Matt Mills - Buckle Up South Carolina 200 Race Recap
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
No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Jon Leonard
Start: 25th | Stage 1: 25th | Stage 2: 22nd
Finish: 11th | Driver Points: 26th | Owner Points: 29th
- Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra team fought hard to secure their best finish of the season at Darlington. Qualifying in 25th, Mills and the team would hold steady throughout the first two stages. However, with late-race carnage, Mills navigated through several crashes to pick up track position. Skillful driving would lead his team home with an 11th-place finish just one spot shy of their first top-10 result.
- Matt Mills' Post-Race Thoughts: Interviewer: It's been kind of a trying season for you, but here at Darlington you walk away with an 11th-place finish. How good does it feel?
“I mean, it feels like a win, even though there’s still a little bit of disappointment there. We were so close to a top-10, just didn’t need that caution there at the end. We were going to be ninth and that was going to be a good day, but I knew the caution was going to come out, it wasn’t going to be that easy for us. But still to finish 11th, I learned something there on that last restart that was an experience thing with not having many restarts up towards the front. All-in-all, it’s still a good day. It definitely took longer than we wanted it to this year to pull off a top-15 finish, but it’s something that we can build off of. It’s momentum that we’ve been trying to get and we showed speed today where I feel like I can do this and the team can do this, so it was nice to have that today.”
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 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.
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.