NCTS RACE PREVIEW: TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
Event: Love’s RV Stop 225 (85 laps / 226.1 miles)
Round: 23 of 25 (The Chase)
Track: Talladega Superspeedway
Location: Lincoln, AL
Date & Time: Friday, October 23 | 4:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- Niece Motorsports Talladega Stats:
NCTS Starts: 25; Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 4; Best Finish: 2nd (Trevor Bayne, 2020).
No. 4 Blues Hog Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Cleetus McFarland | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
- McFarland Returns: Hell yeah, brother! Garrett Mitchell (a.k.a. Cleetus McFarland) is back in the No. 4 Niece Motorsports Silverado for his third NCTS start of the season at Talladega Superspeedway. McFarland raced at both Daytona International Speedway and Michigan International Speedway with the team earlier in the year and looks to improve on his career-best finish. In the spring, McFarland led 19 laps in the ARCA race at Talladega and came home as the runner-up finisher.
- McFarland’s Talladega Stats:
Cleetus McFarland will make his first-career NCTS start at Talladega on Friday.
ARCA Starts: 2; Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 2nd (2026)
- Shiplett’s Talladega Stats:
NCS Starts: 12; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 10th (2021).
NOAPS Starts: 7; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 7th (2018).
NCTS Starts: 1; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 9th (2024).
- On the Truck: McFarland’s No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with primary support from Blues Hog, an award-winning premium barbecue product producer based near St. Louis. Blues Hog offers incredible tasting barbecue sauces, rubs, snack sticks, and heat-and-eat meats, and has developed a worldwide fan following.
- Ride With Cleetus: Fans will have a chance to ride along with the No. 4 Chevy throughout the entirety of Friday’s Love’s RV Stop 225 via an onboard camera which will be live streamed on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.
- Recapping Phoenix: Donovan Strauss and the Nightclubs Suck team had a clean evening in Phoenix, gaining valuable experience. In just his second-career NCTS start, Strauss qualified 22nd for the 150-lap race. On the first pit stop of the night, the rookie slid through his pit stall and had to make up for lost ground in stage two. The No. 4 team held serve for the final run to the checkered flag, and Strauss brought his truck home to his best-career finish in 24th-place.
- Quoting McFarland: You almost won your first ARCA Menards Series race here in the spring, so does that help your confidence in returning to Talladega this weekend?
“Well, I’ve also gotten to run the truck more than six laps now, so I was excited getting to go to Michigan and run a full race and end on the lead lap. I have a feel for how the truck drives way better, and I’m just fired up to get back to Dega. I love Dega, I love everything about it, I love the people, I love the boulevard, I love the action, I love Blues Hog, and now I get to go back and hopefully do better than second.”
About Blues Hog: Blues Hog is a nationally recognized producer of premium barbecue products, trusted by top chefs, champion pitmasters, and restaurateurs worldwide. Known as “The Award-Winning Choice of Champions,” Blues Hog offers a diverse lineup of sauces, seasonings, marinades, fuels, meat sticks, and heat-and-eat meats—all crafted to elevate any barbecue experience, from backyard cookouts to elite competitions. With an unwavering commitment to exceptional flavor and quality, Blues Hog delivers next-level taste by blending authentic barbecue tradition with modern convenience. For more information, visit www.BluesHog.com.
No. 42 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Conner Jones | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
- Jones Returns: Conner Jones is back in the seat of the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet for his fifth NCTS start of the season at Talladega. Jones most recently raced at Charlotte two weeks ago, and is in search for his first top-10 finish of the year. His season-best finish heading into Talladega is a 14th-place finish in the spring Charlotte event.
- Jones’ Talladega Stats:
Conner Jones will make his first-career start in any series at Talladega on Friday.
- Polinski’s Talladega Stats:
NCTS Starts: 1; Best Finish: 19th (2025).
- On the Truck: Jones’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with primary support from Niece Equipment, one of the country’s largest producers of fuel & lube trucks.
- Recapping Phoenix: Tyler Reif and the DQS Solutions & Staffing team faced a challenging night in Phoenix. Reif, who returned to the site of his NCTS debut, rolled off the starting grid in 30th-place. The No. 42 struggled to make headway as Reif wrestled the balance on his truck in the first two runs of the night and made slight contact with the outside wall. After making several adjustments on pit road, the team was able to pick up a handful of positions in the final stage. Reif finished the race in 27th-place.
- Owner Points Outlook: Reif’s 27th-place finish at Phoenix kept the No. 42 team posted 24th in the owner point standings. Ahead of Talladega, the team is 44 points behind Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 team in 23rd, and seven points ahead of Rackley W.A.R.’s No. 26 Chevrolet in 25th.
