Josh Morris saw something in Niece Motorsports that reminded him of the company he and four friends started.
So it was no coincidence that Dearborn-based DQS Solutions and Staffing got involved in a joint venture to acquire the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.
“It was kind of like looking in a mirror,” said Morris, the CEO of DQS.
DQS and J.F. Electric, an electrical contracting company based near St. Louis, announced in August that they purchased Niece Motorsports, which recently observed its 10th year in the truck series.
The transaction came after both DQS and J.F. Electric had been sponsors on Niece’s Chevrolet Silverados.
Sponsorship was a natural step for DQS, which handles tasks like trucking, security and warehousing for several original equipment manufacturers in the automobile industry.
“Our decision to jump into NASCAR was predicated on the fact that we service the automotive industry as a whole,” Morris said.
In Niece, Morris saw a self-made company like DQS.
“The folks at Niece reminded me of the folks at DQS,” Morris said. “They started with a whole lot of nothing and worked to build their company into what it is today. I put a lot of trust and belief in people who scratch their way to making a living, doing a lot of hard work, and that’s exactly what Niece does.”
Morris and co-founders will in October celebrate the sixth anniversary of DQS.
“We didn’t have a lot of money,” Morris said. “We didn’t have any major backing. We got whatever we had, put our houses up, did whatever we could.
“We started with one office.”
Since then, DQS, which now operates in multiple cities, including Wichita, Kan., Louisville and Toledo, has in consecutive years made Inc. 5000’s list of fastest growing companies.
“It’s very difficult to get on that list two years in a row,” Morris said. “It’s a testament to the people that work here. We’re definitely expanding at a rapid pace.”
The race team, Morris said, will continue to be known as Niece Motorsports and have its headquarters in Mooresville, N.C.
“Our day-to-day role will be to attract new sponsors to the team, helping with (human resources) and accounting – a lot of back office items.
“That will allow their staff to focus on their performance on the race track.”
Niece Motorsports, founded by Al Niece in 2016, sponsors the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45 trucks.
Current NASCAR Cup Series drivers Ross Chastain and Michigan native Carson Hocevar are among the Niece “alumni.”
Matt Mills, the team’s lone full-time driver, who pilots the No. 42, is 18th in points after 19 races.
Morris said Niece Motorsports was looking for an infusion of capital.
Josh Morris sits atop the Niece Motorsports pit box at Nashville Superspeedway. Morris is the CEO of DQS Solutions, a Dearborn company that in Aug. announced it had purched the NASCAR truck series team. (Photo courtesy of Josh Morris/Niece Motorsports)
“The sport is tough, NASCAR as a whole is tough, and there were some struggles there financially,” Morris said. “They reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in coming in, either buying the company or coming in on a partnership.
“We believed the best path was to buy it as a whole.”
After DQS and Niece agreed on the sale, J.F. Electric partnered with DQS, Morris said.
“We want to help the race team continue to grow and thrive,” Morris said.
Niece, DQS and J.F. Electric look for ways to cross-promote one another and spark growth, Morris said.
J.F. Electric was a sponsor on the No. 91 NASCAR Xfinity Series car that Mills drove to a 19th-place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis last weekend.
Future plans, Morris added, might include the team having a presence at dirt tracks; running a late model stock car at a venue like Flat Rock Speedway, or getting involved in the Xfinity and Cup series.
Niece, Morris said, will continue to run Chevrolets in the truck series, which will see the return of Dodge in 2026.
“It’s great for NASCAR as a whole,” Morris said of the Dodge comeback. “The more OEMs the better. The more smart people there are in the room, the better the outcomes for everybody.”
Josh Morris, CEO of DQS Solutions and Staffing in Dearborn, stands next to the Niece Motorsports No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado. DQS and another company recently purchased the race team. (Photo courtesy of Josh Morris/Niece Motorsports)
One goal that manufacturers have for participation in NASCAR is to improve the performance of street cars, Morris said.
“A lot of people miss that piece,” Morris said. “NASCAR is a development arm for the cars that we drive every single day. You put these vehicles under extreme conditions for two to three hours, and what the OEMs learn helps with what they’re developing.”
In conjunction with the sale of Niece to DQS, the company announced that Cody Efaw would serve as president and CEO; Amanda Efaw as chief marketing officer and Phil Gould as director of competition.
Morris said the Niece expects to sponsor three truck teams in 2026.
“That’s, of course, depending on funding,” he said. “We’re always looking for sponsors.”
The driver lineup, Morris said, is not finalized.
“There’s a lot of moving pieces,” he added. “We think Niece is going to do a lot of great things.”