Matt Gould is an 18-year-old, second-generation driver from Mooresville, North Carolina. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because he is the son of Phil Gould, Niece Motorsports’ winningest crew chief, who calls the shots for the No. 45 team.

Having been born into the sport, Gould naturally began his driving career at a young age. Starting out on the dirt in Outlaw Karts, Gould won over 80 feature races at Millbridge Speedway.

As he progressed through the ranks, Gould later transitioned into racing on asphalt. In 2021, he won his first Late Model Stock Car race at Orange County Speedway, and quickly followed up with wins at Florence Motor Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway.

Throughout high school, Gould followed in his father’s footsteps by working as a mechanic in the Niece Motorsports shop after class. Since graduating in May, he joined the team full-time on the road crew. Known around the shop as “LP” (Little Phil), Gould has wrenched on several of the team’s trucks this season. From working on interior fitting to underneath preparation, Gould has quickly become a well-versed mechanic.

When there is an off week for the Truck Series, Gould competes in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series where he races his family-owned Late Model. This season, he’s produced five runner-up finishes at the famed short tracks of Hickory and Caraway Speedway. He currently holds the LMSC track record at Tri-County Speedway as well.

In 2022, at age 16, Gould made his ARCA Menards Series debut with Niece Motorsports at the Milwaukee Mile, and later made an additional start in the season finale at Toledo Speedway. In both of these races, he earned a top-10 finish.

Gould will return to the Milwaukee Mile once again in 2024, but instead of strapping into the ARCA car, he will attempt to make his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut. He will drive the No. 44 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST in his first NCTS start.