NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Event: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (134 laps / 201 miles)
Round: 11 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, May 23 | 8:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90

Team Stats & Notes

• Niece Motorsports Charlotte Stats: Since 2017, Niece drivers have made 23 combined starts at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. The team has accrued four top-fives and eight top-10 results over the years, including a race win in 2022 with Ross Chastain.
• Supporting a Great Cause: As Memorial Day nears, Niece Motorsports is actively raising funds for Wreaths Across America – a charitable organization that remembers the fallen, honors those who serve, and teaches children the value of freedom. To contribute to the cause, please visit this link.

No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

• Mills’ Charlotte Stats: Matt Mills has competed in four NCTS races held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Last year, Mills earned his best-career finish at the 1.5-mile track with an impressive fourth-place result. Mills has also made four NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts at this track with a best finish of 20th.
• Shiplett’s Charlotte Stats: Mike Shiplett has called one prior NCTS race at Charlotte, where he finished 14th last year with Bret Holmes. Shiplett has visited victory lane on two occasions here, first in 2007 with Kasey Kahne and second in 2017 with Alex Bowman – both in NXS competition. In 11 NXS starts, his drivers earned three top-fives and five top-10 results. Shiplett has also competed in 11 Cup Series races at the track, finishing as high as fifth in 2011.
• On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric and Utilitra, who will serve as his anchor partners for the entire 25-race season.
• Patriotic Paint Scheme: Mills’ truck will sport a new look on Friday’s race as the team unveils a patriotic-themed version of the J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet. With bright, shining stars draped down the sides and carrying onto the bed tops, this paint scheme stands out from the crowd.
• Recapping North Wilkesboro: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team fought hard at North Wilkesboro, but weren’t able to get the finish they had hoped for. Mills started the 250-lap race in 16th, but slid back early. After taking the wave-around, the team got back onto the lead lap in the middle of the race, but lacked track position to go forward. Mills crossed the finish line in 25th-place.
• Points Rundown: Mills remains in 18th-place in the championship points standings following North Wilkesboro. Heading into race 11 at Charlotte, Mills is only two points behind Connor Mosack in 17th, with a one-point gap above Dawson Sutton in 19th.
• Quoting Mills: You earned your best-career finish in this race last year, so how is your confidence level coming back?

“Charlotte has always been one of my favorite tracks. I’ve felt that we have always had speed whenever we race at this track, whether that be in trucks or Xfinity cars. I enjoy racing close to home, and it’s always a big weekend for Niece Motorsports on Memorial Day weekend. Since it’s such a special week, there’s extra motivation for sure. Being that it is one of my favorites, I have more confidence going into it, and that’s one of the biggest tools to help us.”

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 North Carolina Department of Transportation Protect Your Melon Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ross Chastain | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

• Chastain Returns: Ross Chastain will make his second NCTS start of the season on Friday night in Charlotte. The NASCAR Cup Series veteran last drove the No. 44 entry at Homestead-Miami Speedway back in March where he finished in sixth-place. Chastain will also pilot the truck at Michigan International Speedway on June 7, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 25, and Watkins Glen on August 8 to complete his schedule of events.
• Chastain’s Charlotte Stats: Since 2012, Ross Chastain has competed in six NCTS races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, picking up three top-10 finishes in the process. Last time he drove a truck here, Chastain stormed to victory lane in 2022. In 11 NXS starts, Chastain’s best finish was fourth-place in 2020. Out of seven Cup Series races, his best finish came last year when he ran eighth.
• Rogers’ Charlotte Stats: Wally Rogers has called seven NCTS races at Charlotte and picked up his best finish of ninth-place with Matt Crafton in 2004. Though he was not on the box in last year’s event, Rogers finished 17th in 2023 with Lawless Alan. Rogers has also made 12 starts apiece in NXS and NCS competition.
• On the Truck: Chastain’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from the North Carolina Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and Florida Watermelon Association. The Protect Your Melon initiative is centered around the importance of using seatbelts on the road.
• Patriotic Paint Scheme: The Protect Your Melon branding will carry a unique patriotic-themed paint scheme which ties the red, white, and blue stars and stripes with watermelon accents down the sides of the truck.
• Recapping North Wilkesboro: Conner Jones and the No. 44 team quietly worked on a solid outing in North Wilkesboro, but a flat tire derailed their finish. Jones started 23rd and gained track position throughout the opening stage. With just a handful of laps remaining in the second stage, the bead melted on Jones’ right-front tire, damaging the truck in the process. The team made repairs to complete the race, but were shown four laps down in 27th-place.
• Owner Points Rundown: The No. 44 team slid back one spot in the owner points standings after last week’s outing in North Wilkesboro. Now ranked in 18th-place, the team sits four points behind ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 entry in 17th while being 14 points ahead of McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s No. 91 Chevrolet in 19th.
• Quoting Chastain: What makes truck racing so exciting to watch at Charlotte?

