Chastain
Ross Chastain before the Goodyear 400 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Niece Motorsports Finalizes No. 45 Truck Lineup

SALISBURY, N.C. — Ross Chastain, Johnny Sauter, Kaden Honeycutt and Connor Mosack will split driving duties behind the wheel of the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the 2024 season.

The group of drivers will be led by veteran crew chief Phil Gould as the No. 45 team competes for an Owner’s Championship in the Truck Series. The 2016 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Sauter will kick off the season in the No. 45 Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway.

“I’m appreciative to everyone at Niece Motorsports for the chance to get back behind the wheel and start the season at Daytona,” said Sauter. “I’m ready to go racing and I know Phil and this Niece Motorsports team are ready to get back on track too. We’re ready to compete for a win in Daytona.”

Chastain will compete at Circuit of the Americas, Darlington Raceway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Indianapolis Raceway Park.

“I love coming to race in the Truck Series,” said Chastain. “I’m thankful to Al Niece and everyone at Niece Motorsports for allowing me to get behind the wheel of these Chevrolets. We’re going to do our best to go out and win races and compete for an Owner’s Championship. It would mean a lot to me to be able to bring that home to Al Niece.”

Chastain first joined Niece Motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2018, competing in three races for the team to close out the season. Chastain competed in the Truck Series full time in 2019 for Niece Motorsports, earning the organization’s first victory at Kansas Speedway.

Chastain and the No. 45 team earned two more victories that season, on the way to a second-place finish in both the driver and owner point standings. Chastain has competed in 25 races for Niece Motorsports from 2020 to 2023, earning one win, six top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes.

“Ross means a lot to our organization and we’re appreciative that he continues to come back and race with us,” said Niece Motorsports General Manager Cody Efaw. “We’re also excited about the young talent we’ll have behind the wheel this season with Kaden Honeycutt and Connor Mosack. They’ve shown a lot of talent and we’re hopeful that we can help them polish that with more time behind the wheel.”

Honeycutt has 20 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts to his credit, with 11 of those starts coming in 2023. The young driver turned heads in the series, earning three top-10 finishes in 2023. 

“Thanks to Al Niece and everyone at Niece Motorsports for the opportunity to go racing in top-tier equipment this season,” said Honeycutt. “I’m looking forward to having more time in one of these Chevrolets and competing for an Owner’s Championship with this group.”

Mosack made 24 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last season, earning a best finish of fifth at Watkins Glen International.

He ended the season with one top-five, two top-10s and six top-20 finishes. In addition, Mosack has two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts to his credit at Bristol Motor Speedway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, both coming in 2022.

“I’m excited to join Niece Motorsports this season,” said Mosack. “This is a strong group and I’m thrilled to be a part of it and learn from everyone here. I’m ready to get behind the wheel in Las Vegas and get the season started.”