NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Event: Fresh From Florida 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)
Round: 1 of 25 (Season Opener)
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date & Time: Friday, February 13 | 7:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- Niece Motorsports Daytona Stats:
NCTS Starts: 23; Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 8; Best Finish: 3rd (Ross Chastain, 2019).
- Stacked Driver Lineup: Niece Motorsports is bringing four high-profile drivers to Daytona for Friday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) season-opening race. With global motorsports icons, viral content creators, Cup Series superstars, and international flare, the team is sure to have its share of fan favorites.
No. 4 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Garrett Mitchell (Cleetus McFarland) | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
- Hell Yeah Brother: YouTube star Garrett Mitchell (aka Cleetus McFarland) will attempt to make his first-career NCTS start this week driving the No. 4 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports. McFarland competed in four ARCA Menards Series events in 2025, earning his best-career finish of ninth-place at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- Number Change: Over the offseason, Niece Motorsports unveiled a new truck number for the team’s fourth entry. Switching over from the No. 41 of past years, the newly-rebranded No. 4 truck will make its debut this weekend.
- On the Box: Veteran Crew Chief Mike Shiplett will oversee the No. 4 team this season. Shiplett has been associated with the team since 2024, and split crew chiefing duties last year between the No. 41 and No. 42 teams.
- On the Roof: Joel Edmonds, who spent several years of his career spotting for Greg Biffle, will return to the spotter’s stand as McFarland’s eyes in the sky.
- POV: Fans will be able to ride along with McFarland throughout the entire race with onboard camera views that will be live streamed on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.
- McFarland’s Daytona Stats:
ARCA Starts: 1; Best Finish: 30th (2025).
- Shiplett’s Daytona Stats:
NCS Starts: 13; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 9th (2009).
NOAPS Starts: 14; Wins: 1 (Kyle Larson, 2016); Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 4.
NCTS Starts: 2; Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 4th (2024).
- On the Truck: McFarland’s No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Black Rifle Coffee Company and BRUNT Workwear. The truck will run a special stylized number font as a tribute to Greg Biffle.
- Home Race: McFarland’s hometown of Bradenton, Florida is just over two-and-a-half hours away from Daytona International Speedway, and he will have a large contingent of friends, family, and local supporters at the race.
- Quoting McFarland: What are your thoughts on making your Truck Series debut at Daytona?
“I’m fired up to be racing for Niece Motorsports alongside Ricky (Stenhouse), Travis (Pastrana), and Andrés (Pérez de Lara). I feel really blessed to be on a team with them. This will be my first truck race, which is very exciting, and I want to make everyone proud. I’m hoping to go out there and use the things Greg Biffle taught me to stay on the track, keep my truck in one piece, and learn as much as I can. I’ve got a lot to learn, and I’m working my way towards running in the Daytona 500 one day, so this is the next step in that career path.”
About Black Rifle Coffee Company: Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) is a Veteran-founded coffee company serving premium coffee to people who love America. Founded in 2014 by Green Beret Evan Hafer, Black Rifle develops their explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus they learned while serving in the military. BRCC is committed to supporting Veterans, active-duty military, first responders and the American way of life. To learn more about BRCC, visit www.blackriflecoffee.com
No. 42 BRUNT Workwear Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Travis Pastrana | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
- Guess Who’s Back: Action sports icon Travis Pastrana returns to NASCAR this week driving the No. 42 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports. Pastrana has raced for the team on several occasions in the past, but hasn’t competed in the sport since 2023.
- On the Box: Rookie Crew Chief Landon Polinski will continue to lead the No. 42 team throughout the 2026 season. Polinski spent several years working as a Race Engineer for the team before he was promoted to the role for the final eight races last year.
- On the Roof: Longtime spotter TJ Majors returns to Niece Motorsports to spot for the No. 42 team this season. Majors has been with the team for several years now and spotted for the same truck last season.
- POV: Fans will be able to ride along with Pastrana throughout the entire race with onboard camera views that will be live streamed on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.
- Shake & Bake: Pastrana teamed up with Cleetus McFarland to train for this week’s race and will be regularly posting content documenting the race weekend on the Channel 199 YouTube channel.
- Pastrana’s Daytona Stats:
NCS Starts: 1; Best Finish: 11th (2023).
NOAPS Starts: 2; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 10th (2013).
NCTS Starts: 1; Best Finish: 13th (2023).
- Polinski’s Daytona Stats: Landon Polinski will make his first NCTS start as a crew chief at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.
- On the Truck: Pastrana’s No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from BRUNT Workwear and Black Rifle Coffee Company. The truck will run a special stylized number font as a tribute to Greg Biffle.
- Quoting Pastrana: You’ve made a bunch of starts over the years but it’s been a while since you raced a truck. How pumped are you to be back in NASCAR?
“I’m pumped to get back on track at Daytona. This will be my first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race since 2023, so jumping back into the Niece Chevrolet is going to be a blast. Daytona is one of those places where anything can happen, and lining up with Cleetus and Ricky just adds to the fun. BRUNT and Black Rifle Coffee Company have been awesome partners, from everything we’re doing at Pastranaland to Channel 199, so it’s pretty cool to take on this next challenge together and see how it plays out.”