“I think Charlotte is a great track for us to race on. The pavement is wore out and bumpy, so we’re always searching around for grip. With how short the truck race is compared to the other series, we all know that we have to make moves quickly to get track position. When we were able to win here a few years ago, it felt so rewarding because we had been close so many other times. I’m hoping we can have another chance at doing that again this week with our North Carolina Department of Transportation Protect Your Melon Chevy.”

About the North Carolina Governor’s Office of Highway Safety: Dedicated to reducing the numbers of traffic crashes and fatalities in North Carolina, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program promotes efforts to reduce traffic crashes in North Carolina and promotes highway safety awareness through a variety of grants and safe-driving initiatives.

About Florida Watermelon Association: The Florida Watermelon Association (FWA) was formed to enable growers and marketers of the Florida watermelon industry to unite. Organized membership allows the Association to promote the consumption of watermelons grown in Florida. The FWA assists its members in the growing and marketing of watermelons by providing a forum through this Corporations’ meetings.

No. 45 Foundation For Pops Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

• Honeycutt’s Charlotte Stats: Kaden Honeycutt’s lone start at Charlotte Motor Speedway came last year, when he finished in seventh-place.
• Gould’s Charlotte Stats: Phil Gould has called six NCTS races at Charlotte, with his drivers capturing two top-fives (best of second-place with Carson Hocevar in 2021) and five top-10 finishes. In 11 NXS starts, Gould earned one top-five (fifth with Brian Scott in 2014) and four top-10 finishes.
• On the Truck: Honeycutt’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Foundation For Pops, a charitable organization that works to assist veterans.
• Patriotic Paint Scheme: Returning from last year with some added changes, the Foundation For Pops paint scheme embodies the signature MARPAT camouflage developed by the United States Marine Corps. Adorned in stars throughout the truck, this is a fan favorite look from the team.
• Recapping North Wilkesboro: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team overcame mid-race setbacks to score their sixth top-10 finish of the season at North Wilkesboro. Honeycutt started ninth, but lost some spots in the opening two stages and did not gain any points in the process. Late in the race, a costly pit road penalty forced Honeycutt to start in the rear, but the team clawed their way back. Once the checkered flag flew, the team finished in eighth-place.
• Points Rundown: Honeycutt remains above the Playoffs cutline despite dropping one spot in the points standings to ninth after last race in North Wilkesboro. Entering Charlotte, the driver is nine points behind Layne Riggs in eighth, and has an 18-point gap over Stewart Friesen in 10th.
• Quoting Honeycutt: Knowing that you had a chance to win this race last year, how hungry are you to earn it this time?

“I think last year at Charlotte, I didn’t do a good enough job on the short runs and lost too much time to the No. 11 (Corey Heim) specifically. For everything we went through, we still had a shot to win it there at the end if it had gone green. We’re coming back here with basically the same mindset of trying to go out and win it for our team owner, Al Niece. Our Foundation For Pops Chevy looks great, and it would be so special for us to pull off our first win together on Memorial Day weekend.”

About Foundation for Pops: At Foundation for Pops, our vision is to cultivate a society where the transformative power of education, empowerment, and inclusive support dismantles barriers to economic mobility and stable housing. Guided by our core values of Positive Mindset, Empowerment, Respect, Innovation, and Community Collaboration, we aspire to be a beacon of hope for people experiencing homelessness and veterans, fostering a community where everyone can rebuild their lives with dignity and contribute meaningfully to the world.

