Tough Afternoon for Niece Motorsports in Darlington’s Sober or Slammer 200
No. 42 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski (photo provided)
DARLINGTON, S.C. — The opening round of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs at Darlington Raceway proved to be a challenging afternoon for the Niece Motorsports stable. The Sober or Slammer 200, a 147-lap battle at the historic “Track Too Tough to Tame,” tested all three Niece entries with early setbacks, on-track incidents, and damage that hampered their ability to contend.
Matt Mills Collected Early
Driving the No. 42 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST, Matt Mills saw his day end before the completion of Stage One. Starting 18th, Mills showed early speed but brushed the wall to earn a classic Darlington stripe. On the next lap, the right front tire gave way, sending him hard into the outside wall. The damage was too severe to continue, relegating Mills to a 29th-place finish.
“What a shame for us to fall out of the race like that,” Mills said. “It didn’t feel like my tire was going down until it exploded, and there wasn’t much of anything I could have done at that point. I just hate it for all of our guys. We’ll bounce back at Bristol.”
The finish keeps Mills 18th in driver points and 23rd in owner points.
Pérez de Lara Shows Promise
Rookie Andrés Pérez de Lara carried the banner for Niece with a solid run in the No. 44 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST. Starting 20th, Pérez de Lara methodically worked his way forward, cracking the top 15 and hovering near the top 10 as the race entered its final stage.
Contact with the wall in the closing laps slowed his momentum, but the Telcel team made repairs and salvaged a 16th-place finish.
“I really enjoyed racing here today,” Pérez de Lara said. “We had a really good race going. I’m frustrated with how it ended, but I learned a lot and we showed speed. It was a pretty solid result for us.”
Pérez de Lara remains 17th in both driver and owner points as his rookie campaign continues.
Currey Battles Damage All Day
For Bayley Currey in the No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST, the race was an uphill climb from the drop of the green flag. Contact in a stack-up on the opening lap damaged both the front and rear of the truck, forcing multiple pit stops for repairs.
Already at an aerodynamic disadvantage, Currey was later pushed into the wall by another competitor, compounding the damage. Despite the setbacks, he fought to the finish in 25th place.
“Our day was really over before it even started,” Currey said. “We had a big checkup on the initial start and got run over from behind. That knocked the nose and tail off our truck, and we just had to fight back all day. I feel bad for our team, but Bristol is a good place for us and I’m looking forward to getting back on track there.”
Currey sits 23rd in driver standings while the No. 45 holds 11th in owner points, leading the non-Playoff teams.
Looking Ahead
While Darlington brought frustration for Niece Motorsports, the team will regroup with eyes on Bristol Motor Speedway. With seven races remaining in the season, all three entries will look to rebound at one of the sport’s most demanding short tracks.
