The Experts Behind the Performance.
While our drivers take the spotlight, it’s the crew chiefs, engineers and technical staff who make every lap possible. From building our trucks in-house to executing flawless pit strategies, this team of specialists is the backbone of Niece Motorsports’ success.
Cody Efaw - President & CEO
HOMETOWN: BIG PRAIRIE, OH | DOB: JANUARY 6, 1985
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Cody Efaw grew up in rural Ohio, where he spent his youth working on a nearby farm and wrenching on racecars with his father, Charles “Chuck” Efaw. His father raced dirt late models at the local tracks of Lakeville Speedway and Wayne County Speedway, winning on several occasions.
While attending grade school, Efaw was a well-rounded athlete, playing basketball and baseball, before becoming the quarterback of his high school football team. After graduation, he attended Kent State University in 2003 before moving to North Carolina to pursue a career in racing.
In 2004, Efaw joined his first team, SS-Greenlight Racing, to serve as a mechanic/tire carrier for its NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) program for a short period of time. Later, he moved to Roush Racing to continue as a tire carrier for the No. 50 NCTS team with drivers, Carl Edwards and TJ Bell, from 2004 to 2008. He would spend 11 seasons working at the team across three series.
From 2009 to 2010 Efaw moved over to Roush’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team to serve as a car chief for Matt Kenseth and Paul Menard. The next two years, he worked alongside Trevor Bayne as car chief for the No. 16 team.
Starting in 2013, Efaw became car chief on Travis Pastrana’s No. 60 NXS team. Highlighted with a pole at Talladega Superspeedway in Pastrana’s first full-time NASCAR season, they developed a friendship and eventually worked together again at Niece Motorsports.
When Bayne returned and took over driving duties at RFR in 2014, Efaw remained the car chief as the team contended for the championship. The No. 60 team finished sixth in points and picked up a pole at Iowa Speedway. Following that year, Efaw changed cars over to the RFR No. 1 team in 2015, working with Elliott Sadler, who also finished sixth in points.
After starting his own fabrication business, Efaw took a brief hiatus from NASCAR in 2016 before Al Niece gave him a call to help upstart his new NCTS team, Niece Motorsports. The two hit it off, and Efaw quickly became the crew chief for the No. 45 team the following year.
As the team was in its infancy, Efaw’s guidance played a large role in getting everything off the ground. From 2017 to 2021, he became a mentor that helped young drivers develop as they made their first NCTS starts at the beginning of their careers.
Some notable drivers that came through the Niece program in its early years who worked with Efaw include NASCAR national series winners, Ryan Truex, Carson Hocevar, Jeb Burton, Ty Majeski, and Ross Chastain, among several others.
Focusing more on his role as the team’s general manager, Efaw scaled back his duties on top of the box in 2022. In a part-time schedule, however, he found victory lane for the first time in his career as a crew chief at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Chastain.
Nearly 10 years since joining Niece Motorsports as one of its original employees, Efaw continues to manage several aspects of the company. As a leader for the competition team, he remains heavily involved in the continuous search for success on the racetrack. From a business standpoint, Efaw oversees day-to-day operations, sponsorship sales, personnel hiring, and more.
The 40-year-old lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, with his wife, Amanda (who serves as Niece Motorsports’ Director of Communications). Efaw is the father of four children – Parker (age 14), Cooper (12), Colt (seven), and Peyton (five). Outside of NCTS competition, Efaw co-owns the team’s Dirt Late Model through a partnership with his family-owned business, HWH Performance. An avid sports fan, Efaw is loyally devoted to his home team of Ohio State.
Phil Gould - Director of Competition
HOMETOWN: KENDALL PARK, NJ | DOB: APRIL 23, 1977
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Phil Gould is the longest active crew chief at Niece Motorsports, entering his seventh season with the team. Gould was born and raised in Kendall Park, New Jersey, and has many accomplishments in his nearly 25-year career in the sport.
Fascinated with cars since he was young, Gould took up driving as a hobby Pro-Stock racer at his home track, Wall Stadium. Once he realized that motorsports could be a viable career path, Gould moved to North Carolina in 2000 to work for Mike Stefanik’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team.
After that team shut down, Gould moved up to the Cup Series with Evernham Motorsports, filling a dual role of mechanic and rear tire carrier on Bill Elliott’s car. Gould helped secure victories with the No. 9 team at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2001, as well as the Brickyard 400 in 2002.
Gould left Evernham Motorsports and started a lengthy tenure with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in 2003 as a mechanic on the No. 21 NXS team. He was a valued asset as the team captured the Owner’s championship with Kevin Harvick and Johnny Sauter. In 2004, Gould became the car chief of the No. 2 NXS Chevrolet at RCR with Ron Hornaday and later with Clint Bowyer in 2005.
Under the leadership of Gil Martin in 2005, Gould went back to the Cup Series to serve as the car chief of RCR’s No. 07 team working with Clint Bowyer and Casey Mears. Midway through 2009, Gould transferred over to the No. 29 team with Kevin Harvick, who earned back-to-back third-place points finishes in 2010-2011.
In 2012, Gould shifted roles as the car chief of the No. 2 NXS team driven by Elliott Sadler, who earned four wins and finished second in the points standings. Later, Gould spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons as the crew chief for Brian Scott and the No. 2 team before departing RCR.
Moving to Roush Fenway Racing in 2015 as the crew chief for Elliott Sadler, Gould earned four top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, ultimately finishing the year sixth in the NXS standings. From 2016-2018, he was paired with Ryan Reed who made the Playoffs in all three seasons. Gould earned his first win as a crew chief in 2017, in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.
When Roush closed their NXS program, Gould joined Niece Motorsports for his first Truck Series season in 2019, serving as the crew chief for Ross Chastain. Together the duo earned one pole, three wins, 10 top-fives, and 19 top-10 finishes. Gould’s team finished third in the points standings, while leading the most laps and earning the most stage wins in the series.
The 2020 season saw Gould work with drivers including Ty Majeski, Conor Daly, Ross Chastain and Trevor Bayne. In 2021, his driver roster included Brett Moffitt and Bayley Currey, before eventually pairing up with Carson Hocevar. The two quickly meshed, spending the next couple of years from 2022-2023 in championship form. In total, they earned four race wins, 20 top-fives, and 32 top-10s.
After making the Playoffs for three straight seasons with Hocevar, Gould was tasked with calling the shots for the No. 45 truck in 2024. While working with experienced talents including the likes of Chastain and Johnny Sauter, Gould also mentored young drivers, Kaden Honeycutt and Connor Mosack. The No. 45 earned a victory at Darlington Raceway with Chastain and later qualified for the Playoffs, ultimately finishing 10th in the Owner’s standings.
2025 sees Gould return as the leader of the No. 45 team, along with a change in his duties. Gould has been named as the organization’s Director of Competition in addition to his current role.
Off the track, Gould enjoys spending time with his family. Recently engaged to his fiancé, Nacole, the 47-year-old has two sons, Matt and Justin. Matt, a mechanic-turned-driver in his own right, will compete for Niece Motorsports on a limited basis in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and in the Late Model Stock ranks for his family-owned team. Justin is a senior in high school, ready to commit to a four-year college majoring in engineering. An avid theme park enthusiast, Justin hopes to design roller coasters in the future.
Mike Shiplett - Crew Chief
RESIDENCE: SALISBURY, NC | DOB: MAY 17, 1972
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Mike Shiplett may be relatively new to Niece Motorsports, but his NASCAR career has spanned over three decades. Born in Ohio, Shiplett owned and drove a late model in Sandusky Speedway and Lorain Raceway Park from 1988 to 1994. In 1995, Shiplett joined Liberty Racing’s No. 98 team in the first year of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) and later moved to North Carolina in 1998 to begin working as a car chief for Butch Mock Racing’s No. 75 team in the Cup Series.
In 2002, Shiplett transitioned to Ultra Motorsports where he continued his car chief duties on the No. 7 car driven by Casey Atwood. In the year that followed, he joined Evernham Motorsports as a car chief on the No. 19 team.
Beginning in 2007, Shiplett became a crew chief at Gillette-Evernham Motorsports (GEM) for its NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team. After winning his first two NXS races with Kasey Kahne that year, he was promoted to lead a Cup Series team for GEM in 2008. After the team re-branded to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2009, Shiplett stayed on board for two seasons before leaving in late 2011.