- Quoting Jones: Since you’ve never raced at a super speedway before, what is your mindset heading into this weekend?
“I’m really just going to try and stay in the draft to learn as much as I can on Friday. I’m probably going to stay in the middle and towards the back of the pack to come out of there with a good finish. You have to be smart on the super speedways, and the only way you can get a good finish is to survive the whole race. I’ve raced in Atlanta before but have never been to Talladega, so I’m looking forward to this weekend and hope to have a good run with our Niece Equipment Chevy.”
About Niece Equipment: For over 40 years, Niece Equipment has provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Our reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. Each of our water and fuel/lube trucks are engineered with quality and durability in mind. Our capability ranges from 2,000 gallon water trucks to 12,000 gallon water towers. The fuel/lube trucks we offer range from 600 to 4,000 gallons.
No. 44 Acceptance Insurance Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
- Pérez de Lara’s Talladega Stats:
NCTS Starts: 1; Best Finish: 17th (2025).
ARCA Starts: 2; Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 4th (2023).
- Rogers’ Talladega Stats:
NCS Starts: 7; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 9th (twice – 2009 & 2013).
NOAPS Starts: 7; Wins: 1 (Bobby Labonte, 2007); Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 1.
NCTS Starts: 7; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 10th (2023).
- 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.
- Recapping Phoenix: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Freeway Insurance team overcame early setbacks to come home with a solid finish in Phoenix. Pérez de Lara started deep in the field, but the No. 44 team made positive changes to find speed throughout the race. The Mexico City native drove through the field in the opening two stages and contended for a top-10 finish at the end of the race. As the checkered flag flew, Pérez de Lara came home as the highest finisher from the organization in 12th.
- Driver Points Outlook: Pérez de Lara’s 12th-place finish in Phoenix bumped the driver up two positions in the point standings, now up to 14th overall. With three races left in the season, Pérez de Lara finds himself in a close battle with Brenden Queen and Tanner Gray, who are all separated by just two points. He is also just 13 points behind Justin Haley in 13th.
- Quoting Pérez de Lara: Since you aren’t racing for points, do you feel like you can race more aggressively this weekend considering it will be all about going for the win?
“That’s true. Obviously, we know super speedway racing is very intense and there are a lot of things that can happen. I feel really confident heading into Talladega after the experience I gained in Daytona and Atlanta earlier this year, especially since both of those races were really solid for us. I’m ready to head there this weekend with the freedom to make some more aggressive moves than I’m used to. We don’t have much to lose in terms of the points, so we can be on the aggressive side. Hopefully that will help us stay on the right side of things this time.”
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: Landen Lewis | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
- Lewis’ Talladega Stats:
Landen Lewis will make his first-career start in any series at Talladega on Friday.
- Gould’s Talladega Stats:
NCS Starts: 1; Best Finish: 26th (2014).
NOAPS Starts: 6; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 7th (2015).
NCTS Starts: 7; Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 2nd (2020).
- On the Truck: Lewis’ No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from J.F. Electric and Utilitra, who serve as his anchor partners for the season.
- Recapping Phoenix: Landen Lewis and the Sparco team brought a fast truck to Phoenix, but an electrical issue put a damper on their finishing result. Lewis rocketed to his best-career qualifying effort in fourth-place and drove up to second on the opening lap. Completing stage one in third, the No. 45 team showcased promising speed early on. Towards the end of the second stage, Lewis experienced low battery voltage causing him to sputter to ninth. The team looked under the hood on pit road to rectify the issue, but was ultimately unable to climb back into the top-10. After having to restart from the tail, Lewis made a valiant effort to gain track position and crossed the line in 16th-place.
- Owner Points Outlook: Lewis’ 16th-place finish in Phoenix closed the gap even further in the owner point standings. Still scored in 10th overall, the No. 45 team is now only six points behind the Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet in ninth. The team is also 19 points behind Spire’s No. 77 Chevrolet in eighth, and 21 points behind TRICON Garage’s No. 1 team in seventh.
- Quoting Lewis: Without having any prior experience in this type of racing, how well do you think you’re going to adapt this weekend?
“The biggest thing for me is that Talladega is a completely different animal than any other place, just like Daytona. Not having any plate experience, I’m going to really have to rely on my spotter, Brandon McReynolds. He does a really good job of breaking things down before the race, and I think that will help me a lot this weekend. I’ll definitely talk to all the people I have in my corner as much as possible to soak up whatever knowledge I can. It’s going to be one heck of an experience, that’s fore sure. I just want to make it through the day, because I feel like if you complete all the laps and have a clean day, you’ll get a good finish. That seems to be the theme at the plate tracks, so I am looking forward to making the most out of it with our J.F. Electric Chevy.”
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).
