NCTS RACE RECAP: LIME ROCK PARK
Event: LiUNA! 150 (100 laps / 147.8 miles)
Round: 14 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Lime Rock Park
Location: Lakeville, CT
Date & Time: Saturday, June 11 | 1:00 PM ET
No. 45 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Landen Lewis | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Start: 6th | Stage 1: 3rd | Stage 2: 17th
Finish: 2nd | Driver Points: 25th | Owner Points: 5th
Read Landen’s Bio
- Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the J.F. Electric team rallied back from adversity yet again for the second road course race in a row at Lime Rock. Qualifying in sixth-place, Lewis rose to third in the opening stage. While battling for the race lead on a restart in stage two, Lewis was spun off the nose of another competitor and had to fall to the back of the pack. A great strategy call by Phil Gould to flip the stage gave the No. 45 team its track position back entering the final stint, and Lewis held serve in the top-five despite the body damage. Lewis was in position to contend for the race win after keeping his nose clean, racing hard on the final restart of the afternoon. He finished the race as the runner-up, achieving his career-best finish.
- Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts: Interviewer: What a job by the driver with limited starts in this CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. I thought fourth-place in San Diego was pretty impressive, but Landen, the right side of your truck is all caved in and you brought it home second for your career-best finish. How would you describe just the day but also that last restart trying to get past Grant Enfinger?
“Today was just a solid day all around for our guys, Niece Motorsports, J.F. Electric, DQS, and everyone that just is a part of this. I wouldn’t be here without them, so first and foremost, I just want to thank Phil (Gould) and Cody (Efaw) and all those guys for busting their butt for me. Yeah, I don’t know what happened on the restart, I just need to go back and look to see what actually happened. But overall, it was a very solid day for us. We just need a little bit more, but we’ll go back to the shop and regroup and come back a little stronger.”
Interviewer: You showed the nose a little bit to Grant (Enfinger) on the final lap. If you could go back and do it again, was there an opportunity or were you not close enough?
“I probably would have waited. I showed my nose a little too soon, but at the end of the day, I didn’t want to win it by wrecking him or doing anything I didn’t need to do. I wanted to do it cleanly, and hats off to them. They did a great job, but we were just one spot short. Onto the next one.”
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.
No. 44 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Start: 14th | Stage 1: 10th | Stage 2: 5th
Finish: 7th | Driver Points: 14th | Owner Points: 20th
Read Andrés’ Bio
- Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the DQS Solutions & Staffing team had a solid outing in Lime Rock. Rolling off from 14th-place in qualifying, the No. 44 entered the top-10 and picked up a point in stage one. After making adjustments during the caution break, the sophomore driver was able to climb to fifth in stage two. Pérez de Lara maintained his track position to nab his second top-10 finish of the season, crossing the line scored in seventh-place and tying his season-best result.
- Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “It was a solid day overall for the No. 44 team. I feel like the stage points made our day way better, and I think our speed was pretty high all race long. We got unlucky there with a lot of guys pitting and flipping the stage, so we battled uphill from there. I’m happy to finally have a good day and finish in the top-10. Just super thankful to all my guys for their hard work, Niece Motorsports, DQS Solutions & Staffing, Acceptance Insurance, J.F. Electric, and all of our partners for their support.”
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. 42 Executive Chevrolet Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ben Maier | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
Start: 15th | Stage 1: 12th | Stage 2: 33rd
Finish: 33rd | Driver Points: 41st | Owner Points: 25th
Read Ben’s Bio
- Key Takeaway: Ben Maier and the Executive Chevrolet team had a sudden end to a promising day in Lime Rock. Maier started the 100-lap race in 15th-place, but had good pace in the opening stage. Nearly missing out on stage points, he settled for 12th in the first stage. Under caution, however, the No. 42 lost fuel pressure and was forced to go behind the wall. Diagnosed to be a wiring issue, Maier was sidelined after losing gear fan functionality. The team was credited with a disappointing 33rd-place finish.
- Ben Maier’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We were really fast today and I hate I couldn’t finish the race. We weren’t the greatest in qualifying, but I think I could have gotten a little more out of it. We were just a lot better on the long run. In the race, we had a lot of speed. I think we passed five drivers or so, and were faster than most of the guys in front of me. It looked like we were on track for a really good finish, but we had our wiring harness in the middle of the truck fall down and short circuited or something. That fried a bunch of wires, and I don’t know if it caught on fire or not, but it started smoking on the inside and I lost fuel pressure. It really sucks; I wish we could have gotten a better result, but we were really fast and there’s nothing we could really do about it. Huge thanks to Executive Chevrolet for jumping onboard this week and to all my No. 42 guys at Niece Motorsports. I had a lot of fun today despite the finish.”
About Executive Chevrolet: Executive Chevrolet is a community where team members and clients share a passion for driving. The dealership’s commitment to exceptional client service has made it a trusted destination for drivers throughout Wallingford, Hamden, and Cheshire, Connecticut.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2016. The team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra, and was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop 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).
