Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Preview: Bristol Motor Speedway II

NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Race: UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics (200 laps / 106.6 miles) | Race 18 of 23
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
Date & Time: Thursday, September 19th | 8:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | Sirius XM Ch. 90

No. 41 Crazy Al’s Wine & Spirits Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Connor Mosack | Crew Chief: Cody Efaw
Connor Mosack
@ConnorMosack
@ConnorMosack

• Mosack’s Back: 25-year-old Connor Mosack returns for his final Truck Series start of the year with Niece Motorsports. In both of his previous starts with the team, he drove the No. 45 entry, but shifts to the No. 41 truck in Thursday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The team’s primary full-time driver, Bayley Currey, has moved over to the No. 44 entry for this week. Mosack has made five total NCTS starts this year, splitting his schedule with Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team. His season-best finish is an eighth-place run at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Niece Motorsports Bristol Stats: Niece drivers have accounted for a total of 23 NCTS starts on the traditional concrete layout at Bristol Motor Speedway. The team has captured two top-fives and four top-10 finishes, with a best result of third in 2019 by Ross Chastain.
• Mosack’s Bristol Stats: Connor Mosack has competed in one prior NCTS start at Bristol in 2022, where he finished 31st in Bret Holmes Racing equipment. Last year, Mosack raced his way to a top-15 finish in the Xfinity Series event when he finished 14th for Sam Hunt Racing. In his lone ARCA Menards Series start at the 0.533-mile short track, Mosack picked up a top-10 finish (ninth) in 2022.
• On the Truck: Mosack’s No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Crazy Al’s Wine & Spirits, a family-owned liquor store located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma.
• Quoting Mosack: How do you sum up your experience in running with Niece Motorsports on a part-time basis this year?

“I feel like the two races haven’t gone as well as we’ve liked, but Las Vegas was my first truck race at a mile-and-a-half and it was also my first start at Gateway, so there’s been a lot of learning for me along the way. Both of those races were good opportunities for me to learn those places and mesh with the new team and crew chief. It’s been good; I’ve enjoyed it, and I feel like both races we improved all day. Going into Bristol, that’s a place I have been before, so I think we can start off a bit better and hopefully end on our best note.”

• Quoting Efaw: Without any track compound being used this week, how should that change the competitiveness of the race?

“I think that should give the drivers some more options to change their line throughout the race. In years past, when we’ve had the PJ1 applied to the track before our race, we’ve seen that it takes a while for us to break it in by the finish, so now it should open up the track a bit earlier. That gives us options to use the whole track from the drop of the green flag.”

About Crazy Al’s: Crazy Al’s is a family-owned wine and spirit store located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. The store offers several varieties of premium wine, whiskey, tequila, vodka, and more, alongside a beer cave that carries domestic and imported brands suited to fit everyone’s tastes. Visit the Crazy Al’s Facebook page for new product offerings, sales, and more. Drink responsibly, must be 21 years or older to enter.

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

• Mills’ Bristol Stats: Matt Mills has made two prior NCTS starts at Bristol, including the spring race earlier this year. In March, Mills notched his best Truck Series finish at the track with a 25th-place result. Mills made five Xfinity Series starts at the short track and produced a best finish of 18th in the fall race of 2019.
• Leonard’s Bristol Stats: Jon Leonard has called four NCTS races at Bristol, and in two of those starts, he secured top-10 finishes while working with Stewart Friesen (fourth in 2021 & seventh in 2022). In his lone Cup Series start in 2018, Leonard’s team drove to a 15th-place finish with Kasey Kahne at the wheel.
• On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric & Utilitra.
• Looking Back on NASCAR Debut: At age 19 in 2016, Mills made his very first NASCAR national series start at Bristol Motor Speedway driving the No. 07 Silverado for SS Greenlight Racing. On that night, Mills started 31st and finished 27th in his Truck Series debut.
• There’s a New Leonard in Town: Jon Leonard and his wife, AudriOnna, welcomed the birth of their third child last Thursday. Their baby boy named Karson is healthy and resting at home with his two big sisters. Congratulations to the happy family!
• Recapping Milwaukee: Matt Mills was on track to have a solid day in Milwaukee, but contact from another competitor resulted in him slamming into the wall with the rear of his No. 42 Chevrolet. Mills qualified 17th and held his track position in stage one. In stage two, he moved up to 16th, and made his way into the top-15 before the incident. A caution was not thrown for his contact and he fought an ill-handling truck for the rest of the race. Mills crossed the line in 24th.
• Points Rundown: Entering Bristol, Mills continues to be shown 22nd in the points standings. Last race, the driver of the No. 42 Chevy gained one point on his nearest competitor, Timmy Hill, who now leads a 12-point gap between the two for 21st. Mills in turn has a 21-point cushion above his teammate, Kaden Honeycutt, in 23rd.
• Quoting Mills: How much, if any, has the Bristol track changed since you made your debut here in 2016?

“Bristol has been one of those tracks that’s been hit or miss for me. It’s a track that doesn’t consistently race the same each time we go there, especially going from trucks to Xfinity cars. I’ve ran races when the track runs like a bottom feeder, but have also seen the top come in. It’s a very fun racetrack to make laps on, and even though my finishes have been hit or miss, I feel like we usually have speed there. We just have to keep up with how the track is going to race.”

• Quoting Leonard: Are the Bristol handling conditions similar when we race in the spring compared to the fall?

“I think for the most part, this track typically carries over a lot of similar handling characteristics. The biggest thing that will change from the first race to now is the fact that there won’t be any traction compound on the surface like how we are used to having before our race. I think that shouldn’t necessarily change how the trucks drive, but it should allow us to move around a lot more. Hopefully that will help improve the racing and make it easier for passing.”

