Bayley Currey - Heart of America 200 Race Preview
Race: Heart Of America 200 (134 laps / 201 miles) | Race 8 of 23
Track: Kansas Speedway
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Date & Time: Saturday, May 4th | 8:00 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.
- BC in KC: Currey has made five NCTS starts at Kansas Speedway since 2018, producing a best finish of 12th driving for Niece Motorsports in 2021. In addition, he has also competed in five Xfinity Series starts here along with one Cup Series race. His most recent start in last fall's NCTS event at the 1.5-mile intermediate track resulted in a 21st place finish.
- On the Truck: Currey’s No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from AutoVentive and Precision Vehicle Logistics. Starting this week, there's a new look to the No. 41 as the partners have elected to revert to the bright colors seen last year.
- Hillman's First Win: Kansas Speedway is the site of Mike Hillman, Jr.'s first win as a Truck Series crew chief, which came in 2005 while working with Todd Bodine. On that day, Bodine drove his No. 30 entry fielded by Germain Racing to the victory in dominant fashion, leading 81 laps in the process.
- Hillman's Kansas Stats: Hillman, Jr. has called 21 Truck Series races at Kansas Speedway during his career. Counting his win in '05, Hillman has navigated his drivers to a total of six top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes, including a fifth-place run last spring with Ross Chastain. Hillman has also made three Xfinity Series starts here with one top-10 (Brandon Jones, eighth in 2016) and one Cup Series start in 2014 with Timmy Hill.
- Points Rundown: Through seven races in the 2024 season, Currey is positioned 14th position in the drivers standings. With a tight battle for the final spot in the Playoffs, Currey enters Kansas 24 points below the cutline.
- Recapping Texas: Currey earned his second top-10 qualifying run with an eighth-place start last time out in Texas. Despite suffering damage from contact with another competitor, the No. 41 Chevrolet would hold tough for the remainder of the night. Currey and team would rally to a 14th-place result marking their third top-15 finish of the year.
- Quoting Currey: With three intermediate tracks in a row, how important is it to string together a solid opening race in Kansas?
“I think obviously it’s super important. We’re probably going to turn this truck around to race somewhere soon, whether that be in Darlington or Charlotte. So, being able to start off with momentum and build some confidence heading into this string of races will be important. I feel like we’ve had speed at the other mile-and-a-half tracks with our No. 41 Chevy, so I don’t see anything different here.”
- Quoting Hillman: You've seen plenty of Success at Kansas before, so what does it take to be fast on both the short and the long run here?
“I think your truck has to be able to run well on both the top and the bottom lanes here. I think you have to be able to keep the grip in it for a long time so that you can maintain on the short run and be better on the long run, especially in the Truck Series.”
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.