Turner Scott Motorsports brought Shiplett onto their NXS team in 2012 to work with Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet. That year, in a one-off NCTS start with Kahne, Shiplett went to victory lane for the first time at Rockingham Speedway. He later reunited with the Evernham team, rebranded as Richard Petty Motorsports, to serve as the car chief on the No. 9 Cup Series entry.
Starting in 2015, Shiplett joined Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR)’s NXS program as crew chief for the No. 42 Chevrolet. Working alongside the likes of Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, John Hunter Nemechek, and others, Shiplett led his team to 15 race wins from 2015-2018.
Once CGR closed its NXS shop, Shiplett made a move over to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019 to crew chief Cole Custer. That year proved to be one of Shiplett’s most successful seasons in his career, with the No. 00 team amassing seven race wins, 17 top-fives, and 24 top-10 finishes enroute to a second-place finish in the championship standings.
When Custer was called up to the Cup Series in 2020, Shiplett followed to take over the reins of the No. 41 team at SHR. At Kentucky Speedway that year, Custer delivered Shiplett his first-career NCS victory as a crew chief, marking a milestone accomplishment. Both continued to work together for two additional seasons, with Shiplett moving onto his next venture at the end of the 2022.
As his time at SHR concluded, Shiplett was given the opportunity to join Richard Childress Racing (RCR) as the competition director for its NXS teams in 2023. Working alongside drivers Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed through the managerial position, Shiplett would oversee both teams experience a season resulting in two Playoffs berths and four race victories.
After leaving RCR in search of another role on top of the pit box, Shiplett transitioned into NCTS competition with Bret Holmes Racing’s No. 32 truck in 2024. Once the team shuttered its operation late into the year, Shiplett landed at Niece Motorsports to work alongside Matt Mills.
Heading into 2025, Shiplett looks to build upon his foundational ground work with Mills as he remains atop the pit box of the No. 42 J.F. Electric Chevrolet. Shiplett resides in Salisbury, NC with his wife, Brooke, and enjoys exploring the ocean as a licensed scuba dive master.
Landon Polinski - Crew Chief
HOMETOWN: ANDERSON CREEK, NC | DOB: MARCH 24, 1996
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Longtime Niece Motorsports engineer, Landon Polinski, was recently promoted from within the company to lead as the crew chief for the No. 42 J.F. Electric team with driver, Matt Mills. Born and raised in Anderson Creek, North Carolina, Polinski developed a passion for racing at a young age. After attending his first NASCAR race at Rockingham Speedway as a kid, he fell in love with the sport.
Polinski’s family had enjoyed racing as a hobby years before he was born. His grandfather, Johnny Dunn, competed at several local dirt tracks in karts. Polinski was gifted a kart of his own for Christmas when he was just nine years old, and began racing locally at Johnson County Speedway and the Tri-County Race Track.
After spending a few years having fun in go karts, Polinski decided it was time for him to learn the ropes of working on full-bodied race cars. In 2010, he began his first job working as a mechanic and tire specialist for Shaw Racing’s dirt late model program. During his time spent there, Polinski’s team won two limited late model track championships at Fayetteville Motor Speedway in 2012-13.
While working for the Shaw Racing team, Polinski got a chance to return to the driver’s seat in the street stock ranks at Fayetteville and Dublin Motor Speedway. It was during this time that he made a move to attend the University of North Carolina Charlotte campus where he studied Mechanical Engineering Technology.
In 2019, Polinski applied to become an engineering intern at Niece Motorsports as he worked on completing his schooling. After being hired onto the team through the internship, Polinski learned the processes to become a full-time race engineer. A few months later, Polinski earned his Bachelor degree from UNCC in 2020.
During his first full season as a race engineer in 2020, Polinski worked on the No. 44 team with Natalie Decker. For his sophomore season, he transitioned over to the No. 40 team with Ryan Truex. He then was moved back over to the No. 44 team with Kris Wright in 2022, before landing on the No. 41 entry driven by Ross Chastain and Bayley Currey in 2023. Polinski continued on with Currey last year before switching over to the No. 42 team with Matt Mills midseason.
Known for his outgoing personality and for always being a team player, Polinski has showcased his loyalty and determination through several years spent with the team. As the most experienced engineer on staff, Polinski has proven himself as a great fit to become a crew chief. He has earned the opportunity to make the jump up on top of the pit box and looks forward to the challenge as he oversees the No. 42 team for the rest of the year.
