Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Preview: Richmond Raceway

NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: RICHMOND RACEWAY
Race: Clean Harbors 250 (250 laps / 187.5 miles) | Race 16 of 23
Track: Richmond Raceway
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Date & Time: Saturday, August 10th | 7:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | Sirius XM Ch. 90

No. 41 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Bayley Currey
@BayleyCurrey
@BayleyCurrey05

Personnel Updates: Veteran crew chief, Wally Rogers, has taken over full-time duties on the No. 41 team after the team’s General Manager, Cody Efaw, subbed in for the past three races. Rogers had originally been tabbed as the crew chief on the part-time No. 44 entry, but a shift was made which now sees Tom Ackerman (Niece Competition Director) calling the shots for that truck.
Niece Motorsports Richmond Stats: Niece drivers have accounted for 12 NCTS starts at Richmond Raceway since it was re-added to the series schedule in 2020. Of those drivers, Carson Hocevar proved to have the most successful results with two top-10 finishes. Last year, Hocevar led the second-highest amount of laps (64) en route to a thrilling victory – the first for the organization at this track.
Currey’s Richmond Stats: Last year’s Truck Series event marked Bayley Currey’s only series start at Richmond, where he finished 18th. Currey has made five Xfinity Series starts here and posted a best run of 19th in 2020. He also made a lone Cup Series start at the track in 2019.
Rogers’ Richmond Stats: Wally Rogers has called six NCTS races at Richmond and has one top-10 finish with Ron Hornaday (10th in 2005). He’s also called 14 Xfinity Series races at this track and finished runner-up with Kevin Harvick in 2008. In six Cup Series starts, Rogers’ best result on top of the box was 27th with Jeffrey Earnhardt in 2016.
On the Truck: Currey’s No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from DQS Solutions & Staffing along with Masked Owl Technologies.
Recapping Indianapolis: Bayley Currey and the No. 41 Niece Equipment team put together a respectable night in Indianapolis. The team showed promise early on in practice, where they were posted fifth fastest, but started in 22nd. The team made changes that helped gain him positions after the conclusion of stage one, and he would go on to run 14th the following stage through the finish of the race. This was the solid run they needed to help turn around their momentum.
Points Rundown: Heading to Richmond, Currey remains 18th in the championship points standings for the second straight week. There is a 27-point margin to Jake Garcia, who holds onto the 17th position. Being it is the last race in the regular season, Currey will have to win the race in order to qualify for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs.
Quoting Currey: What are some differences between driving a truck vs. an Xfinity car at Richmond?

“Mainly just the corner speed, there’s a lot more corner speed in a truck there compared to the Xfinity car. There’s a little less wheel spin, too. Trucks at Richmond, like a lot of these places, are momentum-based so you have to try and keep that up while not smoking the tires off. That’s a big deal here especially for us.”

Quoting Rogers: Can you carry over some of the feedback Bayley gave at IRP and use those notes at this track?

“Richmond and IRP are a little bit different, but we can take some of the stuff we learned at that track and apply those ideas here and at Milwaukee. Hopefully we can get out of there with a better finish this time, so we’ll see.”
DQS Solutions & Staffing Mission Statement: The core mission of DQS Solutions & Staffing is to attain unparalleled excellence in our specialized domains, specifically staffing and security. Simultaneously, we maintain the flexibility required to collaborate closely with our clients in the creation of innovative products and services within the framework of DQS.

No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Jon Leonard
Matt Mills Racing
@MattMillsRacing
@MattMillsRacing

Mills’ Richmond Stats: Matt Mills has one prior Truck Series start at Richmond Raceway, which came in last year’s running of the event. Mills had a strong run in that race, where he qualified and finished in the top-five. In seven Xfinity Series starts at the track, Mills’ best result is 13th – which was obtained twice in the double header race weekend of 2020.
Leonard’s Richmond Stats: Jon Leonard has called one prior Truck Series race at Richmond when he worked with Stewart Friesen in 2022. Friesen finished 11th that night after qualifying in third-place. Leonard also made one start as a Cup Series crew chief at this track with Regan Smith as his driver in 2018.
On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric and Utilitra.
Mills Runs Well in Richmond: Barring any mechanical issues, Mills has typically thrived at Richmond Raceway. This short track falls right into his wheelhouse, and is his favorite track on the schedule. With two respectable Xfinity Series runs under his belt, he chose to add it to his limited schedule with Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2023. Last year’s running was some of Mills’ best work, where he qualified fifth and gained stage points twice en route to a fifth-place finish. It was in that race where he gained the attention of Al Niece, who eventually signed him onto the team for this season.
Home Race: Though he claims New Philadelphia, Ohio as his true hometown, Mills was born in nearby Lynchburg, Virginia just over two hours away from the track. He considers Richmond as his home race since Mid-Ohio was removed from the schedule this year.
Recapping Indianapolis: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team fought through early adversity at IRP. Mills spun and sustained heavy left front damage in practice, and subsequently was not able to post a qualifying lap. Mills fought a tight-handling truck for the majority of the race, but continued to gain positions through stage one and two. Through several adjustments, the team continued to make big swings at it on every pit stop. Ultimately, the group would wind up with a 22nd-place finish after starting 34th on the day.
Points Rundown: Following the 22nd-place finish in Indy, Mills’ streak of points position gains came to a close after seven strong races in a row. He’s still shown 21st in the points standings, and notably made ground up on the top-20. Bret Holmes, who currently is seeded 20th, is now only 11 points ahead of Matt heading into Richmond. In order to make the 10-driver NCTS Playoffs field, he will need to pick up the race victory on Saturday night.
Quoting Mills: What is it about Richmond that tends to fit your driving style?

“Richmond is one of those tracks that you have to be disciplined the whole race. What you do and how you drive the truck on lap one is going to affect how it drives on lap 40. So, just being aware of that and how big the tire falloff is there is important. You have to balance when it’s time to get positions and when you have to manage your tires. Honestly, it’s not a track for an aggressive driving style, and I think that mine is more calculated, so that helps. It’s a home track for me since I was born in Lynchburg, VA, so that has always added some extra motivation as well. It’s been a good rhythm track for me.”

Quoting Leonard: Since this has been a good track for Matt and for the team in the past, does that help give you a sense of direction on where you need to be setup-wise?

“I think Matt’s confidence will be high this weekend, and with Phil (Gould) and Carson (Hocevar) winning last year, we have a good baseline on where to start off with. We’ve all been comparing notes on how the trucks were built last year and where they were at on the setup which will give us a good direction on where we should be when we roll off the truck.”

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 Moore’s Venture Foods Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Kaden Honeycutt Racing
@KadenWHoneycutt
@KadenHoneycutt10

Honeycutt Returns: After taking a two-race break from the Truck Series while Ross Chastain took over the ride, Kaden Honeycutt returns to make his seventh start of the season in the No. 45 Chevy for Niece Motorsports. Honeycutt will nearly round out the season schedule as he has
Honeycutt’s Richmond Stats: Honeycutt has started one Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway which came in 2022 when he drove for On Point Motorsports. He started and finished the race in the same position – 21st.
Gould’s Richmond Stats: Phil Gould has called four Truck Series races at Richmond and earned two top-10s with Carson Hocevar. Last year, Gould led his team to a convincing victory at the track which significantly boosted their momentum heading into the Playoffs.
On the Truck: Honeycutt’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Venture Foods, a family-owned grocery store chain located in Oklahoma. 2024 marks the company’s 50th anniversary of the first store opening, and has been operated by the Moore family for three generations.
Recapping Indianapolis: Ross Chastain was in for an eventful start to his day at IRP as he narrowly made it to the track just in time for practice. Chastain would go on to start 16th in the race, but quickly found pace in stage one. After taking his first set of tires with a handful of laps to go in the stage, Chastain’s truck rocketed to the front. He would finish sixth in both stages, but a miscue on pit road would hamper his running position in the final stint. In his final start of the year with Niece Motorsports, Chastain would go on to finish eleventh.
Late Models In Action: The past month has been a busy stretch of racing for Honeycutt as he’s competed in several Late Model events. Honeycutt battled engine troubles in the Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway but rebounded for a seventh-place finish. The following week, he earned another top-10 finish in the CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series (PLM) at Hickory Motor Speedway. From there, it was onto North Wilkesboro Speedway for both the CARS Tour Late Model Stock (LMS) & PLM divisions. He finished eighth in the PLM but was sidelined by a crash in the LMS race.
Owner Points Outlook: The No. 45 team looks to secure their spot in the NCTS Owner Playoffs in the regular season finale. Entering Richmond, the team is seeded ninth in the owner points standings, 39 points above the cutline. The No. 45 is one of only two multi-driver teams currently in the fight for postseason eligibility, along with Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team. They are within 16 points of CR7 Motorsports’ No. 9 team in eighth.
Quoting Honeycutt: Do you think having all the recent late model experience will tend to help you save tires on Saturday?

“I think for Richmond, if you’re fast at the start, you’re going to be fast for the whole race; but if you’re not, you’re just not going to be quick at all from start to finish. From what I’ve seen in the past, if you can take off quick on the short run and be able to manage your stuff throughout the whole stage, you’re going to be good. You don’t want to push it too much, especially if you spin the right rear tire. If you do that, you’re just going to make it mad, and you’ll be very free just like a late model. So, you just have to manage that throughout the night. That’s the way to go.”

Quoting Gould: Will your team approach this race differently knowing that there is the Owner Playoffs spot on the line?

“Not really, honestly. I think we’ve had a great year and have been pretty competitive with Kaden, so we’re just going to go into this weekend and try to win the race. If we’re able to do that, the points will just take care of themselves. I think he’ll do a great job like he normally does for us.”

About Moore’s Venture Foods: Moore’s Venture Foods is a family-owned grocery store chain located in Oklahoma. The chain has brick-and-mortar stores in Alva, Fairfax, Shattuck, and Tonkawa, Oklahoma, and has been operated by the Moore family for three generations. To learn more, please visit www.MooresVentureFoods.com.

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.