About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2025, the team celebrates its 10th consecutive season competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) where it fields the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45. Since its founding in 2016, Niece Motorsports has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 200+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a trusted build shop for the Chevrolet Silverados of multiple NCTS teams 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).

• In three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (CMS), Spire Motorsports has earned one top-10 and two top-15 finishes. Last season, Connor Mosack collected a team-best eighth-place result at CMS. The Mooresville, N.C., organization fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Nos. 07 and 7 entries will see a rotating roster of all-star caliber drivers throughout the season, while Rajah Caruth and Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Andres Perez de Lara will pilot the Nos. 71 and 77, respectively, for the full slate of races.
• The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will be televised live on FS1 Friday, May 23 beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 11th of 25 races on the 2025 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series calendar will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

B.J. McLeod – Driver, No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

• B.J. McLeod will drive Spire Motorsports’ No. 07 Pigeon Force Racing Coaster Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• The co-owner and founder of Live Fast Motorsports has 41 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts to his credit and will make his first series appearance since May 2021 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In 2015 he made a lone CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at CMS where he started 25th and finished 31st.
• Friday will mark the third time McLeod has competed under the Spire Motorsports banner. He made back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series starts aboard the No. 77 Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in June 2020. Veteran crew chief and current road mechanic for the No. 77 Cup Series team, Peter Sospenzo, was atop the box for both events.
• The Pigeon Forge (Tenn.) Racing Coaster is the ultimate adventure for thrill seekers looking to experience an adrenaline-pumping ride like no other. This exciting mountain coaster invites riders to race friends or family as they speed through twists and turns, all while competing for the checkered flag. While riding the coaster, riders get the chance to see expansive views of Pigeon Forge from all different viewpoints. Whether it’s challenging friends or enjoying a family outing, the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster promises an unforgettable experience for all ages.
• The Wauchula, Fla., native has registered over 100 Super Late Model victories and multiple championships throughout the southeastern United States, including triumphs in the 2006 Bright House Challenge Series and 2010 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
• In August of 1997, McLeod achieved his first Super Late Model victory at the Orlando (Fla.) Speed World at 13 years old. Two months later, he became the youngest to compete in an American Speed Association (ASA) National Tour event, finishing 18th in the North Carolina Sweet Potato 400 at Southern National (N.C.) Motorsports Park.
• The 41-year-old is also a veteran of 359 NASCAR National Touring Series starts, 19 of which have come at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He collected a venue-best 17th-place finish in the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series event behind the wheel of a JD Motorsports Chevy.
• The Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster colors will wrap Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-073 Friday night. Chase Purdy earned a chassis-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway in 2023 when it was the property of Kyle Busch Motorsports.

B.J. McLeod Quote
You haven’t raced a truck since 2015. What are your thoughts heading into Charlotte and making your first start behind the wheel of a Spire Motorsports Silverado?
“I’m really excited to get back in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. I love truck racing. I am looking forward to Friday and having the opportunity to compete up front in a really fast Spire Motorsports Silverado that this No. 07 team has worked hard to put together. It’s going to be something I’ve never experienced and am looking forward to getting to work.”

Atop the No. 07 Box – Crew Chief Allen Hart

• Allen Hart calls the shots for the No. 07 team, an entry that will see a rotating roster of drivers throughout the 2025 campaign.
• Last season, the 43-year-old served as the race engineer for Nick Sanchez and the No. 2 team that claimed victory in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Sanchez restarted seventh on a late-race restart with nine laps remaining, making the move for the lead before the field reached the stripe. He held the top spot for the final nine circuits to score his second-career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory.
• Last time out at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, the No. 07 team and driver Kyle Busch battled back from a pair of pit-road speeding penalties to secure a ninth-place finish.
• The Midland, Mich., native earned his first career win in a crew chief role in March’s Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After a spin midway through the Final Stage, Kyle Larson made an impressive run through the field over the event’s final 40 circuits, chasing down the leaders with two laps remaining to make the winning move.
• Through 10 races, No. 07 team sits sixth in the division’s owner’s championship point standings on the strength of one win, three top-five and four top-10 finishes.

