TA2 Winner, CARS Tour Champion Ben Maier Entering NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Event at St. Petersburg

Ben Maier, the 2025 zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model champion and former Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli race winner, will join Niece Motorsports for the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at St. Petersburg next Saturday, February 28.

Maier will pilot the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports in the event on the street circuit ahead of the NTT IndyCar Series Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The Annapolis, Maryland native hopes to make his third career start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on the streets of St. Petersburg.

The 17-year-old competitor will be supported at St. Petersburg by DQS Solutions & Staffing, J.F. Electric and BOE Marine.

“I’m super excited to join Niece Motorsports for my third Truck Series start at St. Pete,” said Maier. “I think it’s going to be a fun race, and we should have a pretty fast truck there. We’ve been preparing a lot on the simulator, and I feel ready to go. Huge thanks to everyone at the team, Chevrolet, DQS Solutions & Staffing, J.F. Electric, and BOE Marine for making it happen.”

Maier competed in a pair of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events in 2025. He made his debut at Lime Rock Park in June, finishing 18th. He also finished 25th on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He also claimed the drivers' championship in the Pro Late Model division fo rthe zMAX CARS Tour, with seven top-fives and 10 top-10s in 13 races.

“We are all looking forward to seeing what Ben can do in his first Truck Series race for our team at St. Pete,” said Cody Efaw, Niece Motorsports CEO. “I think it says a lot about our company to have both of last year’s CARS Tour champions driving for us, given the caliber of drivers who compete there on a regular basis. Ben has been eager to learn since he showed up at our shop, and I think he will do a great job for us.”

Maier has competed in a variety of racing disciplines, including appearances in Stadium Super Trucks and Micro Sprints along with his success in Late Models and Trans Am.

In 2024, Maier won at World Wide Technology Raceway in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. He finished fifth in TA2 points that season, with three top-fives and nine top-10s in 12 races. While the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event will be Maier's first event at St. Petersburg, he has competed at street circuits in Detroit, Nashville and Long Beach in his career.

Maier will be joined in the Niece Motorsports by fellow CARS Tour champion Landen Lewis, who won the 2025 Late Model Stock Car championship with the series. Lewis will be making his first start of the season at St. Pete.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at St. Petersburg will be the third race of the 2026 season. Coverage of the event on Saturday, February 28 will be on FOX, the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

-Photo credit: Niece Motorsports