At 29 years old, Polinski resides in Denver, North Carolina, with his wife, Megan. He enjoys spending time outdoors, hunting, and fishing at the coast.
Wally Rogers - Crew Chief
HOMETOWN: PORT MONMOUTH, NJ | DOB: JANUARY 30, 1973
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Wally Rogers, one of the most experienced crew chiefs in the NASCAR Truck Series garage, comes from a family with a long history in racing. His grandfather, Ed Sigler, competed as a driver in the inaugural season of the NASCAR Modified Series back in 1949. His father, Walt, raced Modern Stocks (now considered Late Models) at the local ranks, where he was crowned back-to-back track champion of the famed Wall Stadium Speedway in 1975 and 1976.
While in high school, Rogers began his first racing job as a mechanic for family friend, Ray Evernham, when he revived the IROC Series. Rogers held various roles under his cousin, Gary Rogers, during his time working for the series from 1990-1995, later setting his sights on a career in NASCAR.
At the beginning of 1996, Rogers moved to North Carolina to arrive at his first Cup Series team – Leo Jackson Motorsports – later re-branded to Andy Petree Racing (APR). First joining on as the interior specialist, Rogers later became car chief for the No. 33 car driven by Robert Pressley, Ken Schrader, and Joe Nemechek. He learned valuable lessons from Petree until departing at the end of 2000.
After leaving APR, Rogers reunited with Nemechek and Ed Evans at their newly-formed NASCAR Busch Series team, Evans Motorsports, to serve as crew chief for Randy LaJoie in 2001. In his debut race as a crew chief, Rogers guided the No. 7 team to a victory at Daytona International Speedway, later earning a second win at Memphis Motorsports Park. Rogers stayed with the team through the conclusion of 2003, after earning a third win with Greg Biffle at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Introduced to Kevin Harvick by his former Evans PR rep, DeLana Harvick, in late 2003, Rogers was selected as one of the first employees for Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI). In the pairing’s first race together at Phoenix Raceway, Harvick delivered Rogers his first win in the Truck Series. The following year, Rogers worked as Matt Crafton’s crew chief on the No. 6 team, finishing fifth in points.
Rogers performed a dual role at KHI from 2005-2006, calling the shots for Ron Hornaday’s No. 6 NCTS team, along with an array of drivers in the No. 33 Busch Series entry. In that capacity, Rogers won races in both series - first with Tony Stewart at Daytona, and later with Hornaday in Atlanta. Moving to the No. 77 NBS team for the next two years, Rogers called Bobby Labonte to his final win at Talladega.
Once he left KHI, Rogers was contacted by his old friend, Ray Evernham, to join Evernham Motorsports as a car chief in 2008. He was promoted as crew chief for Elliott Sadler’s No. 19 NCS team for the re-branded Richard Petty Motorsports in 2009, and stayed through the end of 2010.
From 2011-2015, Rogers served as crew chief for Levine Family Racing (LFR)’s No. 95 NCS team. Rogers’ role at LFR was integral in the formation of the race team as he essentially started their efforts from the ground up. He made a brief stint at GoFAS Racing’s NCS team in 2016 before moving to Tri-Star Motorsports’ Xfinity Series program as crew chief from 2017-2018.
2019 was a transitional year for Rogers, as he yearned for another shot at competing in the Truck Series, after spending several years in the Xfinity and Cup Series. Starting the year with All Out Motorsports, Rogers later moved to Jordan Anderson Racing. While at Anderson’s team, Rogers partnered with the competition team at Niece Motorsports through a technical alliance. Midway through 2020, he was presented an opportunity to join Niece as a crew chief for the No. 40 team.
During the 2020 - 2022 seasons, Rogers worked as a mentor for several of Niece’s drivers, most of which were at the start of their careers. He spent the entirety of 2023 paired up with Lawless Alan, before “semi-retiring” at the end of the year to focus solely on the team’s efforts overseeing the fab shop. Once he realized how much he missed the competitive nature of the sport, he returned on top of the pit box midway through 2024 as crew chief for the No. 41 team with Bayley Currey.
In 2025, Rogers will be assigned to a new team as he guides the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST. Away from the track, the 52-year-old enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Marlene, and two daughters, Cali and Emma. He is also an avid outdoorsman who loves hunting, camping, and more.