Kyle Busch – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

• Kyle Busch will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• The 40-year-old will contest his 178th CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Charlotte, his best track, statistically speaking. In 15 starts, Busch has accrued eight wins, 12 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, while leading the field for 789 circuits. To add to his complete domination of a stat column, the veteran driver has maintained an average starting position of 5.5 and a 2.8 average finish.
• Busch secured his first of 67 series victories at the facility in 2005, driving a Chevrolet for longtime friend and team owner Billy Ballew.
• In addition to his impressive resume behind the wheel of a truck at CMS, nine of the Xfinity Series’ all-time winningest driver’s 102 checkered flags came at the Concord, N.C., venue. He rounds out his long list of NASCAR national touring series victories at “America’s Home for Racing” with a 2018 Coca-Cola 600 crown.
• The two-time Cup Series champion has made 82 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts on 1.5-mile tracks, racking up 39 wins, 60 top fives, 70 top 10s, 3,978 laps lead and an average finish of 5.3. He has emerged victorious in 47.5 percent of his mile-and-a-half starts while securing a top-10 finish 85 percent of the time.
• The Las Vegas native holds the record for most CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins (67) and lowest average finish in series history (6.5), while ranking second on the series’ all-time laps led list (8,130).
• In his past 13 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series appearances, Busch has finished in the first or second position nine times, six of which ended with a trip to Victory Lane.
• Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
• In Busch’s most recent CRAFTSMAN Truck Series outing with the No. 7 team, he defended his 2024 victory in the Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, spending all 135 laps in the top 15, leading a race-high 80 laps and recording both a field-leading average running position (3.2) and driver rating (124.6).
• In five starts last season with Spire Motorsports, Busch snagged two wins (Atlanta and Texas Motor Speedway), three top fives and 263 laps led.
• Busch will return to the No. 07 Chevrolet next weekend at Nashville Superspeedway before rounding out his five-race CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule at Watkins Glen International on August 8.
• “Rowdy” will pilot Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-081 on Friday. He has driven the truck to victories at Texas (April 2024) and Atlanta earlier this season.

Kyle Busch Quote
What are your thoughts heading into Friday’s race at Charlotte?
“Charlotte is the track where I won my first Truck Series race with Billy Ballew back in 2005 — kind of crazy that was 20 years ago. It’s been a few years since I’ve raced the Charlotte truck race, so I’m really looking forward to it. I know we’ll have a lot of support from all the friends and families of Spire employees out cheering us on. We had a lot of speed in our truck earlier this year at Atlanta and I know that Brian (Pattie, crew chief) and that team had a lot of speed in their trucks at Texas and Kansas. I’m confident that we’ll have a Gainbridge Chevy capable of bringing home another win Friday night.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Brian Pattie

• Brian Pattie stands atop of the No. 7 pit box, an entry that will see a plethora of all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2025 season.
• The only prior occasion in which the Pattie-Busch duo teamed up at Charlotte Motor Speedway came in Busch’s Xfinity Series debut in May 2003. The young driver led 33 laps aboard NEMCO Motorsports’ No. 87 Chevy but was forced to settle for the runner-up position behind Cup Series star Matt Kenseth.
• The Zephyrhills, Fla., native has called two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at CMS, highlighted by an eighth-place finish with Connor Mosack last season.
• Last weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sammy Smith battled day-long handling woes to secure a 10th-place finish in the No. 7 Silverado, his fourth such result in seven CRAFTSMAN Truck Series appearances.
• Through nine races, the No. 7 team sits 10th in the division’s owner’s championship point standings on the strength of two wins, three top-five and four top-10 finishes.
• The No. 7 team defended its 2024 victory in the Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February with Busch behind the wheel. The Las Vegas driver spent all 135 laps in the top 15 while leading a race-high 80 laps and recording a field-leading average running position (3.2) and driver rating (124.6).
• Earlier this month, Pattie called Carson Hocevar to victory at Kansas Speedway as the Michigan-native led 75 of the event’s 134 laps. The win marks Spire Motorsports’ eighth CRAFTSMAN Truck Series triumph.
• The 24-year industry veteran spent 14 seasons in NASCAR’s premier division. As a crew chief, he has amassed six wins in Cup Series competition, 11 in the Xfinity Series and seven in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He stands as one of 11 crew chiefs to win races across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.

Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

• Rajah Caruth will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado in Friday evening’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• The 22-year-old has made two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at CMS, highlighted by an 11th-place result in 2023.
• In a lone ARCA Menards Series appearance at “America’s Home for Racing,” the recent Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University graduate drove a WSSU Rams-sponsored Chevrolet to a third-place result after pacing the field for 27 laps.
• Last week at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Caruth had an inevitable top-five finish erased after he was collected in a last-lap incident. He eventually crossed the line in 15th.
• Through the first 10 events on the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series calendar, Caruth has earned two top fives and five top 10s, while pacing the field for 115 circuits – doubling his total of 56 from the 2024 campaign.
• HENDRICKCARS.COM is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop more than 30,000 new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
• The 2024 season marked a career year for Caruth, tallying one win, a pair of Cometic Gasket Pole Awards and five top-five finishes, all of which were the first of his young career. The 12 top-10 finishes on the season tripled Caruth’s total of four in 2023, while his average starting position of 10.7 was four positions higher than 2023 and his 11.6 average finish was an impressive seven positions higher.
• With his first career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last season, Caruth became the third African-American driver to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race, joining 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott and current Cup Series star Bubba Wallace.
• Caruth and the No. 71 team qualified for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs in 2024, the first such appearance for the former Washington, D.C., resident. Despite reaching the Round of 8, mechanical issues stalled his championship bid in the season’s penultimate event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
• The blue and white HENDRICKCARS.COM colors will wrap Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-080. The truck has seen action five times, securing a chassis-best third-place finish in its most recent appearance at Texas earlier this month.

Rajah Caruth Quotes
You have shown race-winning speed on mile-and-a-half tracks. What do you need to do this weekend to seal the deal?
“Mile-and-a-half tracks have definitely been a strong suit for me. I obviously won at Vegas last year, but have shown speed at Texas and Kansas in the past, in addition to Charlotte. I really should have won the ARCA race there a couple years back, and was moving forward in the truck race last year when a caution put us on the wrong side of strategy. I think we will be very competitive come Friday.”

How do you rebound one-week removed from a disappointing last-lap incident that knocked you out of a top-five finish?
“It was a disappointment for sure. I was top of three-wide when the leaders got together and I just had nowhere to go. If we had gotten by it clean, I think we could have finished fourth or better. We were able to get some stage points, which helps us in maintaining in the standings, but you are left wondering what could have been. Everything is business as usual. All focus is on Charlotte this week and maximizing our day and points earned.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion

• Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called seven CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events at Charlotte, collecting two wins, three top-five and four top-10 finishes.
• As a crew chief at Chip Ganassi Racing, Manion helped Jamie McMurray to a runner-up finish in the 2011 Coca-Cola 600. Four months later, the pairing scored their third win of the season when the series returned to the Concord-oval for the Bank of America 500.
• Manion secured his first of two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins at “America’s Home for Racing” with Kyle Busch in the 2017 event. Busch dominated the night, leading 90 of the event’s 134 laps en route to Victory Lane.
• Last season, the 52-year-old called Nick Sanchez and the No. 2 team to victory in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Sanchez restarted seventh on a late-race restart with nine laps remaining, making the move for the lead before the field reached the stripe. He held the top spot for the final nine circuits to score his second-career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory.
• Manion, a 31-year veteran of the sport, founded Spire Motorsports’ CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program alongside industry veteran Mike Greci in 2022. The team claimed their first victory in their second outing with William Byron behind the wheel at Martinsville Speedway.
• The 53-year-old has racked up six Cup Series victories – including the 2010 Daytona 500 – 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series triumphs and 11 CRAFTSMAN Truck series wins. Manion is also one of 11 crew chiefs to have called wins across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.
• In 2023, Manion became one of few to call a race in all three of NASCAR’s national series in a single season, all of which came under the Spire Motorsports banner. He led the part-time effort on the No. 7 Silverado in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, helped in limited starts for Carson Hocevar in the Xfinity Series and took the reigns during the second half of the Cup Series season for Ty Dillon and the No. 77 team.

