NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROVAL
Event: NCTS Playoff Race at the Charlotte ROVAL (67 laps / 152.76 miles)
Round: 22 of 25 (Playoffs Round of 8)
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, October 3 | 3:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- New Course Layout: Friday will mark the first time in which the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) visits the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. The unique half-road course, half-oval track layout has been a hit with fans since its debut in 2018. It will be the series’ third and final road race on the calendar this year.
- Welcome Race Fans: On Thursday, October 2nd, the organization will host its first ever Fan Day open house event at the race shop in Salisbury, NC. The event, which takes place from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM local time, will feature a driver autograph session, Q&A’s, race shop tours, live pit stops, merchandise sales, and a dunk tank to raise funds for Wreaths Across America.
- Special Passengers: As the month of October begins, all four Niece Motorsports trucks will carry pink ribbon decals to honor nearly 50 individuals who have fought breast cancer. Each of these names are tied to family members of the team’s crew as well as the primary sponsors of the trucks.
No. 41 Circle B Diecast Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Josh Bilicki | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
- Bilicki Returns: Veteran driver Josh Bilicki pairs up with Niece Motorsports to make his second and final NCTS start of the season at the Charlotte ROVAL. Bilicki made a great first impression in his first outing with the team at Lime Rock Park back in June, where he carried the No. 44 Chevrolet to a seventh-place finish. When it comes to experience at this track, Bilicki’s name tops the list in the field, having driven in all but two races held on this track.
- Bilicki’s Charlotte ROVAL Stats: Josh Bilicki has competed in every NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race held at the ROVAL since 2018. Last year, Bilicki started fourth and finished eighth in the event while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. The veteran has also competed in five Cup Series races here, finishing as high as 26th in 2023.
- Shiplett’s Charlotte ROVAL Stats: Mike Shipett has made two NXS starts on top of the pit box at the ROVAL which both resulted in top-10 finishes. In 2018, Shiplett guided Justin Marks to a runner-up finish at the track. In three Cup Series races, Shiplett picked up one top-10 (ninth) with Cole Custer in 2020.
- Recapping New Hampshire: Conner Jones and the No. 41 team had their day ended with a crash in stage one. Jones was making up ground on the initial start of the race, and the team elected to gain some track position and pit at the end of the stage. Unfortunately, however, Jones was collected in an incident on the ensuing restart. The truck had too much damage to continue, and the team was credited with a 31st-place finish.
- Triple Duty: Bilicki will compete in all three NASCAR national series races held at the ROVAL this weekend. Following his drive in the No. 44 Silverado on Friday, Bilicki will pilot the No. 91 Chevrolet for DGM Racing in the NXS race on Saturday. He’ll also be behind the wheel of the No. 66 car for Garage 66 in the Cup Series race on Sunday.
- On the Truck: Bilicki’s No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Circle B Diecast, one of the largest diecast retailers in the industry. This paint scheme is inspired by a custom 1969 Chevrolet C-10 pickup truck owned by the founders of Circle B Diecast, Brent and LaDonna Powell.
- Quoting Bilicki: Obviously, you have plenty of experience at the Charlotte ROVAL, so how do you anticipate the first truck race will play out here?
“I think when you look at the Truck Series field, I probably have more experience at the ROVAL than any of them. I think the trucks will drive similar to the Xfinity cars here. The Cup Series cars don’t really have a lot of tire wear, but I think the trucks will have a good amount of fall off which I think makes the racing better. Brake management will also be key here since there are two big braking zones that we have to watch out for. I’m excited to be back with Niece Motorsports and can’t wait to get on track with them on Friday.”
About Circle B Diecast: Circle B Diecast, originally known as Plan B Sales, was founded in 2010 and started as a Lionel die-cast and Chase Authentics apparel wholesale distributor. The Concord, N.C. based company has grown into the largest independent racing collectibles distributor in the United States. Circle B Diecast offers both retail and wholesale customers a vast array of products through their website, www.circlebdiecast.com.
No. 42 Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
- Mills’ Charlotte ROVAL Stats: Matt Mills has competed in two NXS races held on the Charlotte ROVAL layout. Mills earned his best finish of 25th-place back in 2020, and most recently finished 30th in his last race here in 2021.
- Polinski’s Charlotte ROVAL Stats: Landon Polinski will make his first NCTS start as a crew chief at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Friday.
- On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from his longtime partners, Utilitra and J.F. Electric.
- Raising Awareness: The No. 42 team will debut a special Breast Cancer Awareness paint scheme in Friday’s race. Utilitra, a woman-owned company, has been a large supporter of the American Cancer Society for several years.
- Recapping New Hampshire: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team hung in through a long afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mills qualified 24th and ran mid-pack through the majority of the event. The J.F. Electric crew made several changes to the balance and they began to push forward, but contact on a restart led Mills to spin with a flat tire. The caution never was displayed, and the team had to settle for a 23rd-place result.
