Matt Mills - MillerTech Battery 200 Race Preview
Event: MillerTech Battery 200 (80 laps / 200 miles)
Round: 14 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Pocono Raceway
Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Date & Time: Friday, June 20 | 5:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- Niece Motorsports Pocono Stats: Niece drivers have accounted for 23 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Pocono Raceway. The organization visited victory lane with Ross Chastain in 2019, and has earned a total of three top-fives and four top-10 finishes over the years. Last year, Chastain was the highest-finishing driver for the team in fifth-place.
No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
- Mills' Pocono Stats: Matt Mills has competed in two NCTS races held at Pocono Raceway. Mills earned his series-best finish at the track last year when he finished in 11th-place. Having raced in four NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) events at this track, Mills' best finish was 23rd in 2021.
- Shiplett's Pocono Stats: Mike Shiplett finished 12th with Bret Holmes last year in his lone NCTS start at Pocono. Shiplett is a two-time winner at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, having won the NXS race with Kyle Larson in 2015 and with Cole Custer in 2019. In 12 Cup Series starts here, Shiplett's best result was a 10th-place effort with AJ Allmendinger in 2010.
- 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.
- Recapping Michigan: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team played the strategy game in Michigan and rebounded nicely before getting swept up in a crash. Mills started the 125-lap race from 22nd and experienced some overheating issues early on. Getting off sequence, the team took advantage of some late-race chaos to enter the top-10. Just as everything was looking up for Mills, however, he became involved in an incident on the backstretch which ended his race. The team was left with a 23rd-place finish in the garage.
- Points Rundown: Due to the Michigan crash, Mills dropped two positions in the points standings - now shown in 19th. Mills is only two points behind a pair of drivers - Andres Perez De Lara and Connor Mosack - who are currently tied for 17th-place, and has a four-point gap over Dawson Sutton in 20th. With five races left until the Playoffs, Mills is currently 148 markers below the cutline.
- Quoting Mills: You ran well here last year and are bringing a new truck this week, so what can you build off last year to get even better this time around?
“This year, I believe I’ll just have a better notebook to work off of. Last year was basically my first time there in a truck, and the race craft and how you build your runs are all very different. So, just going back there this year with a better notebook on how I can make different moves to put myself in better positions will be super helpful. Last year, we were in the top-five with two laps to go and I made a bad move that put me outside the top-10 in two corners. Basically, just correcting things like that and hoping that bringing a new truck will give us natural raw speed so we can have a good run there this weekend.”
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, 200+ 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.
