Bayley Currey - Buckle Up South Carolina 200 Race Preview
Race: Buckle Up South Carolina 200 (147 laps / 200.8 miles) | Race 9 of 23
Track: Darlington Raceway
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, May 10th | 7:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | Sirius XM Ch. 90
No. 41 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman, Jr.
- Currey's Darlington Stats: Bayley Currey has made a pair of NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts before at Darlington Raceway, featuring a best result of 12th in 2020. Currey has also competed in six Xfinity Series races at the historic South Carolina track, posting a best finish of 19th in 2022. He did not make a start here last year.
- Hillman's Darlington Stats: Mike Hillman, Jr. has called seven Truck Series races at Darlington Raceway, including a win in his first start as a crew chief here back in 2010. On that day, Germain Racing's Todd Bodine led the final 47 laps en route to his 20th-career NCTS victory, and Hillman's 18th. In total with the trucks, Hillman has two top-fives and three top-10 finishes at this track, and most recently finished 13th last year with Ross Chastain. Hillman has also made two Xfinity Starts, earning one top-10 with Brandon Jones (ninth) in 2016.
- Hillman hits 400: Friday's Buckle Up South Carolina 200 will be a milestone for Mike Hillman, Jr. as he makes his 400th-career NCTS start as a crew chief. The two-time Truck Series championship-winning crew chief (both won with Todd Bodine in '06 and '10) has garnered a total of 23 race wins in the series (sixth, all-time) with drivers Bodine, Jeb Burton, Kyle Busch, and Rafael Lessard.
- On the Truck: Currey’s No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from AutoVentive and Precision Vehicle Logistics.
- Honoring Charles "Chuck" Efaw: The No. 41 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet will feature a unique "throwback" paint scheme as a tribute to Charles "Chuck" Efaw, the late father of Niece Motorsports General Manager, Cody Efaw. This paint scheme is reminiscent of Efaw's ZERO Dirt Late Model that raced and won several times in the grassroots ranks at Lakeville Speedway and Wayne County Speedway throughout the 1980's.
- Recapping Kansas: After starting in the 21st position, Bayley Currey quickly was able to advance through the field in Kansas. Following a 15th place finish at the end of stage one, Currey made up three spots to secure 12th in stage two. Towards the end of the race, it appeared that he was on his way to the first top-10 finish of the season, but ultimately had to settle for 11th.
- Points Rundown: With Currey's solid finish at Kansas, the driver of the No. 41 was able to gain one spot in the points standings where he currently resides in 13th position. The battle for the final eligible spot in the NCTS Playoffs has tightened up, with Currey now being shown only 23 points below the cutline.
- Quoting Currey: Does the excessive tire falloff help overcome the battle for clean air or does that make it more important?
“I think it makes it that much more important. Without the clean air, you’re using mechanical grip more than you’re using aero, so you’re just shredding your tires even more. You have to get that track position early while you have the grip, because once you lose it, it’s pretty much impossible.”
- Quoting Hillman: Do you think Bayley thrives on these tracks where the grip is low and tire falloff is high?
“I think that places where you have to use the brake pedal a little bit - say the Darlingtons, the Nashvilles, the Homesteads, and places like that - he really thrives at. But I also think that Niece has a really good baseline package when we go to those types of tracks. So with that being said, I’ve been really looking forward to going here this week.”
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2024, Niece Motorsports enters its ninth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.
About AutoVentive: AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.
About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.