NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE RECAP: CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROVAL
Event: Ecosave 250 (67 laps / 152.76 miles)
Round: 22 of 25 (Playoffs Round of 8)
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, October 3 | 3:30 PM ET
No. 41 Circle B Diecast Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Josh Bilicki | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Start: 10th
Stage 1: 12th
Stage 2: 10th
Finish: 6th
Driver Points: N/A
Owner Points: 36th
- Key Takeaway: Josh Bilicki and the No. 41 team put their pace and determination on display at the Charlotte ROVAL. Bilicki qualified inside the top-10 and held his track position throughout the event. By virtue of great strategy calls, the team found themselves near the front of the pack on several occasions. Late in the final stage, contact from behind sent Bilicki spinning backwards resulting in a massive loss of time. As the driver began to make up the lost ground, an overtime restart fell perfectly into place. Bilicki was able to navigate through chaos to earn his best-career NASCAR finish in sixth-place.
- Josh Bilicki’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We had an up-and-down day, but we had top-five speed all race, honestly. I restarted there in fourth and got spun while running fourth in stage three. We came back to 12th before the caution. I felt like that would have been an okay finish, but that caution really saved us and [we] drove back to sixth. 12th to sixth on the last restart was good, but I’m a little disappointed not being able to get a top-five. I’ve made 230-plus NASCAR starts across the top-three series and I still don’t have a top-five.
That was close, and we had the truck to do it, but I just honestly ran out of time. There were a couple of spins over here that I got checked up in, and it worked out for us because we gained some spots, but it also set us back time-wise compared to the top-five. That was a great day and it’s hard to be disappointed. I’m not disappointed, as I’m very thankful for the opportunity too, but I really wanted a top-five.”
About Circle B Diecast: Circle B Diecast, originally known as Plan B Sales, was founded in 2010 and started as a Lionel die-cast and Chase Authentics apparel wholesale distributor. The Concord, N.C. based company has grown into the largest independent racing collectibles distributor in the United States. Circle B Diecast offers both retail and wholesale customers a vast array of products through their website, www.circlebdiecast.com.
No. 42 Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
Start: 17th
Stage 1: 30th
Stage 2: 9th
Finish: 17th
Driver Points: 17th
Owner Points: 22nd
- Key Takeaway: 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.
- Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Today was definitely a big learning experience; I made a lot of mistakes that I can learn from. In stage one, it was going pretty well until I went off-track. It kind of looked like we were going to have a three-wide situation and I took a safe bet by giving room. We kind of had to crawl back all day from mistakes I made. We ran into our teammate on pit road, and that was a big hassle. It knocked our toe out and we were just fighting the truck the rest of the day.
We had to just take what opportunities we could, and we did just that. Then, I made another mistake on pit road by speeding. With two to go, we had to restart dead last, and worked our way back up to 17th. Just a lot of aggression out there today, but we can load it back onto the hauler on all fours and take what we can get. Thank you to Utilitra and all of my guys for the hard work.”
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. See how Utilitra is powering businesses at www.utilitra.com.
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. Connect with J.F. Electric’s services at www.jfelectric.com.
No. 44 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Start: 13th
Stage 1: 16th
Stage 2: 33rd
Finish: 32nd
Driver Points: 15th
Owner Points: 16th
- Key Takeaway: 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. 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.
- Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Obviously, that was a bit of a frustrating day for us to finish like that when we had such high expectations. It’s always hard when stuff like that happens, but in the end, we had the speed and we just kept getting better. One day it’s going to fall our way, and I’m sure we’re going to have a really good result. We’ll come back stronger on the next one, so thank you very much to Chevrolet, Telcel, and everyone on the No. 44 team.”
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
Start: 12th
Stage 1: 15th
Stage 2: 13th
Finish: 12th
Driver Points: 22nd
Owner Points: 11th
- Key Takeaway: 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.
- Bayley Currey’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Man, that was an up-and-down day to say the least. I made a mistake in qualifying; we lost fuel pressure and I looked down at the dash and went right off-track and into the wall. I messed up, knocked the back of the truck off, and made a lot of work for our guys. I’m super proud of the effort they put in and the work they did to get that truck back as good as it was when we started the race. I think we gained 10-12 spots in the first two laps. We had a really, really good truck.
Unfortunately, in stage one, we short pitted and made some contact with our teammate on pit road. That knocked the toe out, and we just weren’t the same for the rest of the day. We still had a really fast truck, but had to work a lot harder to keep it up there. On the second-to-last caution, I got drove through on the restart and ended up knocking the nose off our truck and taking another one of our teammates out since I was getting pushed from behind in the hairpin. That set us back even more, so we fell down through the field, but that late caution helped us out.
We came back to 12th, but I’m really, really proud of this group today for everything they put in. We brought a really fast truck, and even though we had to overcome adversity, we just kept fighting. Huge thanks to them, DQS Solutions & Staffing, J.F. Electric, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and everyone that works so hard on our team.”
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).
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