Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Advance: Rockingham Speedway

NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: ROCKINGHAM SPEEDWAY
Event: Black’s Tire 200 (200 laps / 188 miles)
Round: 7 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Rockingham Speedway
Location: Rockingham, North Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, April 18 | 5:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90

Team Stats & Notes

Rockingham ThunderFest: On Thursday, Matt Mills, Bayley Currey, and Kaden Honeycutt will all join in on the fun at the inaugural “Rockingham ThunderFest” event located in downtown Rockingham. The event begins at 4:00 PM local time, with driver autograph sessions running from 5:00-6:30 PM.
Acing the Test: Back in January, the Niece Motorsports trucks brought loads of raw speed at the two-day organizational test at Rockingham. Basing off the cumulative speeds, Kaden Honeycutt posted the second-fastest lap time with Matt Mills in seventh-place.

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

Mills’ Rockingham Stats: Matt Mills will make his first-career start in any series at Rockingham Speedway on Friday evening.
Shiplett’s Rockingham Stats: Mike Shiplett is a past race winner at “The Rock”. In his lone Truck Series start at the historic track in 2012, Shiplett guided Kasey Kahne to the victory for Turner Motorsports.
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.
National Lineman Appreciation Day: Mills and team will celebrate National Lineman Appreciation Day in recognition of all lineman who serve their communities. The holiday happens to fall on race day, April 18th, and J.F. Electric encourages fans to share their appreciation using the hashtag, #ThankALineman, on social media.
Where Were They Then?: Last time the Truck Series visited Rockingham in 2013, Matt Mills was only 16 years old. During that time, he was just at the start of his driving career in the short track ranks, competing in Outlaw Super Late Models at his local home tracks in Ohio and Michigan.
Recapping Bristol: Matt Mills earned his personal-best NCTS finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. With qualifying cancelled due to weather, Mills started highest out of all the Niece Motorsports teammates in 15th. A costly pit road speeding penalty resulted in a loss of track position which put the team to the rear of the field. The Utilitra team made several adjustments to help free the No. 42 Silverado in traffic, and Mills went on to finish 20th.
Points Rundown: Following the sixth race of the year at Bristol, Mills dropped four positions in the points standings down to 18th-place. Mills is in a heated battle heading into Rockingham, where he is currently tied with Andres Perez De Lara for 17th and only two points behind Jack Wood in 16th. The driver is 57 points below the Playoffs cutline driver, Jake Garcia.
Quoting Mills: Since you had two days of testing and will have another 50 minutes of practice, how much is that extra track time going to help you?

“I think that’s going to be really good for us because we can go into the practice session based off the changes we made at the end of the test. We’ll have a notebook of what Ross (Chastain) also felt in the test, and that is going to be extremely helpful. That should put us in a good place to start because we were pretty good by the time we left. You can’t make a whole lot of changes in practice, so it’s mainly going to be about fine tuning and getting into a good rhythm to get used to the new track.”

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 Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

Currey’s Rockingham Stats: Bayley Currey will make his first-career start in any series at Rockingham Speedway on Friday evening.
Rogers’ Rockingham Stats: Wally Rogers has competed in six NASCAR Xfinity Series races held at Rockingham Speedway. Rogers’ drivers have finished inside the top-five three times, including a pair of third-place runs with Randy LaJoie in 2002.
On the Truck: Currey’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Masked Owl Technologies and DQS Solutions & Staffing.
Where Were They Then?: Last time the Truck Series visited Rockingham in 2013, Currey was only 16 years old. As a sophomore in high school at the time, Currey was racing in Modifieds on his way to winning the track championship at Central Texas Speedway.
Recapping Bristol: Bayley Currey and the No. 44 team were on top of their game in Bristol. Currey’s Silverado had pace in it throughout the 200-lap event, and a great strategy call helped the driver earn his first-career stage win in stage two. In total, Currey led for 14 laps, and ran inside the top-five for the majority of the race. On a late restart however, the truck suffered a catastrophic driveshaft failure which took him out of the race in 23rd. The results might not show it, but Currey was a sure contender for the victory.
Owner Points Rundown: The No. 44 team remains 15th in the owner points standings following a strong run in Bristol. Technically tied for 14th with TRICON Garage’s No. 15 entry, the team is currently 13 points behind Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet in 13th.
Quoting Currey: Even though you didn’t make any laps, do you think you learned anything by going to the test?

“Yes and no. I just got to see how much speed those guys were carrying with the new asphalt. I just ran it in the simulator and I think going to the test helped me grasp on where guys are lifting and where they’re getting back to the gas. I felt like I was able to learn a bit more about that in turns one and two since we were pitted down that way, but I think it helped a little bit. We’re going to be carrying so much speed here this week and I think it’ll be fun to go out there and make some laps in practice to get accustomed to it before the race. We’ve been having some good runs to open up our season and I’ve been really anticipating getting to Rockingham with our Masked Owl Technologies 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 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

Honeycutt’s Rockingham Stats: Kaden Honeycutt will make his first-career start in any series at Rockingham Speedway on Friday evening.
Gould’s Rockingham Stats: Phil Gould will call his first race at Rockingham Speedway on Friday.
Street Stocks at The Rock: Before he was a crew chief, Phil Gould raced twice at Rockingham in the Polar Bear 150 as part of the Frank Kimmel Street Stock Nationals from 2009 to 2010. Here is a great photo of Gould about to hit the track.
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.
Where Were They Then?: Kaden Honeycutt was only nine years old the last time the Truck Series raced at Rockingham Speedway in 2013. As a fourth grader, Honeycutt’s driving career had not even been thought of at the time.
Recapping Bristol: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team secured their third top-10 finish of the season at Bristol. Honeycutt was quick in traffic despite starting 22nd, and shined on long-run speed. The team grabbed eight stage points by finishing third in stage two, and were well on their way to a top-five finish late in the going. Unfortunately, Honeycutt lost track position with Currey’s late-race issues, but rebounded to finish a strong eighth.
Points Rundown: After finishing eighth in Bristol, Honeycutt stays within striking distance of the Playoffs cutline. Though he remains in 11th-place, Honeycutt is only five points behind Jake Garcia in 10th. He now has a 19-point buffer to Tanner Gray in 12th.
Quoting Honeycutt: Basing off your speed in the test, do you feel confident in the piece your team is bringing this weekend?

“Yeah, I think for us as a company, we were all really fast at the test. We are very optimistic in how we’re going to handle here. We’re not going to change much from where we ended the test at, we’re just going to go through practice similarly and see how we stack up. Hopefully we have a good qualifying lap because starting up front is going to mean a lot. After we see how qualifying goes, we’ll come up with a plan to march to the front or keep our track position.”

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).