NASCAR Truck Series: Kyle Benjamin talks first race with Niece Motorsports

Kyle Benjamin is set to compete in seven NASCAR Truck Series races for Niece Motorsports this season. He spoke to me before his first race with the team.

The SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway will welcome a driver back to the NASCAR Truck Series. Kyle Benjamin will drive the #45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet in this race, and he is set to compete in seven Truck Series races for Niece Motorsports throughout the remainder of the season.

Benjamin has competed in two Truck Series races, and he has eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts under his belt. The 21-year-old from Easley, South Carolina has a career-high Truck Series finish of second place in the 2018 Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway.

Following the first practice session for the SpeedyCash.com 400, Benjamin spoke to me about his expectations for the race itself as well as his goals in his seven races with Niece Motorsports this season.

NOTE: “Q” means questions asked by yours truly and “A” refers to Kyle Benjamin’s answers.

Q: What are your expectations for the SpeedyCash.com 400?

A: I have pretty high expectations for the race, but I think we can achieve them. Truthfully, I’m confident I can win this race. My #45 Chevrolet has good speed. In the first practice, we lost a little speed in Turn 1. We’ll work on it though.

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Throughout the practices, we’ll keep working to get the truck into race-winning speed. Niece Motorsports brought me a fast truck. They’ve made 1.5-mile tracks a focus. It paid off when Ross Chastain won at Kansas Speedway. So a win here at Texas Motor Speedway is within our reach.

Q: What are your goals for your seven races with Niece Motorsports?

A: We’re going to run as best we can. Honestly, I believe we can compete for wins. I’m not racing for the championship, so we can afford to take some gambles. We’ll use some strategy to get ourselves into a good position to contend. Between myself and crew chief Phil Gould, if we execute well throughout races, we’ll run well.

Q: You’re the only other person to drive the #45 Chevrolet other than Ross Chastain this season. Do you feel any pressure?

A: No, I don’t feel any pressure. These seven races will be learning experiences. The SpeedyCash.com 400 is my first race at Texas Motor Speedway. So I’ll learn and run my race.

Q: Ross Chastain just declared for NASCAR Truck Series points. How will having him as a teammate help you?

A: Any time a team adds a new driver it benefits the team. Adding Chastain full-time is huge for this team. He’ll compete in every race, so that definitely helps. He has so much experience. He’s competed at so many race tracks.

His at-track experience is something myself and the team can lean on. He will relay information back to the team which they’ll use to improve my truck. Likewise, if my setup, line, etc., is working, they’ll convey that info to Chastain to see if it’ll help him. So it’s mutually beneficial.

Chastain has run well for the team in all the races. Give credit to team owner Al Niece. He assembled a good group of guys. The guys at the shop are building faster trucks. Chastain then betters the truck in the race. His constant feedback helps the team prepare for the next race. This team has steadily improved all season.

Q: You’re competing for the first time this season whereas the NASCAR Truck Series regular season is halfway complete. How will you adjust and how have you prepared thus far?

A: As far as my preparation, I’m leaning on my past experiences. This is my third career Truck Series start, so I have to use my knowledge base and expand upon it. Niece Motorsports are a smart team. They brought me a good truck. I’m learning in practice so I can qualify well for the race.

In the SpeedyCash.com 400, I have to race smart. This is a talented field of drivers. In order to keep running up front, hard work is necessary for all of us at Niece Motorsports.

Q: Spencer Davis is your spotter for this race weekend. He has six career Truck Series starts. How will he help you?

A: Yes, having someone who has competed in the series speeds up my learning process at the track. He’s able to relay other drivers’ lines, which could help me find some extra speed. In the spotter stand, Spencer Davis gives me very vital information for a new track for me.

Texas Motor Speedway is a big track. Davis can tell me what’s going on where I can’t see. The racing action takes place quickly, and we’re going very fast. Davis will be in my ear telling me what to do to gain positions and stay out of trouble.

Q: You’re only competing in seven races for Niece Motorsports. Forecasting into the future a bit, how will you measure your time with them?

A: I like winning. Winning definitely can be a measuring stick, but these Truck Series drivers are very good. So I probably won’t win them all. [chuckles]

Top five finishes are definitely attainable for me. Niece Motorsports has everything in place for me to race in the top five and hopefully win some races. Winning is fun, and I really want to win a race. So yeah, if I don’t win any of my races this season, I’ll be disappointed for sure.

Kyle Benjamin and the rest of the NASCAR Truck Series drivers are set compete in the SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 7. Fox Sports 1 is set to broadcast the race live beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET.