Getty Ross Chastain celebrates a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Niece Motorsports is taking a new approach with one of its Craftsman Truck Series entries. The No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado will feature a lineup of special guests, headlined by Travis Pastrana and Ross Chastain.
Niece Motorsports announced the news on February 7. The team revealed that Pastrana will drive the No. 41 during the trip to Daytona International Speedway. He will have Worldwide Express as his primary partner while Black Rifle Coffee Company, Dixxon Flannel, and Wienerschnitzel all provide additional support.
One #Daytona race wasn’t enough! 🏁Extreme athlete @TravisPastrana will supercharge the first @NASCAR_Trucks race of the season with @NieceMotorsport + WWEX Racing in the No. 41. Follow @wwexracing to see the victory lane prep before 2/17 🏆 #NASCAR #wwexracing
Pastrana will be the first driver to take over the No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado, which is now a full-time entry. He will make his first Craftsman Truck Series start since 2020 when he competed at Kansas Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Niece Motorsports entries.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Al [Niece], Cody [Efaw], and the Niece Motorsports crew quite a bit since the team was formed,” Pastrana said in a press release.
“I was looking to be part of as much racing as possible during Daytona Speedweeks this year and couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to drive their 41 truck with support from WWEX Racing in my first Daytona start in the Truck Series.”
Chastain Returns for More Truck Series Starts
GettyRoss Chastain has multiple wins with Niece Motorsports.
Pastrana will be the first driver to compete behind the wheel of the No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado. There will be multiple others that also make starts during the 2023 Truck Series season.
Chastain will make multiple starts for Niece Motorsports while continuing a longstanding relationship with the team. He has made 100 starts in the Truck Series, 44 of which were with Niece Motorsports.
Chastain has been responsible for the majority of Niece’s success. He has delivered four wins in the Truck Series. Three were during the 2019 season as he fought for playoff points. The fourth was during the 2022 trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Niece Motorsports has not revealed the full lineup of drivers for the No. 41. The only public names are Pastrana, Chastain, Bayley Currey, and Chad Chastain. However, the team said that there will be more announced in the future.
A Winning Crew Chief Takes Over the No. 41 Team
GettyMike Hillman Jr. (left) will join Niece Motorsports.
Niece Motorsports will shake up the driver lineup for the 2023 season while reuniting with Pastrana. The team will also make a change atop the No. 41 pit box while bringing in another crew chief.
According to the press release, Niece Motorsports will join forces with Mike Hillman Jr. The veteran crew chief will make the move from David Gilliland Racing — now Tricon Garage — after most recently working with Hailie Deegan and Tanner Gray.
Hillman is no stranger to success in the Craftsman Truck Series. Hillman won two championships with Todd Bodine, and he guided The Onion to 19 total wins between 2005 and 2010.
Hillman also celebrated four other wins in the Craftsman Truck Series. One was with Jeb Burton at Texas Motor Speedway in 2013 while another was with Raphael Lessard at Talladega Superspeedway in 2020. Kyle Busch won the other two races — Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway in 2018.