Andres Perez de Lara – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

• Andres Perez de Lara will pilot the No. 77 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• The 20-year-old will make his third career start at the 1.5-mile oval and his first in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In two prior starts in ARCA Menards Series (AMS) competition, Perez de Lara has logged two top 10 and one top five. In the 2024 General Tire 150, he secured a third-place finish after securing the General Tire Pole Award.
• In six AMS appearances on 1.5-mile ovals, the 2024 ARCA Menards Series champion has collected one top-five and three top-10 finishes.
• 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.
• Beyond technology, Telcel is committed to supporting excellence in sports, particularly in motorsports. As a proud and long-time sponsor of Perez de Lara, Telcel fuels the passion for speed, precision and performance, driving success both on and off the track. Telcel will be a season-long partner with Perez de Lara and the No. 77 team.
• The 20 year-old has made 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, nine of which were behind the wheel of a Spire Motorsports Chevy Silverado. He registered his first-career top 10 in his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut last June at World Wide Technology Raceway via a ninth-place result. His career-best seventh-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in March marked his second top 10 in the series.
• The Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender juggled his duties while also competing full time in the NASCAR Mexico Series. In 2023, he earned the Rookie of the Year award while finishing fourth in the division’s championship point standings and reaching the series’ version of the NASCAR playoffs. His lone win in the series came at Ovalo Aguascalientes, a 0.875-mile oval.
• Fueler Brandon Chapman was part of the crew that claimed victory in last week’s Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The No. 71 Delaware Life crew clocked a 12.857 second stop, besting their nearest competitor by a mere three one-thousandths of a second.
• Perez de Lara will pilot Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-082 on Friday. Rajah Caruth drove the truck to a pair of top 10s in his 2024 playoff run.

Andres Perez de Lara Quotes
You have had speed at Charlotte during your time in the ARCA Menards Series. How do you feel about your first CRAFTSMAN TRUCK series start at the track?
“I am excited to get back to Charlotte. This is one that everyone looks forward to it because it is close to home. This is the one true home track for everyone. I feel like my experience in ARCA will help me a lot here. Last year, I sat on the pole and ran up front for the whole race. Even during my rookie season in 2023, I qualified well and was in contention for a good finish all day. I feel comfortable with the weekend. I will have to be patient and maintain my track position to be there at the end.”

You took part in a rookie test at Charlotte last month. How do you feel the added track time has helped you prepare for the weekend?
“The test at Charlotte was beneficial for me and my No. 77 team. We were able to run a bunch of laps and make changes to help get our Silverado better. I got comfortable with the lines I need to run to make speed in our Telcel Silverado and to get familiar with my surroundings. We were able to run competitive lap times throughout the test, so hopefully that will translate to Friday. I feel like we have worked better together as a team since the test. Can’t wait to see how all the hard work has paid off this Friday.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

• Crew chief Chad Walter has called four CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Walter-prepared trucks own an average starting position of 7.5 and secured a venue-best 11th-place result with Rajah Caruth at GMS Racing in 2023.
• While paired Caruth in 2024, Walter called the young driver to four top 10 finishes on 1.5-mile ovals, including his first-career victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• In 14 appearances atop the box in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at CMS, Cornell (N.Y.) University graduate has amassed three top fives and five top 10s, highlighted by a runner-up finish with Casey Mears and Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 team in 2007. One day later, Mears claimed his only Cup Series victory in the Coca-Cola 600.
• Between NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the Albion, N.Y. native has racked up six wins, 52 top fives and 131 top 10s.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 10, 2025, when Carson Hocevar took the checkered flag in the Heart of Health Care 200 at Kansas Speedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series in select events.