Preece’s short track skills shone through the snow and sleet on Wednesday night.
After an intense winter storm rocked the American Southeast, the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium was cut down from a two-day weekend event to a single night of racing on Wednesday. The winner, Ryan Preece, fought hard to advance through the field all night long. He didn’t just have to face off against NASCAR’s top stars – he also had to contend with snow and slush.
Growing up in Connecticut, he likely had more experience in these weather conditions than most of the drivers. We doubt, however, that he’s spent much time driving a race car in the snow. Regardless, he called on his short-track roots and cold-weather experience to win on Wednesday.
It wasn’t that long ago that Ryan Preece was out of a job. When Stewart-Haas announced that they would shutter their operations at the end of the 2024 season, Preece, who had never quite found his home in the Cup series, imagined that he’d end up moving back home to Connecticut. He thought he might return to his roots and tear things up on short tracks, the same way he’d come up – as a hard-working, blue-collar driver, powered by sheer grit and determination.
Indeed, Preece stands out in the glitz-and-glamor world of the NASCAR Cup series. Surrounded by certifiable superstars, he’s understated and humble by comparison. However, many in the garage have taken note of his talent – including his current boss, Brad Keselowski.
Keselowski called on Preece to drive the #60 Ford for RFK Racing last year, and as the team has steadily improved, so has Preece. Last year, early in the season, we predicted that the Preece/RFK partnership would pay dividends. We’re happy to see our prediction come true.
This weekend, the teams will make their way to Daytona to prepare for the Daytona 500, the first points-paying race of the season. With the speed that RFK cars have shown on superspeedways these past couple of seasons, we’re eager to see what Preece and his teammates are capable of later this month.
Photo: Associated Press
Leave a Reply