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November 19, 2024
Ryan Preece to join RFK Racing for 2025 Cup season; Kroger joins as sponsor
NASCAR.com Staff Report
Ryan Preece is set to join RFK Racing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, the organization announced Tuesday. Preece will join the operation behind the wheel of the No. 60 Ford, giving the team three full-time vehicles next year.
Kroger will additionally move its sponsorship to RFK Racing. Kroger will join nearly 20 brands across the RFK Racing Ford of Preece, Keselowski and Buescher throughout the season. Kroger has been a primary sponsor in the Cup Series dating back to 2010 when it joined JTG Daugherty Racing’s ranks.
“Having a third team gives us another shot at the win on any given weekend,” RFK co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski said in a Zoom teleconference. “It’s a great opportunity for us at RFK. Our goal is to be an elite organization, I would say a world-class organization, and to do that in NASCAR, you’ve got to win races. The more teams you have, the better that opportunity is to elevate all the programs.”
Preece, 34, joins the organization in what will be his fifth full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series, departing Stewart-Haas Racing, which closed its operations following the conclusion of the 2024 Cup campaign.
The No. 60 Ford made its Cup debut with RFK Racing last season as part of the organization’s #Stage60 program, with drivers David Ragan, Cameron Waters and Joey Hand piloting the machine in 2024.
As driver of the No. 41 SHR Ford, Preece tallied one top five and five top-10 finishes in 2024. In 187 career Cup Series starts dating back to 2015, Preece has compiled four top fives, 16 top 10s and 176 laps led.
“It’s [an opportunity] that I’m really eager and excited for,” Preece said. “It’s somewhere that these guys had speed last year. I mean, you look at how many weeks in a row that Brad and Chris [Buescher] finished top two or top three and had some extremely good stats and found Victory Lane. So for me, it’s a great opportunity, one that’s filled with pressure. But I think if you’ve looked at my career in those pressure-type situations, I’ve succeeded. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
In 62 career Xfinity Series races, the Berlin, Connecticut native has found Victory Lane twice; in 12 Truck Series starts, Preece has additionally tallied two wins to his resume.
The 2025 move will see Preece join RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski and 2023 Cup Series Playoffs driver Chris Buescher as the organization enters its fourth year since its rebranding with Roush Fenway Racing.
Since Jack Roush ventured into ownership with the team in 1988, the new-look RFK Racing operation has won 143 Cup Series races spanning across 11 drivers, including NASCAR Hall of Famers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin.
With Preece’s full-time entry, RFK Racing will look to 2025 as another opportunity to not only make the playoffs but put more than one RFK Racing driver in the 16-driver postseason field. Buescher advanced to the Round of 8 in 2023, while Keselowski was eliminated in the Round of 16 in 2024.
“My commitment is taking someone like Ryan and putting him in that spot where he can win in and with the right resources, with the right team around him and the right support structure, and that’s what I see out of Ryan,” Keselowski said. “He’s got the talent, he’s got the work ethic, and that’s our commitment back to him is to put him in the right situation with the right equipment, the right people and the right infrastructure to be successful. And I think we can do just that.”
Crew-chief pairings for Keselowski and Preece will be revealed at a later date.
Ryan Preece to join RFK Racing for 2025 Cup season; Kroger joins as sponsor
NASCAR.com Staff Report
Ryan Preece is set to join RFK Racing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, the organization announced Tuesday. Preece will join the operation behind the wheel of the No. 60 Ford, giving the team three full-time vehicles next year.
Kroger will additionally move its sponsorship to RFK Racing. Kroger will join nearly 20 brands across the RFK Racing Ford of Preece, Keselowski and Buescher throughout the season. Kroger has been a primary sponsor in the Cup Series dating back to 2010 when it joined JTG Daugherty Racing’s ranks.
“Having a third team gives us another shot at the win on any given weekend,” RFK co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski said in a Zoom teleconference. “It’s a great opportunity for us at RFK. Our goal is to be an elite organization, I would say a world-class organization, and to do that in NASCAR, you’ve got to win races. The more teams you have, the better that opportunity is to elevate all the programs.”
