Being able to have that knowledge and realizing that it’s okay to dial it back a little bit will be very helpful. We’ve had a few good runs to open the year out with and I’m looking to continue that with our No. 44 Masked Owl / DQS Chevy.”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 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.  No. 45 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RSTDriver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould– Honeycutt’s Las Vegas Stats: Kaden Honeycutt has started one NCTS race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His lone start at the track resulted in a 25th-place finish back in 2023. – Gould’s Las Vegas Stats: Phil Gould has called nine NCTS races at Las Vegas since 2019. Gould has earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes at the track, including a runner-up finish with Ross Chastain at the fall, 2019 race. Last year, Gould’s team finished 19th with Connor Mosack driving the No. 45 truck. In seven NXS starts, Gould’s drivers have earned him three top-10s with a best result of seventh secured by Brian Scott in 2014. – On the Truck: Honeycutt’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from AutoVentive and Precision Vehicle Logistics, who will serve as his anchor partners for the majority of the season. – Recapping Atlanta: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team rebounded strongly after a disappointing opening race. Qualifying 25th, Honeycutt moved forward to finish 16th in stage one. In stage two, the DQS / DealBadger Silverado worked its way towards the front, collecting six stage points with a fifth-place effort. At the end of the race, all three Niece Motorsports teammates – Honeycutt, Currey, and Mills – lined up nose-to-tail to contend for the victory. Honeycutt was credited with a sixth-place finish for the second year in a row. – Points Rundown: Honeycutt’s sixth-place finish vaulted him 16 positions up the points leaderboard leaving Atlanta. Where he is now sitting 15th overall, the driver is two points behind 14th-place Tyler Ankrum and one point ahead of a pair of drivers – Frankie Muniz and Josh Reaume – who are tied for 16th. Currently, Honeycutt is only 11 points below the Playoffs cutline. – Bullring Roots: Honeycutt has been no stranger to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring, having raced legends cars there several times in USLCI and INEX Pro Series competition. In 2017, Honeycutt won four straight INEX features at the Bullring Showdown, and later went on to make a start in the ARCA Menards Series West at the 3/8th-mile short track in 2023. – Quoting Honeycutt: Since you had a really good string of intermediate races last year, are you looking forward to getting back to a traditional mile-and-a-half? “Yeah, I haven’t been to Las Vegas since 2023, so I’m definitely looking forward to it. It’ll be my first time racing there with No. 45 group, so I’m very much looking forward to it considering how much we’ve improved since last year on our mile-and-a-half program. It was really good last year, and I can only imagine how much better it will be now. For me, going into practice will be really valuable to get some laps in and learn what I need to know so we can set ourselves up for a good night. Our AutoVentive / Precision team can start attacking the season more aggressively now since a lot will be in our control.”About AutoVentive: AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.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, 190+ 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). |
