Bayley Currey - North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Race Preview
Race: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (134 laps / 201 miles) | Race 11 of 23
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, May 24th | 8:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | Sirius XM Ch. 90
No. 41 Foundation for Pops Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman, Jr.
- Currey's Charlotte Stats: Bayley Currey has made a total of four Truck Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, earning a best finish of 13th place in last year's race. He has also made three Xfinity Series starts at this track, producing a best finish of 15th in 2022. In 2019, Currey made a start in the Coca-Cola 600 which was cut short due to a crash.
- Hillman's Charlotte Stats: In 17 Charlotte Truck Series races on top of the pit box, Mike Hillman, Jr. has secured four top-five results. Two of those were runner-up finishes - first with Todd Bodine in 2010, and most recently with Kyle Busch in 2018. Notably, Hillman scored a pole in the 2013 event while working with driver, Jeb Burton. He has also called six NASCAR Xfinity Series races here, including two top-10 finishes with a best result of seventh (Brandon Jones, 2016) along with one Cup Series start in 2014.
- On the Truck: Currey’s No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Foundation for Pops, a charitable organization founded by DQS Solutions & Staffing CEO, Josh Morris. Foundation for Pops was created to assist homeless veterans by giving them resources to live more prosperous lives.
- Family Ties to the Military: Bayley's grandfather, G.C. Waters, fought in the U.S. Navy as a 2nd gunners mate on the USS Guadalcanal escort carrier in World War II.
- Recapping North Wilkesboro: Currey started his weekend off on a high note at North Wilkesboro by placing fourth in practice. With qualifying rained out, Currey was relegated to a 19th-place starting position. Fighting a tight handling condition, the No. 41 slipped to 24th at the conclusion of stage one before the rain washed all activity out in postponement for Sunday. Fighting for track position, Currey worked his way up to 20th in stage two, and made up one more position at the end to finish 19th.
- Points Rundown: Following the 19th-place finish in North Wilkesboro, Currey slid one spot back in the points standings to 15th. Entering Charlotte, he is four points behind Jake Garcia in 14th and 50 points below the Playoffs cutline holder, Tanner Gray.
- Quoting Currey: What are some of the most challenging characteristics about racing in Charlotte?
“The bumps in turn three, no doubt. Those seem to always get worse every time I race at Charlotte, but in reality, they’re probably still the same. You just have to be able to get through those and maintain speed. Charlotte is one of the few mile-and-a-half tracks in a truck where you’ll have a lot of off-throttle time, so that’s fun. I’m looking forward to that.”
- Quoting Hillman: How much does Charlotte change from practice in the day to racing at night?
“Charlotte is one of those places that can be two completely different racetracks from day to night. You use the daytime to set your heights and let your driver get into a rhythm, but then you have to take some pretty big swings at it to get everything ready to race well at night.”
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.
Foundation for Pops Mission Statement: Foundation for Pops aims to empower people experiencing homelessness and veterans through education, resource development, assistance, and supportive services to enhance their economic mobility and secure quality, affordable housing.
DQS Solutions & Staffing Mission Statement: The core mission of DQS Solutions & Staffing is to attain unparalleled excellence in our specialized domains, specifically staffing and security. Simultaneously, we maintain the flexibility required to collaborate closely with our clients in the creation of innovative products and services within the framework of DQS.