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 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Bayley Currey
@BayleyCurrey
@BayleyCurrey05

• New Number, Who This?: After making the first 17 races of the season behind the wheel of the No. 41 Chevrolet, Bayley Currey slides into the No. 44 truck for this week’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Currey is the third driver to drive the part-time entry after Conor Daly and Matt Gould both made starts in the No. 44 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and the Milwaukee Mile.
• Currey’s Bristol Stats: Bayley Currey has made four Truck Series starts at Bristol since 2017 including three top-15 finishes. In the spring race, Currey finished highest of the Niece Motorsports drivers in 11th – his personal best finish at the track. Currey has started five Xfinity Series races at the short track, where in 2022 he also finished 11th after leading a handful of laps. He also owns a pair of Cup Series starts here as well.
• Rogers’ Bristol Stats: Wally Rogers has called seven NCTS races at Bristol and secured his personal best finish of third in 2004 while working with Matt Crafton at Kevin Harvick Incorporated. In 13 NXS starts atop the box, Rogers’ drivers have finished inside the top-10 seven times, including a pair of third-place finishes (2001 with Randy LaJoie and 2006 with Ron Hornaday). In 2009, Rogers made his first start as a Cup Series crew chief here and later went on to make 11 NCS starts at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile”.
• On the Truck: Currey’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from DQS Solutions & Staffing along with Masked Owl Technologies.
• Recapping Milwaukee: Bayley Currey’s race in Milwaukee was affected early after he was squeezed into the wall by another competitor in the first stage. Currey was forced to pit under green and lost two laps in the process, finishing 34th in stage one. He managed to pick up a handful of positions to finish 31st in stage two, but was ultimately unable to get back on the lead lap. Currey was credited with a 29th-place finish.
• Points Rundown: Currey remains 19th in the points standings for a second week in a row leaving Milwaukee. The driver sits 33 points behind Ty Dillon in 18th, and has a 10-point gap to Bret Holmes in 20th.
• Quoting Currey: Do you feel confident with how the spring race played out to come back and have another good run here?

“Well, Bristol is one of my favorite tracks that we go to. It reminds me a lot of the 1/5th-mile track I raced on as a kid. I think the racing should be a little more exciting this time around since they’re not spraying the traction compound before the race, so that should widen out the track a bit. I’m really excited about that; I’ve never got to rip the top in a truck, so it should be a lot of fun.”

• Quoting Rogers: How important is it to qualify well here in Bristol?

“Very important. It’s hard to pass there, and you’re going to have to have multiple lines that are fast, so track position is going to be extremely important. We just have to try and maintain that all throughout the race and that should lead us to get a good finish out of the night.”
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. 45 Moore’s Venture Foods Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Ross Chastain
@RossChastain
@RossChastain

• Honeycutt’s Bristol Stats: Kaden Honeycutt has competed in three NCTS races at Bristol Motor Speedway. He earned his best finish at the track in March, where he crossed the line in 12th after qualifying in the top-10. Honeycutt made an appearance in the ARCA Menards Series race here last year, but was sidelined to 21st after getting involved in a crash.
• Gould’s Bristol Stats: Phil Gould has started six NCTS races atop the pit box and was responsible for all four of Niece Motorsports’ top-10 finishes. His best result was delivered by Ross Chastain, who finished third in 2019. In the Xfinity Series, Gould called a total of 12 races on the high banks. Highlights include three top-10 runs and an outside pole qualifying effort with Brian Scott in 2013.
• 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.
• CARS Tour PLM Battle: With two races remaining in the zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series season, Honeycutt remains in contention for the championship. Following a fourth-place finish at South Boston Speedway, Honeycutt is posted second in points behind leader, Spencer Davis. Next up for the tour is a trip to Tri-County Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 12th.
• Recapping Milwaukee: Kaden Honeycutt put together a solid outing in Milwaukee for his first start at the historic track. Honeycutt qualified the highest out of the team (seventh), and was en route to a fifth-place run in the first stage when the caution struck. After pitting, he was credited with 11th in stage one. In stage two, Honeycutt climbed to ninth and picked up two stage points. In dirty air, Honeycutt struggled to maintain his balance, and slid back to finish 12th.
• Owner Points Outlook: Milwaukee’s 12th-place finish, coupled with the added bonus of a handful of stage points, has pushed the No. 45 team above the provisional cutline heading into the second race of the Playoffs. Honeycutt and team are currently eighth in owner points, +2 on the Spire Motorsports No. 7 team in ninth. They need two good finishes in a row in order to advance to the Round of 8.
• Quoting Honeycutt: Given your short track background, are you happy to see this race in the Round of 10?

“Yeah, I think we’ve worked on our Bristol package a lot over the last couple of months since we struggled there in the first race. I feel like we should be a whole lot better this time, but the track will race a whole lot different without the traction compound. So, that’ll be a toss up, but I think we can qualify in the top-five and that’ll give us a better opportunity to go and try to get stage points. We need to get as many points as we can, but it would be great to win and move onto the next round in the Owner’s Playoffs.”

• Quoting Gould: What have you and your team mainly been working on to help the short track package?

“Mainly, we’ve been trying to find the feel that Kaden’s been looking for. We had a good package with Carson (Hocevar) that has carried over to the mile-and-a-half tracks, but for short tracks, we just haven’t been as good. I think Milwaukee was a step in the right direction; you know we had a good truck, but pit road hindered our performance. We were okay in the spring here in Bristol, but there’s a lot of unknowns without the traction compound. We’ve been doing a lot of work in the simulator so we’ll see what we’ve got.”

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.