Preece, 34, joins the organization in what will be his fifth full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series, departing Stewart-Haas Racing, which closed its operations following the conclusion of the 2024 Cup campaign.
The No. 60 Ford made its Cup debut with RFK Racing last season as part of the organization’s #Stage60 program, with drivers David Ragan, Cameron Waters and Joey Hand piloting the machine in 2024.
As driver of the No. 41 SHR Ford, Preece tallied one top five and five top-10 finishes in 2024. In 187 career Cup Series starts dating back to 2015, Preece has compiled four top fives, 16 top 10s and 176 laps led.
“It’s [an opportunity] that I’m really eager and excited for,” Preece said. “It’s somewhere that these guys had speed last year. I mean, you look at how many weeks in a row that Brad and Chris [Buescher] finished top two or top three and had some extremely good stats and found Victory Lane. So for me, it’s a great opportunity, one that’s filled with pressure. But I think if you’ve looked at my career in those pressure-type situations, I’ve succeeded. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
In 62 career Xfinity Series races, the Berlin, Connecticut native has found Victory Lane twice; in 12 Truck Series starts, Preece has additionally tallied two wins to his resume.
The 2025 move will see Preece join RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski and 2023 Cup Series Playoffs driver Chris Buescher as the organization enters its fourth year since its rebranding with Roush Fenway Racing.
Since Jack Roush ventured into ownership with the team in 1988, the new-look RFK Racing operation has won 143 Cup Series races spanning across 11 drivers, including NASCAR Hall of Famers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin.
With Preece’s full-time entry, RFK Racing will look to 2025 as another opportunity to not only make the playoffs but put more than one RFK Racing driver in the 16-driver postseason field. Buescher advanced to the Round of 8 in 2023, while Keselowski was eliminated in the Round of 16 in 2024.
“My commitment is taking someone like Ryan and putting him in that spot where he can win in and with the right resources, with the right team around him and the right support structure, and that’s what I see out of Ryan,” Keselowski said. “He’s got the talent, he’s got the work ethic, and that’s our commitment back to him is to put him in the right situation with the right equipment, the right people and the right infrastructure to be successful. And I think we can do just that.”
Crew-chief pairings for Keselowski and Preece will be revealed at a later date.
April 8, 2024
Ryan Preece Happy with Direction After First Top-10 Finish of Season
Racing America
Ryan Preece walked away from Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, the site of his most impressive race yet biggest heartbreak in 2023, with a season’s best ninth-place finish.
While the driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang ultimately didn’t lead 135 laps from the pole, as he did a year ago before finishing 15th after a pit road speeding penalty, he felt the car his team brought to the track was actually better than last year’s car.
“At Martinsville last year we had a good car, but not that good of a car, so we are definitely working toward something,” Preece said with optimism after Sunday’s race. “I am really happy with the direction, finally, that we are going in and I think we are going to be a lot better moving forward.”
With a car that was able to move forward through the field, Preece put in an incredible effort as he climbed from the 22nd starting spot to secure his first top-10 finish of the season.
“Plus 13 [positions] for the day, on a day where we I don’t think we saw a whole lot of passing, so, I would say it was somewhat a win,” Preece explained in a post-race interview on pit road with The Podium Finish.
While the top-10 finish felt like a win for Preece and his No. 41 team, the driver knows if he can start the race weekend with better qualifying efforts, he’ll probably start competing for actual race wins.
“Even though I felt like I had a really good car, and to come from where we did, I felt like we did a good job. Ultimately, have to qualify better,” Preece admitted.
While qualifying will be the target for Preece moving forward, the racer is encouraged as he feels his team has learned from the mistakes they have made in their car setups at tracks earlier in the season.
Preece said he and crew chief Chad Johnston learned a lot about what not to do with their Martinsville car last weekend at Richmond Raceway. They applied the things they learned, went in a different direction this weekend, and found success.
And when you start to look at the overall body of work for Preece and the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team this season, you see a team that is really starting to trend in the right direction.
