Matt Mills - Fresh From Florida 250 Race Preview
Event: Fresh From Florida 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)
Round: 1 of 25 (Regular Season Opener)
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date & Time: Friday, February 14th | 7:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | Sirius XM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- 10th Season Celebration: 2025 marks Niece Motorsports' 10th consecutive season competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Starting in Daytona, all of the team's race trucks will carry special decals commemorating the milestone. Social media content and merchandise will be centered around the campaign in forthcoming weeks.
- Niece Motorsports Daytona Stats: Niece drivers have made a combined 20 starts for the organization at Daytona International Speedway. Historically, the team runs well at this track, having posted four top-fives and eight top-10s over the years, including a best result of third with Ross Chastain in 2019. Last year, Bayley Currey was the highest-performing team driver finishing in 13th-place.
No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
- On the Box: Recently joining the organization in October, veteran crew chief, Mike Shiplett, will continue to call the shots for the No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST. Shiplett, a 24-time NXS winner, has claimed victories in all three NASCAR national series. Before his time at Niece Motorsports, Shiplett spent years working with several established teams such as Evernham Motorsports, Turner Motorsports, Richard Petty Motorsports, Chip Ganassi Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Richard Childress Racing, among others.
During his tenure as a NXS crew chief, Shiplett's team qualified for the Playoffs on four occasions - including a runner-up finish with Ganassi in 2018. He also made the Cup Series Playoffs in 2020 while at Stewart-Haas. Outside of racing, Shiplett enjoys exploring the ocean as a licensed scuba dive master. At 52, he resides in Salisbury, North Carolina, with his wife, Brooke.
- On the Roof: Spotting for the No. 42 team this year will be TJ Majors, who primarily fills the role for Brad Keselowski's No. 6 Cup Series team at RFK Racing. Majors is a former driver turned multi-time race-winning spotter with decades of experience. He spotted for Mills in several races last year, having shifted over from the No. 41 team midway through the season.
- Mills' Daytona Stats: Matt Mills has made one prior NCTS start at Daytona International Speedway which came in last year's season opener. After starting fourth, Mills finished 26th after he was collected in an early multi-truck crash. In eight NXS starts at the famed 2.5-mile super speedway, Mills holds one top-10 following a 10th-place run in the summer race held in 2019.
- Shiplett's Daytona Stats: Mike Shiplett has been atop the pit box for one NCTS race at Daytona International Speedway, working with Bret Holmes who finished fourth in last year's race. In the Cup Series, Shiplett has called 13 races here with two top-10s (best of ninth with Reed Sorenson in 2009). Shiplett is a past Daytona winner in the Xfinity Series, having claimed the summer race with Kyle Larson in 2018.
- On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric and Utilitra, who will serve as his anchor partners for the entire 25-race season.
- Previewing 2025: As he enters his second full-time season, Mills is ready to step up to the plate and contend for wins in the Truck Series. Before last year, Mills spent seven years in the Xfinity Series, using the majority of last year acclimating to the tendencies of NCTS racing. Now, with a year's worth of experience behind him, Mills believes he is the most prepared on what it takes to exceed expectations heading into 2025.
- Testing, Testing: Mills recently visited Rockingham Speedway for the first time as he participated in last month's two-day NCTS organizational test. Sharing his No. 42 truck with Ross Chastain, Mills unofficially placed the seventh-quickest timed lap around the historic track.
- Quoting Mills: Your team had a great truck last time out at Talladega, so what were you able to learn in that race that can help at the start of the year?
“Having a great spotter like TJ Majors taught me a lot in Talladega. He really helped explain all the work that you have to do when you’re in the first couple of rows when you’re dictating the field and setting the pace. I’m looking forward to going back to Daytona; we prepared really fast trucks at the super speedways last year, so having a fast race truck and having TJ up top spotting, I think we have another good shot at having a great weekend for J.F. Electric and Utilitra.”
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2025, the team celebrates its 10th consecutive season competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) where it fields the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45. Since its founding in 2016, Niece Motorsports has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 190+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a trusted build shop for the Chevrolet Silverados of multiple NCTS teams as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.
Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect 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.
