Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Preview: Homestead-Miami Speedway

NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
Event: Baptist Health 200 (134 laps / 201 miles)
Round: 4 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Location: Homestead, Florida
Date & Time: Friday, March 21 | 8:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90

Team Stats & Notes

• Niece Motorsports Homestead Stats: Niece drivers have made 20 combined NCTS starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The organization has visited victory lane once before at this track with Carson Hocevar in 2023, and has tallied four top-fives and five top-10 finishes. In last year’s race, Kaden Honeycutt was the highest-finishing team driver in 14th-place.

No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

• Mills’ Homestead Stats: Matt Mills has only made one prior NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) start at Homestead-Miami Speedway which came in last year’s running of the event. In that race, Mills finished in 34th-place following a crash. Through five NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) races, Mills’ best result is a 24th-place finish in 2020.
• Shiplett’s Homestead Stats: Mike Shiplett called his first NCTS race at Homestead last year while working with Mills. Shiplett is a past NXS winner here, having won in 2015 with Kyle Larson. In 2017, he won the pole with Tyler Reddick, and made a total of four top-fives and five top-10 finishes in NXS competition. In four Cup Series starts at this track, Shiplett’s best result is a fifth-place showing with AJ Allmendinger in 2010.
• 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.
• Partner Milestone Race: Homestead-Miami will be the site of J.F. Electric’s 150th race partnering with Mills. Since 2018, the Edwardsville, Illinois-based company has served an integral part of Mills’ career by sponsoring his efforts across all three NASCAR national series.
• Driver Milestone Race: Mills will embark on his 50th-career NCTS start once he takes the green flag on Friday night. The New Philadelphia, Ohio, native made his series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2016 when he was only 19-years-old.
• Recapping Las Vegas: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team battled to a respectable finish in the cold Las Vegas desert. Qualifying 24th, Mills would stay put in the same position to end stage one. As the night progressed, Mills climbed to 20th in stage two after adjustments were made. In the final run to the checkered flag, he was able to gain additional track position, completing the race in 16th-place.
• Points Rundown: With Mills’ 16th-place finish in Las Vegas last week, he was able to gain three positions in the points standings. Mills holds down the 19th position entering the fourth race of the season at Homestead-Miami, tied for 18th with Rajah Caruth and two points ahead of Frankie Muniz in 20th.
• Quoting Mills: Is Homestead-Miami Speedway on your list of favorite tracks?

“I’ve always loved racing at Homestead. It’s a little different in the truck; you can’t be as aggressive as far as running the fence, but I know that Niece Motorsports has had some good results here before. We had a fast truck last year, just needed some help on track position. It’s still one of my favorite racetracks and I’m really looking forward to going back there.”

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 RST
Driver: Ross Chastain | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

• Chastain Returns: NASCAR Cup Series veteran Ross Chastain makes his first NCTS start of the season this week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Chastain will compete in five races for Niece Motorsports this year, including starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 23), Michigan International Speedway (June 7), Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (July 25), and Watkins Glen International (August 8). Chastain is the winningest driver in team history with five victories to his credit.
• Chastain’s Homestead Stats: Chastain has competed in seven NCTS races at Homestead-Miami, totaling two top-fives and five top-10 finishes (best of third in 2020). He’s also made seven NXS starts here with one top-five (third in 2020) and two top-10s. Though he is still searching for his first win at the track, the Alva, Florida native finished in the runner-up position during the Cup Series event held in 2022.
• Rogers’ Homestead Stats: Wally Rogers has made eight NCTS starts at Homestead, highlighted by one top-five (fifth with Matt Crafton in 2004) and two top-10 finishes. Rogers won a pole here in the 2003 NXS race with Greg Biffle, and has one top-10 finish (sixth with Randy LaJoie in 2002). He has also made four Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track.
• On the Truck: Chastain’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Niece Equipment and NieceMotorsportsShop.com. The Niece Motorsports ’10 Seasons’ icon adorns the hood on the new paint scheme.
• Recapping Las Vegas: Bayley Currey and the No. 44 team showed speed early on in Las Vegas, but were hindered by damage sustained in a stack-up on a restart. Currey qualified the highest out of the team in 19th, and finished inside the top-15 in both stages. Following the incident, the pit crew made their best efforts in repairing the damage to the front end of his Silverado, rallying back to 18th.
• Owner Points Rundown: Following Currey’s 18th-place result in Las Vegas, the No. 44 team currently is the organization’s best entry in the owner points standings in 15th-place. Thorsport Racing’s No. 13 team is five points ahead in 14th, with the No. 45 team slated two points behind in 16th.
• Quoting Chastain: Do you anticipate having more grip this weekend with the race being moved to March as opposed to last year’s race in October?

“I think the date change should help us, but at Homestead-Miami, grip always comes at a premium. It’s part of the reason why this track is so much fun for us to race on. We have so many different lane options which promotes some great racing. It’s going to be a great weekend driving for Al Niece in our first truck start of the year together. I had a blast running my five races for him last year, and I think the trucks have gotten better over the offseason. Our team has been pretty strong here in the past, so I think our Niece Equipment Chevy should have a lot of pace in it come Friday night.”

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 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

• Honeycutt’s Homestead Stats: Kaden Honeycutt has competed in two Homestead races before, first in 2022 as well as last year’s running. Last October, Honeycutt finished 14th after finishing second in stage one.
• Gould’s Homestead Stats: Phil Gould is a past race-winning crew chief at Homestead, having won in 2023 with Carson Hocevar. In five NCTS starts, Gould has navigated his drivers to two top-fives and three top-10 finishes. Gould has one top-10 NXS finish (10th in 2014 with Brian Scott) in six starts.
• 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 Las Vegas: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team had several thrilling moments to add to the highlight reel in Las Vegas. Starting in 22nd, Honeycutt moved up to 14th in stage one. The team was resilient in stage two, capturing two points by finishing ninth. However, on the pit stop, a penalty forced the No. 45 to start at the tail end of the line. Without much hesitation, Honeycutt vaulted back into the top-10 quickly, and avoided near disaster with a brilliant save in turn four. After overcoming these issues, the team would end the night in 12th.
• Points Rundown: Honeycutt’s 12th-place finish netted one spot in the points standings, moving him up to 14th-place. Teammate, Bayley Currey, holds 13th heading into Homestead-Miami by two points, with Matt Crafton currently trailing by three points in 15th.
• Quoting Honeycutt: What were you able to learn about the restarts here in last year’s race?

“You just have to pay attention where runs are coming and how to manage our position to move forward. Starts and restarts are so crucial here because of the lack of grip we have. If we can move forward or even maintain on every restart, we should have a good night with our AutoVentive / Precision Chevy.”

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).