- Points Rundown: Mills continues to hold onto 18th-place in the driver points standings following the 21st race of the year at New Hampshire. Entering the Charlotte ROVAL, Mills is 17 points behind Stewart Friesen in 17th, and 14 points ahead of Dawson Sutton in 19th-place.
- Quoting Mills: What does it mean to run a special breast cancer awareness truck with Utilitra as the primary sponsor on it?
“I think it’s very cool to have Utilitra on our truck and represent their woman-owned company with a breast cancer awareness paint scheme. It’s a special weekend for us with all of the ribbons that we’re going to have with the family members, and I’m happy to spread awareness with them. I always love racing at home in Charlotte and have been looking forward to getting back on the ROVAL layout, so this race should be a fun one for us.”
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.
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 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
- Pérez de Lara’s Charlotte ROVAL Stats: Andrés Pérez de Lara will make his first-career start at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Friday. In his first two NCTS starts on road courses, Pérez de Lara finished 17th at Lime Rock Park and 21st at Watkins Glen International after getting swept away in multi-truck crashes in both events.
- Rogers’ Charlotte ROVAL Stats: Wally Rogers will call his first race at the Charlotte ROVAL on Friday.
- On the Truck: Pérez de Lara’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Telcel, a Mexican telecommunications giant, along with associate partners, Claro and Infinitum.
- Recapping New Hampshire: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the No. 44 team had a great race in New Hampshire, but ultimately left with not much to show. Pérez de Lara earned four points by finishing seventh in stage one, and made a strategy call to stay out and inherit the lead. On the restart, the rookie held his ground and the Telcel Chevrolet led for a total of 47 laps. Though he was close to winning stage two, Pérez de Lara ended up in second. On the next restart, his truck picked up a tire rub from contact with another competitor which cut down his left-front. The team never gave up, and took advantage of the free pass to come home with a top-15 finish.
- Points Rundown: Pérez de Lara made up some serious ground in the points standings following his exciting run in New Hampshire. Now up to 15th overall in his debut season, the rookie gained two positions and is closing in on others. Entering the Charlotte ROVAL, Pérez de Lara is 13 points behind Connor Mosack in 14th, and likewise is 13 points ahead of Matt Crafton in 16th-place.
- Quoting Pérez de Lara: You had a really strong run in Watkins Glen, so how do you feel about coming back to another road course this weekend?
“I’m super excited to race at the ROVAL. Definitely, all the road course races this year have been circled on my calendar because of my background on those types of tracks. Niece Motorsports has shown they have some really good equipment on the road courses, and even though I’ve never raced here before, I feel like I know this place well based off of our time in the sim. We’ll try to run up front for most of the race and see if we can be play upset this week.”
About Telcel: Telcel is Mexico’s leading telecommunications company, providing nationwide coverage, cutting-edge mobile connectivity, and high-speed internet services to millions of users. With over 30 years of experience, Telcel continues to innovate in digital communication, offering solutions that keep people connected anytime, anywhere.
No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
- Currey’s Charlotte ROVAL Stats: Bayley Currey has competed in three NXS races on the Charlotte ROVAL layout, finishing as high as 26th in 2022. Currey has not raced in either of the two road course events on the NCTS schedule this year, but recently served as a primary spotter for Josh Bilicki at Lime Rock.
- Gould’s Charlotte ROVAL Stats: Phil Gould has called one NXS race at the Charlotte ROVAL, which came in the inaugural running of the event back in 2018. In that race, Gould’s team finished 11th with Ryan Reed.
- On the Truck: Currey’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from DQS Solutions & Staffing, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with J.F. Electric and Precision Vehicle Logistics.
- Raising Awareness: The No. 45 team will debut a special breast cancer awareness-themed paint scheme this weekend with lots of pink accents sprinkled across the truck.
- Recapping New Hampshire: Bayley Currey and the No. 45 team were en route to a top-10 finish, but had to serve a late-race penalty which hindered their result. Currey started in 23rd, but made up ground through the opening two stages. Once in prime position late in the going, Currey clawed his way up to eighth before officials deemed that the driver committed a restart violation. Without any aid of a caution to catch the field, Currey crossed the line in 18th.
- Points Rundown: Following Currey’s 18th-place finish at New Hampshire, the part-time driver remains 23rd in the driver points standings. Ahead of the Charlotte ROVAL, Currey is five points behind Toni Breidinger in 22nd, and 41 points ahead of Luke Baldwin in 24th. Looking at the owner points, the No. 45 team continues to run 11th with a sizable gap above Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet in 12th.
- Quoting Currey: Which section of this track is more important – the oval or the infield?
“I think that exiting the infield and getting onto the oval is one of the most important turns on the track since you’re getting onto the longest straightaway. Even though you’re going around the big track in turns one and two, you’re still wide open, so if you can make speed there, you’ll carry that all the way through. But, seeing that you’re going slower through the infield, I think that is the best place to make up time. I think that’s obviously the most technical section, but the backstretch chicane is really important too since it leads onto another long straightaway onto the front stretch.”
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.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) since 2016. Fielding the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45 trucks, the team has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 200+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. Founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece, the team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra. 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).
