Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - Fresh From Florida 250 Race Preview
Event: Fresh From Florida 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)
Round: 1 of 25 (Season Opener)
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date & Time: Friday, February 13 | 7:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90
Team Stats & Notes
- Niece Motorsports Daytona Stats:
NCTS Starts: 23; Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 8; Best Finish: 3rd (Ross Chastain, 2019).
- Stacked Driver Lineup: Niece Motorsports is bringing four high-profile drivers to Daytona for Friday's NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) season-opening race. With global motorsports icons, viral content creators, Cup Series superstars, and international flare, the team is sure to have its share of fan favorites.
No. 45 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
NCTS Debut Race: NASCAR Cup Series veteran Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joins Niece Motorsports to make his first-career NCTS start on Friday. The 2023 DAYTONA 500 winner and two-time NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts champion will drive the No. 45 truck in the first two races of the year at Daytona and Atlanta.
- On the Box: Niece Motorsports Director of Competition Phil Gould continues to lead the No. 45 team in 2026. Gould has been an instrumental asset to the company since 2019, and is the winningest crew chief for the organization.
- On the Roof: Brandon McReynolds will serve as the No. 45 team's primary spotter this season. McReynolds first joined the team last year spotting in select events for the No. 44 entry, and is the NCS spotter for Ross Chastain's No. 1 team at Trackhouse Racing.
- Stenhouse Jr.'s Daytona Stats:
NCS Starts: 27; Poles: 1 (2020); Wins: 2 (2017 & 2023); Top-Fives: 3; Top-10s: 4.
NOAPS Starts: 7; Poles: 1 (2012); Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 3; Best Finish: 2nd (2012).
- Gould's Daytona Stats:
NOAPS Starts: 12; Wins: 1 (Ryan Reed, 2017); Top-Fives: 3; Top-10s: 5.
NCTS Starts: 7; Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 2; Best Finish: 3rd (2019).
- On the Truck: Stenhouse Jr.'s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from J.F. Electric and Utilitra.
- Quoting Stenhouse Jr.: You've raced a lot of cars, but have never ran a truck in the draft before. What do you anticipate the biggest difference being in them?
“I feel like the Truck Series drafting races play out a lot different than the Cup or O’Reilly Series races. I feel like these will be more similar to the ARCA races that I ran back in the day a long time ago in 2008. I’ll watch a ton of film and talk to Phil to learn what their trucks are used to and find out what kind of issues to look out for. For me, it’s a lot of tape prep to see how the races play out at Daytona. Talladega is a different animal even though they’re both super speedways, so I’ll be deep diving in on Daytona. I’ll probably call a few people and see what they feel like in these trucks and find out what’s different than what I’m used to in the Cup cars. I just have a lot of book work to do.”
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 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.
