Matt Mills
Mills at Richmond Raceway in 2018
BornMatthew Robert Mills
(1996-11-14) November 14, 1996
Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.
NASCAR Cup Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2021 position67th
Best finish67th (2021)
First race2021 Buschy McBusch Race 400 (Kansas)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
121 races run over 7 years
2022 position96th
Best finish21st (2019)
First race2017 DC Solar 200 (Phoenix)
Last race2023 Shriners Children's 200 (Darlington)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
23 races run over 5 years
Truck no., teamNo. 42 (Niece Motorsports)
2022 position97th
Best finish42nd (2016, 2017)
First race2016 UNOH 200 (Bristol)
Last race2023 Worldwide Express 250 (Richmond)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
Statistics current as of June 3, 2023.

Matthew Robert Mills (born November 14, 1996)[1] is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports. He has also previously competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Racing career

Early years

Mills started racing at age twelve in go-karts. A year later, he moved up to Junior Champ Karts and spent three years racing those. Mills started racing Open Wheel Modifieds at Midvale Speedway in 2012, winning rookie of the year and moving up to Outlaw Super Late Models in 2013. He attended a rookie seminar for NASCAR at Daytona Beach, Florida the following year and received clearance to race in the ARCA Racing Series and K&N Pro Series,[1] but has yet to race in either of those series, instead running a limited schedule in the JEGS/CRA Pro Series in 2015 as well as continuing his late model career.[2]

Craftsman Truck Series

On June 29, 2016, it was announced that Mills would join SS-Green Light Racing for "select races" in the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.[3] He made his first start at Bristol Motor Speedway in August,[4] finishing 27th.[5] Mills ran four more races for SS-Green Light in 2016, scoring a best finish of 21st in the season's penultimate race at Phoenix International Raceway.[6]

In 2017, he joined Faith Motorsports for three races because the team primary driver Donnie Levister was unapproved by NASCAR to run intermediate tracks. He ran seventeenth in two of them, career-best finishes,[7] before he joined Martins Motorsports to run in multiple races in the truck No. 42 with sponsorship from Thompson Electric Inc. starting in Iowa.[8] The truck never hit the track at Iowa and was never entered thereafter, however, the truck was included in the original edition of the 2017 video game NASCAR Heat 2.[9] He drove the No. 44 for Martins the following week but fell out due to an accident. He then start and parked with Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing for a few races in the latter part of 2017.[10]

Mills drove the No. 20 truck for Young's Motorsports part-time in 2022 in addition to running the majority of the Xfinity Series season for B. J. McLeod Motorsports in their No. 5 car. He returned to the team in 2023 to drive their No. 20 truck again at Las Vegas in March.

On October 12, 2023, Niece Motorsports announced that Mills will drive the No. 42 full-time in 2024, with Carson Hocevar moving up to the Cup Series in the Spire Motorsports No. 77.[11]

Xfinity Series

In March 2017, Mills was named the driver for B. J. McLeod Motorsports' No. 8 entry at Phoenix[12][13] in what looked to be a one race deal, replacing regular driver Jeff Green who had been signed to run the full season. Mills finished 30th in his debut.[14] He returned to the series over a month later at Richmond, again driving McLeod's No. 8.[15] His next start in the series came at Chicago in September with JD Motorsports, start and parking their fourth car, the No. 15.[16] In the season's final weekend, he failed to qualify with startup team NextGen Motorsports.[17]

On February 2, 2018, it was announced that Mills will drive the No. 15 car for all but one race in 2018, skipping the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway.[18] He had previously been in consideration for the team's No. 0 car, which ultimately was driven by Garrett Smithley.[19] He did not qualify for the Texas race in April because of inspection issues. The agreement wound up falling through, as Mills was replaced by Joe Nemechek for the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.[20] Mills returned for a couple more races but parted ways with JDM after the June Michigan race. He made a start for DGR-Crosley in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Michigan in August, but wrecked, self-admittedly due to inexperience.[21]

Mills returned to B. J. McLeod Motorsports for some fall Xfinity races, eventually becoming the team's full-time driver of the No. 8 in 2019.[22] However, the number changed to 5 after the team agreed to give up their No. 8 for JR Motorsports in a number swap, and McLeod's team received the No. 5, the car number JRM dropped so they could get the No. 8.[23]

