NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
Event: Love’s RV Stop 225 (85 laps / 226.1 miles)
Round: 23 of 25 (Playoffs Round of 8)
Track: Talladega Superspeedway
Location: Talladega, Alabama
Date & Time: Friday, October 17 | 4:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- Niece Motorsports Talladega Stats: Niece drivers have made a total of 22 combined NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Talladega Superspeedway, resulting in two top-fives and four top-10s finishes. The team’s best finish at the track was a second-place run made by Trevor Bayne in 2020. Last year, Danny Bohn was the highest-finishing driver here in 17th-place.
No. 42 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
- Mills’ Talladega Stats: Matt Mills has only raced a truck one time before at Talladega Superspeedway, which came last year. After winning stage one in that race, Mills was taken out in ‘the big one’ and finished 31st. In six NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts at Talladega, Mills’ best finish is 17th which was posted in 2019.
- Polinski’s Talladega Stats: Landon Polinski will make his first NCTS start as a crew chief at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday.
- On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with DQS Solutions & Staffing and Precision Vehicle Logistics.
- Recapping the Charlotte ROVAL: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team experienced a lot at the Charlotte ROVAL, but had considerable speed throughout the 70-lap event. Mills started the race in 17th, but had an early setback on the first pit stop after making contact with a teammate on pit road. The team made repairs to the toe on Mills’ truck, and elected to stay out to pick up a couple of points by finishing ninth in stage two. Mills battled hard with his teammates and got faster in each run. On the last stop of the day, however, Mills had to serve a speeding penalty, but was ultimately able to recover for a 17th-place result.
- Points Rundown: Mills gained one position in the driver points standings following his 17th-place run at the Charlotte ROVAL. Now up to 17th, the driver of the No. 42 trails 16th-place Matt Crafton by 29 points with only three races left to run in the season.
- Quoting Mills: Last year, you won a stage here and credited that to having TJ Majors on the roof. How crucial is it to have a spotter with so much experience?
“Well, you have to have a fast truck to take advantage of those opportunities, but obviously having TJ Majors spotting is huge for us. TJ is one of the best to do it, especially at these types of racetracks. I kind of try to let him guide me and follow his calls the best I can when we show up to a speedway. I have a lot of trust in him that he’s going to put me in the right spot at the right time.”
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 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
- Pérez de Lara’s Talladega Stats: Andrés Pérez de Lara will make his first NCTS start at Talladega on Friday. He has competed in two ARCA Menards Series races at the 2.66-mile track, resulting in a fourth-place result in 2023 and eighth-place finish last year.
- Rogers’ Talladega Stats: Wally Rogers has called six NCTS races at Talladega Superspeedway, including a 10th-place showing with Lawless Alan in 2023. Rogers is a former NXS race-winning crew chief who conquered the track in 2007 with Bobby Labonte. In seven Cup Series starts here, Rogers’ drivers have finished inside the top-10 (ninth) twice.
- 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 the Charlotte ROVAL: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the No. 44 team had potential for a great run at the Charlotte ROVAL, but were plagued with a mechanical failure which essentially ended their race. Pérez de Lara began the race in 13th, but quickly advanced into the top-10 after the initial start. A nice strategy call set the rookie up for an opportunity to gain track position in stage two, but disaster struck shortly after the restart. While initially believed to be a transmission issue, the Telcel team later discovered a sheared left rear axle to be the culprit due to the harsh nature of the track. After replacing the broken component in the garage area, the team got the truck back in the race several laps down. Pérez de Lara came home in 32nd.
- Points Rundown: Despite suffering mechanical woes in Charlotte, Pérez de Lara remains 15th in the driver points standings entering Talladega. The rookie is 35 points behind Connor Mosack in 14th, while being five ahead of Matt Crafton in 16th-place.
- Quoting Pérez de Lara: You’ve never raced a truck here before, but have some experience in a truck at Daytona. How do you feel about this track?
“I’m looking forward to it, but you have to race Talladega with respect. It’s very intense racing, and high pressure since there are a lot of things that can happen here. We just have to try and stay out of trouble and be there at the end to have a shot to get a good result. If we can come home with a clean truck and be there at the end, that will be what we’re looking for. I’ll be helping push my teammates and the Chevy guys that we work closely with. I’d say those are my biggest allies for the weekend.”
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 Talladega Stats: Bayley Currey has competed in four NCTS races at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing as high as 15th in 2020. Last year, Currey had his race end early due to a mechanical failure. In four NXS starts at the track, Currey’s highest finish was 17th in 2022.
- Gould’s Talladega Stats: Phil Gould has called six NCTS races at Talladega Superspeedway. Gould’s series-best result at the track was a runner-up finish with Trevor Bayne in 2020. Out of six NXS starts here, Gould’s best finish was a seventh-place showing with Elliott Sadler in 2015. He also made his Cup Series debut at the speedway in 2016, finishing 26th 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.
- Recapping the Charlotte ROVAL: Bayley Currey and the No. 45 team overcame several moments of adversity throughout the day at the Charlotte ROVAL to come away with a respectable finish. Currey’s issues began in qualifying, where a spin led to hard contact with the SAFER barrier. The crew made significant repairs to the truck prior to the race, and had to start from the rear of the field after qualifying 12th. Once the race began, Currey maneuvered his way into the top-15 with ease until colliding with his teammate on pit road in stage one. Not to be deterred, the team marched forward again and battled back with plenty of contact made along the way. The battered truck crossed the line in 12th-place.
- Grassroots Outings: Over the last couple of weeks, Currey has spent time racing in the local ranks in multiple types of vehicles. Currey made his CARS Tour Pro Late Model debut two weeks ago at Tri-County Speedway where he contended for the race win before finishing second. Most recently last week, he attempted the Blue Gray 100 Dirt Late Model race at Cherokee Speedway.
- Points Rundown: Currey gained a spot in the driver points standings after his 12th-place run at the Charlotte ROVAL, where he now sits 22nd overall. With three races left, he is 35 points behind Spencer Boyd in 21st and 13 points ahead of Toni Breidinger in 23rd. The No. 45 team continues to hold onto 11th-place in owner points by 32 points over Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team.
- Quoting Currey: You had two really strong runs at Daytona and Atlanta earlier this year, so do you think you’ll use a similar strategy this week?
“I don’t know, I’ve flip-flopped on this multiple times throughout my career of what I think is the best way to approach it. Seeing how our equipment is really good since the guys at Niece Motorsports bring a great truck to the speedway races, that gives us the privilege of being able to ride around in the back for as long as we want to because we have the ability to drive through the field.
I used to hate it in my Xfinity Series days, but a lot of times, my cars weren’t good enough to just drive through the field. Because of that, I had to race the whole time. With these trucks being so fast, I kind of like the idea of riding around. Talladega is usually a lot more calm than Daytona because the track surface is a lot wider, but every time I go with a plan, it usually changes when I start the race.”
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).