While Preece has only one top-10 in the opening eight races of the season, the driver has only finished outside the top-23 once, and if you remove the 35-point penalty that the team incurred due to illegal roof rail deflectors discovered prior to qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Preece would rank 21st in the championship standings.
While that may not sound ultra-impressive at surface level, Preece ranked 28th in the championship standings after eight races last season. Even with the 35 points deducted for the Las Vegas infraction, Preece sits two places higher in the point standings than he did at this time last year.
It feels like Preece is gaining some confidence, and Johnston is starting to find what works best for his driver in the Next Gen car. If they can have luck fall their way, who knows, Preece could really make some noise in the near future.
Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett, NKP, Courtesy of Ford Performance
Ryan Preece Happy with Direction After First Top-10 Finish of Season
Racing America
Ryan Preece walked away from Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, the site of his most impressive race yet biggest heartbreak in 2023, with a season’s best ninth-place finish.
While the driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang ultimately didn’t lead 135 laps from the pole, as he did a year ago before finishing 15th after a pit road speeding penalty, he felt the car his team brought to the track was actually better than last year’s car.
“At Martinsville last year we had a good car, but not that good of a car, so we are definitely working toward something,” Preece said with optimism after Sunday’s race. “I am really happy with the direction, finally, that we are going in and I think we are going to be a lot better moving forward.”
With a car that was able to move forward through the field, Preece put in an incredible effort as he climbed from the 22nd starting spot to secure his first top-10 finish of the season.
“Plus 13 [positions] for the day, on a day where we I don’t think we saw a whole lot of passing, so, I would say it was somewhat a win,” Preece explained in a post-race interview on pit road with The Podium Finish.
While the top-10 finish felt like a win for Preece and his No. 41 team, the driver knows if he can start the race weekend with better qualifying efforts, he’ll probably start competing for actual race wins.
“Even though I felt like I had a really good car, and to come from where we did, I felt like we did a good job. Ultimately, have to qualify better,” Preece admitted.
While qualifying will be the target for Preece moving forward, the racer is encouraged as he feels his team has learned from the mistakes they have made in their car setups at tracks earlier in the season.
Preece said he and crew chief Chad Johnston learned a lot about what not to do with their Martinsville car last weekend at Richmond Raceway. They applied the things they learned, went in a different direction this weekend, and found success.
And when you start to look at the overall body of work for Preece and the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team this season, you see a team that is really starting to trend in the right direction.
While Preece has only one top-10 in the opening eight races of the season, the driver has only finished outside the top-23 once, and if you remove the 35-point penalty that the team incurred due to illegal roof rail deflectors discovered prior to qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Preece would rank 21st in the championship standings.
While that may not sound ultra-impressive at surface level, Preece ranked 28th in the championship standings after eight races last season. Even with the 35 points deducted for the Las Vegas infraction, Preece sits two places higher in the point standings than he did at this time last year.
It feels like Preece is gaining some confidence, and Johnston is starting to find what works best for his driver in the Next Gen car. If they can have luck fall their way, who knows, Preece could really make some noise in the near future.
Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett, NKP, Courtesy of Ford Performance
February 13, 2024
Ryan Preece Wins Tuesday Night Modified Feature at New Smyrna
Racing America
Before Ryan Preece heads to Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday to qualify for the Daytona 500, he made a quick visit to victory lane at New Smyrna Speedway Tuesday night.
Preece took the win in Tuesday’s 50-lap Tour-type Modified feature at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, finishing ahead of Ron Silk to end his winning streak at the World Series. Preece took the lead on lap 16 from Craig Lutz and maintained the top spot the rest of the way, even as Ron Silk closed in over the closing laps.
Tuesday’s win was the 13th at the World Series for Preece over the course of his career. Preece was particularly eager to get back to the front after a disappointing showing in Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at New Smyrna.
“We’ve been really tuning on it. That Tour show on Saturday was a real embarrassing moment for me. I don’t think I’ve ever been lapped in a Modified Tour race. We put our head where it needed to be and made great changes. We were able to beat that 16 [of Silk]. He’s been fast all weekend, so it’s good to do that.
