Matt Mills - Ecosave 200 Race Preview
Event: Ecosave 200 (134 laps / 201 miles)
Round: 21 of 25 (Chase)
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Location: Concord, NC
Date & Time: Friday, October 9 | 5:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- Niece Motorsports Charlotte Stats:
NCTS Starts: 30; Wins: 1 (Ross Chastain, 2022); Top-Fives: 6; Top-10s: 11.
- Fan Day: Niece Motorsports will host its second-annual Fan Day event from noon to 4:00 PM on Thursday, October 8 at its home base in nearby Salisbury, NC. The free event will feature a driver autograph session, partner displays, merchandise/food sales, a special paint scheme reveal, shop tours, and a live show on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The address for the race shop is 3310 S. Main Street, Salisbury, NC 28147.
- Raising Awareness: All four Niece Motorsports trucks will feature pink ribbons on the bed tops highlighting breast cancer warriors related to crew members. The team will carry over 40 names around the track during Friday’s Ecosave 200.
No. 4 Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
- Return of the Matt: NASCAR veteran Matt Mills will make his first NCTS start of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mills, who raced full-time for Niece Motorsports in 2024 and 2025, has been busy behind the scenes. Despite not being behind the wheel, Mills has played a big role in getting the team’s CARS Tour LMSC program up-and-running as its car chief. He looks forward to making his series return on Friday night.
- Mills’ Charlotte Stats:
NOAPS Starts: 4; Best Finish: 20th (2022).
NCTS Starts: 5; Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 4th (2024).
- Shiplett’s Charlotte Stats:
NCS Starts: 11; Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 1; Best Finish: 5th (2011).
NOAPS Starts: 11; Wins: 2 (Kasey Kahne, 2007 & Alex Bowman, 2017); Poles: 1 (Kyle Larson, 2016); Top-Fives: 3; Top-10s: 5.
NCTS Starts: 3; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 7th (2025).
- On the Truck: Mills’ No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with primary support from longtime partners, Utilitra and J.F. Electric. Utilitra specializes in utility and technology solutions, and J.F. Electric is a commercial electrical contractor.
- Recapping Kansas: Connor Hall and the Circle B Diecast / Niece Products of Kansas team had quite the eventful outing in Kansas. After starting in 31st, Hall drove to 20th in stage one with a fast truck. Early on, Hall spun in turn two and had to gain his track position back, but kept in the hunt. At the end of stage two, Hall found himself in nearly the exact same position and went for a spin after making contact with another competitor. With no damage, the team pressed on and marched forward yet again after the rain delay. Hall climbed all the way into the top-10 during the final stage, but was pushed into the wall on the front stretch by another truck which cut a tire down and prompted a green flag pit stop. The No. 4 team lost several laps repairing the damage and was credited with a 32nd-place result.
- Quoting Mills: Charlotte is a track that you typically run well at, so how excited are you to make your return in that race?
“The Charlotte oval is one of my favorite tracks on the schedule, so I was pretty happy to hear that they were going to take a break from the ROVAL and go back to this layout instead. When I heard that I was going to run that race, that made me even more happy. Now that everything is coming to fruition, I am very excited to go into this weekend. I feel pretty optimistic about the speed we will have in our Utilitra Chevy for Friday night and am looking forward to getting back out there with the team.”
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2016. The team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra, and was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop 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 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.
