Ross Chastain - Baptist Health 200 Race Preview
Event: Baptist Health 200 (134 laps / 201 miles)
Round: 4 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Location: Homestead, Florida
Date & Time: Friday, March 21 | 8:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- Niece Motorsports Homestead Stats: Niece drivers have made 20 combined NCTS starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The organization has visited victory lane once before at this track with Carson Hocevar in 2023, and has tallied four top-fives and five top-10 finishes. In last year's race, Kaden Honeycutt was the highest-finishing team driver in 14th-place.
No. 44 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ross Chastain | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
- Chastain Returns: NASCAR Cup Series veteran Ross Chastain makes his first NCTS start of the season this week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Chastain will compete in five races for Niece Motorsports this year, including starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 23), Michigan International Speedway (June 7), Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (July 25), and Watkins Glen International (August 8). Chastain is the winningest driver in team history with five victories to his credit.
- Chastain's Homestead Stats: Chastain has competed in seven NCTS races at Homestead-Miami, totaling two top-fives and five top-10 finishes (best of third in 2020). He's also made seven NXS starts here with one top-five (third in 2020) and two top-10s. Though he is still searching for his first win at the track, the Alva, Florida native finished in the runner-up position during the Cup Series event held in 2022.
- Rogers' Homestead Stats: Wally Rogers has made eight NCTS starts at Homestead, highlighted by one top-five (fifth with Matt Crafton in 2004) and two top-10 finishes. Rogers won a pole here in the 2003 NXS race with Greg Biffle, and has one top-10 finish (sixth with Randy LaJoie in 2002). He has also made four Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track.
- On the Truck: Chastain's No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Niece Equipment and NieceMotorsportsShop.com. The Niece Motorsports '10 Seasons' icon adorns the hood on the new paint scheme.
- Recapping Las Vegas: Bayley Currey and the No. 44 team showed speed early on in Las Vegas, but were hindered by damage sustained in a stack-up on a restart. Currey qualified the highest out of the team in 19th, and finished inside the top-15 in both stages. Following the incident, the pit crew made their best efforts in repairing the damage to the front end of his Silverado, rallying back to 18th.
- Owner Points Rundown: Following Currey's 18th-place result in Las Vegas, the No. 44 team currently is the organization's best entry in the owner points standings in 15th-place. Thorsport Racing's No. 13 team is five points ahead in 14th, with the No. 45 team slated two points behind in 16th.
- Quoting Chastain: Do you anticipate having more grip this weekend with the race being moved to March as opposed to last year's race in October?
“I think the date change should help us, but at Homestead-Miami, grip always comes at a premium. It’s part of the reason why this track is so much fun for us to race on. We have so many different lane options which promotes some great racing. It’s going to be a great weekend driving for Al Niece in our first truck start of the year together. I had a blast running my five races for him last year, and I think the trucks have gotten better over the offseason. Our team has been pretty strong here in the past, so I think our Niece Equipment Chevy should have a lot of pace in it come Friday night.”
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 Niece Equipment: For over 30 years, Niece Equipment has provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Our reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. Each of our water and fuel/lube trucks are engineered with quality and durability in mind. Our capability ranges from 2,000 gallon water trucks to 12,000 gallon water towers. The fuel/lube trucks we offer range from 600 to 4,000 gallons.