About BRUNT Workwear: Launched in 2020, BRUNT Workwear is retooling the way the workwear industry works by collaborating with trade workers to develop boots and apparel that provide the best performance, durability and comfort hard-earned money can buy. BRUNT products are developed to provide solutions that make real workers’ lives easier, a mission brought to life by the fact that each signature product is named after a real worker who inspired the design. BRUNT’s workwear lineup includes a range of waterproof, safety toe, and breathable boots for every worker, as well as a broad selection of apparel and accessories that are built to deliver performance and comfort on the job.
No. 44 Acceptance Insurance Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
- Andrés Returns: Sophomore driver Andrés Pérez de Lara returns to Niece Motorsports to drive the No. 44 Chevrolet full-time in 2026. Pérez de Lara made a midseason change over to the team last year, completing the last eight races of his rookie season.
- On the Box: Veteran Crew Chief Wally Rogers will continue to lead the No. 44 team for the second year in a row. Rogers has been at Niece Motorsports since 2021, and has overseen several of the team’s entries over the years.
- On the Roof: Former driver Andy Houston will continue to spot for the No. 44 team this year. Houston initially joined the team last year for select events, but will now serve as the primary spotter for the truck throughout the whole year.
- Pérez de Lara’s Daytona Stats:
NCTS Starts: 1; Best Finish: 14th (2025).
ARCA Starts: 2; Best Finish: 12th (2024).
- Rogers’ Daytona Stats:
NCS Starts: 8; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 7th (2014).
NOAPS Starts: 14; Wins: 2 (Randy LaJoie, 2001 & Tony Stewart, 2006); Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 2.
NCTS Starts: 6; Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 2nd (2020).
- On the Truck: Pérez de Lara’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Acceptance Insurance, who serves as the team’s anchor partner this season.
- Quoting Pérez de Lara: You finished off last season with Niece Motorsports and are back full-time this year. What are your thoughts returning to the team?
“I’m super excited to come back to Niece Motorsports after a strong building year we had in 2025. To carry that into 2026 with the same team, and by also welcoming Acceptance Insurance on board with us, I have extra motivation to go out and find more of those good results. I’m excited to return to Daytona, and I think that visiting these tracks again for a second time will be a good advantage. The whole No. 44 team and I are ready to have a great season.”
About Acceptance Insurance: Acceptance Insurance is a proud member of Confie, the largest personal lines agency in the U.S. We believe in investing in the communities we serve by offering affordable insurance solutions so our customers can have peace of mind. Our agents and team members uphold our values, which include promoting excellence, responsibility and caring.
Acceptance has been in business for over 50 years. We have over 700 agents in over 288 neighborhood locations ready to give you the service, respect and savings you deserve. We come to you so you can find the solutions you need, regardless of your background and driving record. We offer easy solutions to meet your unique needs.
No. 45 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
- NCTS Debut Race: NASCAR Cup Series veteran Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joins Niece Motorsports to make his first-career NCTS start on Friday. The 2023 DAYTONA 500 winner and two-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts champion will drive the No. 45 truck in the first two races of the year at Daytona and Atlanta.
- On the Box: Niece Motorsports Director of Competition Phil Gould continues to lead the No. 45 team in 2026. Gould has been an instrumental asset to the company since 2019, and is the winningest crew chief for the organization.
- On the Roof: Brandon McReynolds will serve as the No. 45 team’s primary spotter this season. McReynolds first joined the team last year spotting in select events for the No. 44 entry, and is the NCS spotter for Ross Chastain’s No. 1 team at Trackhouse Racing.
- Stenhouse Jr.’s Daytona Stats:
NCS Starts: 27; Poles: 1 (2020); Wins: 2 (2017 & 2023); Top-Fives: 3; Top-10s: 4.
NOAPS Starts: 7; Poles: 1 (2012); Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 3; Best Finish: 2nd (2012).
- Gould’s Daytona Stats:
NOAPS Starts: 12; Wins: 1 (Ryan Reed, 2017); Top-Fives: 3; Top-10s: 5.
NCTS Starts: 7; Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 3rd (2019).
- On the Truck: Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from J.F. Electric and Utilitra.
- Quoting Stenhouse Jr.: You’ve raced a lot of cars, but have never ran a truck in the draft before. What do you anticipate the biggest difference being in them?
“I feel like the Truck Series drafting races play out a lot different than the Cup or O’Reilly Series races. I feel like these will be more similar to the ARCA races that I ran back in the day a long time ago in 2008. I’ll watch a ton of film and talk to Phil to learn what their trucks are used to and find out what kind of issues to look out for. For me, it’s a lot of tape prep to see how the races play out at Daytona. Talladega is a different animal even though they’re both super speedways, so I’ll be deep diving in on Daytona. I’ll probably call a few people and see what they feel like in these trucks and find out what’s different than what I’m used to in the Cup cars. I just have a lot of book work to do.”
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 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).
