NCTS RACE RECAP: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
Event: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race (134 laps / 201 miles)
Round: 25 of 25 (Season Finale)
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Location: Homestead, FL
Date & Time: Friday, November 6 | 7:30 PM ET
No. 45 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Landen Lewis | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Start: 14th | Stage 1: 15th | Stage 2: 13th
Finish: 14th | Driver Points: 19th | Owner Points: 10th
- Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the J.F. Electric team experienced some close calls and made some great saves in the season finale at Homestead-Miami. Lewis rolled off the starting grid from 14th and rebounded after making a substantial slide in stage one. After a smooth stage two, the No. 45 team made a charge to climb inside the top-10 in the final stage. With less than 20 laps to go, Lewis got clipped in the left-rear and executed another masterful save to hang onto his truck. The rookie kept his cool, pressed on, and crossed the finish line with a respectable result in 14th-place.
- Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts: Interviewer: Landen Lewis, a hard-fought night. Just how did you feel about tonight overall?
“Overall, I thought, well, it’s my first time here, so I had a lot of learning to do throughout the first stage and made good gains. I feel like we ended up like 13th or 14th in stage one and had really good pit stops all night long. They did a great job on pit road and got me the track position. We were running right there inside the top-10 and I was really happy. Obviously, we want to go win and go run around the top-three, but you’ve got to build the stepping stones first before you start running.
I was really happy with everything how it was going, and then with how that cycle worked at the very end, there were a couple trucks that stayed out on older tires and it kind of jumbled everybody up and put me in a bad spot. We almost wrecked in turn three, had a good save, and at that point obviously the tires were just junked. But overall, it’s just a great night and I’m so proud of this J.F. Electric Chevrolet. Niece Motorsports, Phil Gould, and everyone just welcomed me in all year long by giving me good trucks and getting me the experience that I need. Again, I’m proud to be a part of this team, and I just can’t wait to build.”
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. 4 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Connor Hall | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Start: 11th | Stage 1: 21st | Stage 2: 21st
Finish: 18th | Driver Points: 38th | Owner Points: 33rd
- Key Takeaway: Connor Hall and the Niece Equipment team maintained a smooth evening at Homestead-Miami. Hall qualified the highest out of his teammates in 11th-place, displaying a solid pace. The No. 4 Chevrolet slid back to 21st in both stage one and two, but Hall kept his team in the fight as he gained valuable experience. After making adjustments ahead of the final stage, Hall developed an issue which hindered his ability to extract the full potential out of his truck. He drove smart through the end of the race and closed the season with an 18th-place result.
- Connor Hall’s Post-Race Thoughts: “After practice last night and after qualifying earlier today, I thought we were pretty good. I felt like maybe we could be a 10th to 12th-place truck, but I don’t know. Just right from the start, it fired off a little different than I expected. As it turned out, we figured out that we had something going south in the rear end and just had to manage the expectations of what we were able to accomplish. When we found that issue, I didn’t want to try and overstep by trying too hard and put myself in a compromising situation, especially after some of the lessons I learned at Kansas. I’m very thankful that I got to run all these races this year with Niece Motorsports. Huge thanks to Al Niece and Niece Equipment, Greg Fowler and Cory Darr with J.F. Electric, Josh Morris with DQS Solutions & Staffing, Cody Efaw, Jason Wilson, Mike Shiplett, and everyone on my No. 4 team for their hard work this year.”
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. 42 Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Tyler Reif | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
Start: 25th | Stage 1: 27th | Stage 2: 28th
Finish: 21st | Driver Points: 29th | Owner Points: 24th
- Key Takeaway: Tyler Reif and the Utilitra team made gains throughout the race at Homestead-Miami. Starting in 25th, Reif ran conservatively early in the first two stages. The No. 42 team made handling changes to set up for the final stage, and Reif was in position to nab a solid result. On a late restart, Reif found himself in a treacherous situation as a wreck occurred directly in front of him, but minimized the damage after making slight contact with another truck. The rookie was able to stay on track and drove to a 21st-place finish to end the season.
- Tyler Reif’s Post-Race Thoughts: “I thought tonight went really well overall. I think we came here with one goal, and that was just to learn and get better for next year. I don’t think that we had a top-10 run, but I would say we had potential to make it a top-12 or top-15 run tonight. We were up there on one of the last restarts when the No. 15 (Tanner Gray) and the No. 18 (Tyler Ankrum) got together in front of me and I had nowhere to go. We lost some spots there, then got caught out behind some guys on old tires. There were a lot of positives to take away from tonight. Definitely more positives than negatives, so I’m going to come out of here with that positive attitude and put it in the notebook to come back stronger next year.”
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 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Start: 22nd | Stage 1: 18th | Stage 2: 15th
Finish: 33rd | Driver Points: 16th | Owner Points: 22nd
- Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Freeway Insurance team were sidelined through no fault of their own in the season finale at Homestead-Miami. Pérez de Lara started the race in 22nd, but moved forward in every run. The team was poised for a solid result but became victims of circumstance after hitting oil when another truck lost its engine late in the event. After making repairs, Pérez de Lara was in the process of working his way back through the field when a multi-truck crash unfolded directly in front of him on lap 115. Unfortunately, he was unable to avoid the spinning trucks and received heavy damage. The No. 44 was forced out of the race, crediting Pérez de Lara with a 33rd-place finish.
- Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts:
Interviewer: Andrés Pérez, it looked like you had a decent night going. What happened there in that incident at the end?
“Yeah, I think it was just a decent night. We had decent speed, but were definitely just needing a little bit more. When the No. 77 (Nick Sanchez) leaked oil on the racetrack, I hit the wall after running through it. We restarted in the back after making repairs, then just ran into the other big incident with the No. 15 (Tanner Gray) and the No. 45 (Landen Lewis). I had nothing to do with it; they just came up the track. We had just a little bit too much damage to continue, so I hated to end the season like that, but that’s how the night went.
Interviewer: How do you feel about your season overall?
“Well, I think this year’s story is the same as this race. I feel like we have had some really good pace throughout the year, but probably didn’t finish most of the races where we deserved. Just very bad luck. We just had really bad breaks, and that’s how I feel, right? I feel like there was a lot of potential, but I just wish we could have explored it a little bit more. I’m just really thankful for all of the work my guys did, Niece Motorsports, Freeway Insurance, Acceptance Insurance, Telcel, just a lot of people to thank. I’ll take all the learnings and move on for next year.”
About Freeway Insurance: Built for drivers who like to do things their way, Freeway Insurance makes it easy to compare options, choose coverage that fits your ride and your budget, and save. With a simple click, call, or come in approach, we help drivers stay in control and keep moving forward. From auto and truck to motorcycle, homeowners, renters, and more, Freeway offers coverage designed for every journey. Compare. Choose. Save Freeway, Your Way.
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).
