Niece Motorsports celebrates 10th season
Yesterday at 03:55 PM
This year marks a significant milestone for Niece Motorsports as it plans to enter its 10th season competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
The team was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran, Al Niece, in 2016, and has seen considerable success in the years since.
Niece, born in 1945 in LaPorte, Indiana, enlisted in the service in 1967 after graduating high school. While serving, Niece was deployed to Vietnam with the 3rd Marine Division, Lima Co. 3rd Marine Regiment – where he earned the rank of Sergeant.
Upon his return from the service, Niece laid the groundwork for what would become his first company, Niece Equipment, in Austin, Texas.
Beginning in 1978, and through the decades that followed, Niece Equipment began to grow its manufacturing capabilities producing water equipment, fuel and lube trucks, and other specialized forms of machinery used in mining. The company later expanded its operations to include sister companies, Niemco and Niece Products of Kansas.
Today, Niece Equipment is known as a juggernaut in the machining industry, with three plants based in Fort Worth & Buda, Texas, and Fort Scott, Kansas.
It was a fascination with fast cars and durable trucks from a young age that prompted Niece to enter the racing world.
Originating from its humble beginnings as a one-truck team, housed out of a rented garage with one bay, and only three employees, Niece Motorsports made its first NCTS start at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2016.
From there, the team was off and running. In 2017, Niece embarked on its first full-time schedule, and in the year that followed, expanded to two entries, later growing to three full-time teams beginning in 2019.
On May 10, 2019, the team captured its first victory with Ross Chastain at Kansas Speedway. That year, the team went on to compete for the series title in just its third full-time attempt, winning three races and qualifying for the Championship 4.
Having made the Playoffs for five seasons, Niece Motorsports trucks have visited victory lane on nine occasions – all at different tracks. In 2023, the team once again qualified for the Championship 4 after winning its season-record of four races with Carson Hocevar.
Now, having made 525 combined starts by 50 drivers, the team has eclipsed milestones including 50 top-fives and over 100 top-10 finishes in a decade. Niece Motorsports is now the third longest-tenured, active team competing in the series, employing nearly 80 mechanics, fabricators, and marketing staff.
Since its inception, the team has continued its theory of growth through a way of disruption. It is one of the lone Truck Series operations that produces every aspect of the truck in-house, including the manufacturing of its own chassis and bodies, to the training of its pit crews – everything is managed internally through its 80,000 square foot home base located in Salisbury, North Carolina.
As the 2025 season commences, the team will fondly look back on memorable moments throughout the years that helped shape it into what it is today, beginning with the introduction of a special logo to be used across the board.
On the team’s social media handles, the “10 Seasons Celebration” campaign will delve into storytelling of the team’s inception, highlighting 10 individuals who were instrumental in its growth, and share appreciation for every fan, partner, driver, and employee that have helped build the company.
Commemorative merchandise will be available for purchase through the team’s online store, with a special 10-year anniversary hat available now. Additional anniversary merchandise will drop throughout the season.
“Being a part of Niece Motorsports over the past 10 seasons has been so much more than a job,” said Cody Efaw, General Manager. “It’s been an opportunity for myself to grow as a person, leader, manager, and as a pupil in the business world. Al Niece has become so much more to me than just a boss. He has afforded me the opportunity to direct and lead an amazing business. Al has had my back through great times and bad times. We have spent almost every day over the past 10 years talking on the phone. He has always taken the time to share stories of his past business experience and use them as teaching moments for myself. The amount of respect I have for him is second to none. He has been a man that has kept his word and has always pushed forward. He has altered the course of my life and the knowledge I have gained from him, I will use for the rest of my life.”
“Running NMS has been my life day and night for the past 10 years. I am beyond thankful for all the men and women who have carried the Niece namesake, for all the amazing partners that I have had the chance to work with, and the many friendships/family relationships that have been built because of NMS. We all do this because we want to win and be competitive, however, when I look back, it’s not the wins that stick out. For me, it’s the Niece family I have gained, the daily challenges I learned to embrace, and the obstacles we overcame together that I cherish the most. I look forward to the future with NMS and still look back in amazement of how far we have come!”
Looking forward to the season ahead, Niece Motorsports will field four trucks vying for success. The No. 41, 42, 44, and 45 teams will proudly represent Al Niece’s commitment to his country and the sport he loves.
Next week, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season begins at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 14. Live coverage of the Fresh From Florida 250 will air on FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 7:30 PM ET.
Follow Niece Motorsports on Facebook, X, and Instagram and visit niecemotorsports.com for all the latest news.
— Niece Motorsports —
