NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE RECAP: DARLINGTON RACEWAY
Race: Buckle Up South Carolina 200 (147 laps / 200.8 miles) | Race 9 of 23
Track: Darlington Raceway
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, May 10th | 7:30 PM ET
No. 41 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman, Jr.
Bayley Currey
@BayleyCurrey
@BayleyCurrey05
Website
Start: 17th
Stage 1: 20th
Stage 2: 16th
Finish: 22nd
Driver Points: 14th
Owner Points: 18th
- Key Takeaway: Close to securing their first top-10 of the season, Bayley Currey and the No. 41 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics team would be relegated down the finishing order after a flat right front tire forced a green flag pit stop. Currey started the Buckle Up South Carolina 200 from 17th, dropped to 20th at the conclusion of stage one, and made ground up to 16th in stage two. By virtue of the flat right front tire issue, the team would ultimately be scored with a 22nd-place finish as their final result.
- Bayley Currey’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Once again, I’m really proud of our No. 41 AutoVentive / Precision team here with Niece Motorsports for giving me a good truck tonight. We were in position to run in the top-10 again, and I messed up. I got into the fence and gave us a flat right front and basically gave it away. It’s tough, but you live and learn. I feel like we had a really good truck and we’ll move onto North Wilkesboro.”
- 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.
No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Jon Leonard
Matt Mills Racing
@MattMillsRacing
@MattMillsRacing
Website
Start: 25th
Stage 1: 25th
Stage 2: 22nd
Finish: 11th
Driver Points: 26th
Owner Points: 29th
- Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra team fought hard to secure their best finish of the season at Darlington. Qualifying in 25th, Mills and the team would hold steady throughout the first two stages. However, with late-race carnage, Mills navigated through several crashes to pick up track position. Skillful driving would lead his team home with an 11th-place finish just one spot shy of their first top-10 result.
- Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: Interviewer: It’s been kind of a trying season for you, but here at Darlington you walk away with an 11th-place finish. How good does it feel?
“I mean, it feels like a win, even though there’s still a little bit of disappointment there. We were so close to a top-10, just didn’t need that caution there at the end. We were going to be ninth and that was going to be a good day, but I knew the caution was going to come out, it wasn’t going to be that easy for us. But still to finish 11th, I learned something there on that last restart that was an experience thing with not having many restarts up towards the front. All-in-all, it’s still a good day. It definitely took longer than we wanted it to this year to pull off a top-15 finish, but it’s something that we can build off of. It’s momentum that we’ve been trying to get and we showed speed today where I feel like I can do this and the team can do this, so it was nice to have that today.”
- 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. 45 Buckle Up South Carolina Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ross Chastain | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Ross Chastain
@RossChastain
@RossChastain
Website
Start: 6th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 8th
Finish: 1st
Driver Points: N/A
Owner Points: 7th
- Key Takeaway: Five years to the date of Niece Motorsports’ first race win, Ross Chastain delivered the team its ninth NASCAR Truck Series victory at Darlington Raceway. Chastain, who has driven for the team in some capacity since 2018, was emotional following the finish of the race which ended just past midnight. Team Owner, Al Niece, was in attendance to witness the victory, making it a special night of many reasons for the organization.
- Ross Chastain’s Post-Race Thoughts: Interviewer: Ross, as much as that watermelon smash will be the highlight of this race, the other punctuation was that restart. How much grit does this track require?
“Grit, I don’t know. It takes Phil Gould, it takes Niece Motorsports. We have been trying to win at Darlington. This is where my career changed, where my life changed forever! For better or worse, however all this works out. That first opportunity with CGR (Chip Ganassi Racing) and Spire to put me together with that group and the year before, see me pumping the honey wagon, getting the honey wagon over off of turn two, to now finally getting the Florida Watermelon queen here. It’s Florida Watermelon season. They’ve been with me for so long with Ms. Deborah. And Mother’s Day weekend; my mom’s here, the moms in our group. And to win it with ‘Click It, Don’t Risk It’ with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. This ‘Protect Your Melon’ campaign is something that funded my career for several years, and now to have these cool moments that we get to have it on these trucks and cars on Friday and Saturday, and it’s so cool. We won Darlington.”
Well, after that epic burnout, you were welcomed with your team and that watermelon. Just how satisfying is it standing on top of that truck and smashing that watermelon?
“Well, Dad drove this up yesterday from the farm. I was down there Monday and Tuesday, and Dad drove these up. He drove through the night to get up here. There’s so much sacrifice from so many people back at the farm and those in the ag industry. That’s why you see me talk about watermelons and talk about agriculture. There’s so much misinformation, there’s such a small percentage of our population in charge of feeding the rest of the world. Not that a watermelon is part of anybody’s every day diet, like I’m trying to shovel this down right now. It tastes so good, but a watermelon farmer just won Darlington. And for everything this means for Niece Motorsports. I think five years ago to the day we won our first race, and we’re back in victory lane!”
- About the South Carolina Department of Public Safety: The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame.
SCDPS has approximately 1,300 employees serving across the state, providing a wide range of public safety services focused on making South Carolina a safer place to live, work and raise a family.
About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2024, Niece Motorsports enters its ninth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.