Cup Series

On April 26, 2021, B. J. McLeod Motorsports announced that they would be fielding a Cup Series car in the spring race at Kansas, the No. 55, and that Mills would be the driver. It was his debut in the series. Although BJMM uses Chevrolets or Toyotas in the Xfinity Series, the car in this race was a Ford from McLeod's Live Fast Motorsports team, which he fields in the Cup Series but is a separate entity from BJMM.[24]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 NCSC Pts Ref
2021 B. J. McLeod Motorsports 55 Ford DAY DRC HOM LVS PHO ATL BRD MAR RCH TAL KAN
38		 DAR DOV COA CLT SON NSH POC POC ROA ATL NHA GLN IRC MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO 67th 01 [25]

Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NXSC Pts Ref
2017 B. J. McLeod Motorsports 8 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO
30		 CAL TEX BRI RCH
31		 TAL CLT DOV POC MCH IOW DAY KEN NHA IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH 109th 01 [26]
JD Motorsports 15 CHI
40		 KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO
NextGen Motorsports 55 Toyota HOM
DNQ
2018 JD Motorsports 0 Chevy DAY ATL
36		 LVS
27		 53rd 43 [27]
15 PHO
38		 CAL
37		 TEX
DNQ		 BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC
27		 MCH
36		 IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR IND LVS
B. J. McLeod Motorsports 78 Chevy RCH
27		 ROV
8 DOV
28		 KAN TEX PHO HOM
2019 5 Toyota DAY
26		 TAL
17		 POC
30		 DAY
10		 21st 372 [28]
Chevy ATL
30		 LVS
29		 PHO
28		 CAL
23		 TEX
27		 BRI
21		 RCH
28		 DOV
31		 CLT
26		 MCH
24		 IOW
26		 CHI
27		 KEN
23		 NHA
20		 IOW
18		 GLN MOH BRI
18		 ROA DAR
31		 IND
25		 LVS
24		 DOV
24		 KAN
20
99 RCH
28		 ROV
78 TEX
18		 PHO
19		 HOM
30
2020 5 Toyota DAY
31		 TAL
38		 KEN
30		 KEN
19		 TEX
26		 KAN
26		 ROA DAY
16		 LVS
30		 TAL
21		 ROV
25		 KAN
25		 TEX
13		 25th 346 [29]
Chevy LVS
25		 CAL
27		 PHO
DNQ		 DAR
34		 CLT
30		 BRI
25		 ATL
30		 HOM
27		 HOM
24		 POC
25		 IRC
30		 DRC
22		 DOV
33		 DOV
30		 RCH
13		 RCH
13		 BRI
22		 MAR
38		 PHO
35
99 DAR
22
2021 5 DAY
16		 LVS
39		 PHO
35		 ATL
34		 MAR
33		 DAR
40		 CLT
35		 NSH
25		 POC
23		 ROA ATL
26		 NHA
32		 MCH
14		 DAR
23		 RCH
21		 LVS
28		 MAR
29		 PHO
29		 29th 271 [30]
Toyota DRC
19		 HOM
29		 TAL
25		 DOV
27		 COA MOH
23		 TEX
26		 GLN
38		 IRC DAY
33		 TAL
23		 ROV
30
99 Chevy BRI
36		 TEX
32		 KAN
25
2022 5 DAY
25		 CAL
23		 LVS
35		 PHO ATL
31		 COA MAR
18		 TAL
31		 DOV
31		 DAR
31		 TEX
37		 ATL
37		 TEX
16		 TAL ROV LVS
35		 HOM
32		 MAR
35		 PHO
DNQ		 96th 01 [31]
55 RCH
DNQ		 CLT
20		 PIR
99 NSH
DNQ		 ROA
78 NHA
22		 POC IRC MCH
38		 GLN
Toyota DAY
24		 DAR KAN BRI
2023 Emerling-Gase Motorsports 53 Ford DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR
22		 TAL DOV DAR
28		 CLT PIR SON NSH CSC ATL NHA POC ROA MCH IRC GLN DAY 96th 01 [32]
Toyota DAR
27		 HOM
DNQ		 MAR PHO
Chevy KAN
19		 BRI TEX ROV LVS

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NCTC Pts Ref
2016 SS-Green Light Racing 07 Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN DOV CLT TEX IOW GTW KEN ELD POC BRI
27		 MCH MSP CHI NHA
23		 LVS TAL MAR TEX
29		 PHO
21		 HOM 42nd 32 [33]
2017 Faith Motorsports 44 Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN
17		 CLT
24		 DOV
17		 TEX GTW IOW 42nd 50 [34]
Martins Motorsports KEN
29		 ELD
Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing 0 Chevy POC
27		 MCH BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS
25		 TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM
2018 DGR-Crosley 54 Toyota DAY ATL LVS MAR DOV KAN CLT TEX IOW GTW CHI KEN ELD POC MCH
31		 BRI MSP LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 113th 01 [35]
2022 Young's Motorsports 20 Chevy DAY LVS
15		 ATL
35		 COA MAR BRD DAR KAN
34		 TEX CLT
34		 GTW
DNQ		 SON KNX NSH MOH POC IRP RCH KAN BRI TAL HOM PHO 97th 01 [36]
2023 DAY LVS
26		 ATL COA TEX
31		 BRD MAR KAN DAR NWS CLT
30		 GTW
19		 NSH MOH
22		 POC 34th 108 [37]
Kyle Busch Motorsports 51 Chevy RCH
5		 MLW
25		 KAN BRI TAL HOM PHO
Young's Motorsports 02 Chevy IRP
23
2024 Niece Motorsports 42 Chevy DAY ATL LVS BRI COA MAR TEX KAN DAR NWS CLT GTW NSH POC IRP RCH MLW BRI KAN TAL HOM MAR PHO

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References

  1. 1 2 E.A.Schaeffer Oil Company (Zoilracing) (October 29, 2014). "Matthew mills racing young guns and legends of ohio". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ "Season Preview: Matt Mills". Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  3. ↑ Wilson, Steven B. "Late Model Standout Matt Mills to Join SS Green Light Racing". Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Matt Mills to Make Truck Debut at Bristol". www.onpitroad.com. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ "TRUCKS: Matt Crafton scores first career NASCAR last-place finish". brock.lastcar.info. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Driver Matt Mills 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results - Racing-Reference.info". racing-reference.info. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  7. ↑ "NCWTS: Matt Mills Matches Career-Best Finish at Dover – Rubbings Racing". rubbingsracing.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Martins Motorsports returns to Truck Series competition with Matt Mills in Iowa". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  9. ↑ "NASCAR Heat 2 NCWTS Roster – NASCAR Heat". NASCAR Heat. July 19, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Driver Matt Mills 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results - Racing-Reference.info". racing-reference.info. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Matt Mills joins Niece Motorsports full time in 2024". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Matt Mills Joins BJ McLeod Motorsports At Phoenix » Race Pro Weekly". raceproweekly.com. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  13. ↑ Bonkowski, Jerry (March 16, 2017). "Latest young gun makes Xfinity debut: Matt Mills to race at Phoenix". NASCAR Talk. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  14. ↑ "03/18/2017 race: DC Solar 200 (NXS) - Racing-Reference.info". racing-reference.info. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  15. ↑ "30th Annual ToyotaCare "250" – NASCAR XFINITY Series – Richmond International Raceway – 4/29/2017" (PDF). Jayski's Silly Season Site. April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  16. ↑ "XFINITY: Matt Mills finishes last at Chicagoland when JD Motorsports' No. 15 withdrawn, re-entered, then parked". brock.lastcar.info. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Driver Matt Mills 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results - Racing-Reference.info". racing-reference.info. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  18. ↑ Vincent, Amanda. "NASCAR Xfinity: Matt Mills joins JD Motorsports at Atlanta". Auto Racing Daily. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  19. ↑ Herbst, Alex (January 16, 2018). "NASCAR: JD Motorsports expanding to four cars in 2018". Beyond the Flag. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Joe Nemechek to drive for JDM at Bristol". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  21. ↑ Catanzareti, Zach. "Matt Mills Striving for Seat Time Following Time Away". KickinTheTires.net. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  22. ↑ "BJ McLeod Motorsports announces it is expanding to three (3) full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series teams in 2019". B. J. McLeod Motorsports. January 10, 2019. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  23. ↑ "BJ McLeod Motorsports Reveals the Replacement of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Car No. 8". B. J. McLeod Motorsports. February 1, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Matt Mills to make Cup debut at Kansas Speedway with B.J. McLeod Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. April 26, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Matt Mills – 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
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