“It’s been a lot of fun racing with these guys. I don’t get to do it much, so whenever we can all come back and get to victory lane, it feels really good.”
While the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing continues on until Saturday, Preece’s focus will now turn towards his NASCAR Cup Series obligations starting with Wednesday’s pole qualifying night ahead of the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday.
However, Preece isn’t completely ruling out the possibility that he’ll climb back in his Modified before the end of the week.
“I had a bet with my crew. I go out fourth for time trials tomorrow in the 500. Maybe I can try and sneak back here. This car has been so good, so maybe we’ll try to come back tomorrow.”
Silk finished second, followed by Ronnie Williams, Anthony Nocella and Matt Hirschman.
The Tour-type Modifieds race again on Wednesday in the John Blewett, III to close out a busy Night #6 at the World Series. Wednesday’s card also includes Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, 602 Modifieds and Florida Modifieds.
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy/Racing America
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
TOUR-TYPE MODIFIED, WORLD SERIES NIGHT #5
Finish No Driver Laps Diff
1 40 Ryan Preece50--
2 16 Ron Silk500.601
3 50 Ronnie Williams502.123
4 92 Anthony Nocella502.367
5 60 Matt Hirschman502.482
6 46 Craig Lutz502.801
7 58 Eric Goodale503.191
8 55CT Teddy Hodgdon503.300
9 07 Patrick Emerling503.532
10 36 David Sapienza503.726
11 54 Tommy Catalano504.153
12 9 Tom Martino, Jr.504.841
13 42 Spencer Davis505.533
14 20 Eddie McCarthy506.469
15 2J.R. Bertuccio506.724
16 98 Landon Huffman507.079
17 11 Norman Newman507.300
18 48 Johnny Kay507.480
19 7P Rich Parker491 Lap
20 09 Christopher Hatton473 Laps
21 76 Jimmy Blewett446 Laps
22 179 Anthony Bello446 Laps
23 14NC Bobby Measmer4010 Laps
24 02 Joey Coulter4010 Laps
25 32 Tyler Rypkema2723 Laps
26 158 Timmy Solomito2525 Laps
Ryan Preece Wins Tuesday Night Modified Feature at New Smyrna
Racing America
Before Ryan Preece heads to Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday to qualify for the Daytona 500, he made a quick visit to victory lane at New Smyrna Speedway Tuesday night.
Preece took the win in Tuesday’s 50-lap Tour-type Modified feature at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, finishing ahead of Ron Silk to end his winning streak at the World Series. Preece took the lead on lap 16 from Craig Lutz and maintained the top spot the rest of the way, even as Ron Silk closed in over the closing laps.
Tuesday’s win was the 13th at the World Series for Preece over the course of his career. Preece was particularly eager to get back to the front after a disappointing showing in Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at New Smyrna.
“We’ve been really tuning on it. That Tour show on Saturday was a real embarrassing moment for me. I don’t think I’ve ever been lapped in a Modified Tour race. We put our head where it needed to be and made great changes. We were able to beat that 16 [of Silk]. He’s been fast all weekend, so it’s good to do that.
“It’s been a lot of fun racing with these guys. I don’t get to do it much, so whenever we can all come back and get to victory lane, it feels really good.”
While the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing continues on until Saturday, Preece’s focus will now turn towards his NASCAR Cup Series obligations starting with Wednesday’s pole qualifying night ahead of the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday.
However, Preece isn’t completely ruling out the possibility that he’ll climb back in his Modified before the end of the week.
“I had a bet with my crew. I go out fourth for time trials tomorrow in the 500. Maybe I can try and sneak back here. This car has been so good, so maybe we’ll try to come back tomorrow.”
Silk finished second, followed by Ronnie Williams, Anthony Nocella and Matt Hirschman.
The Tour-type Modifieds race again on Wednesday in the John Blewett, III to close out a busy Night #6 at the World Series. Wednesday’s card also includes Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, 602 Modifieds and Florida Modifieds.
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy/Racing America
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
TOUR-TYPE MODIFIED, WORLD SERIES NIGHT #5
Finish No Driver Laps Diff
1 40 Ryan Preece50--
2 16 Ron Silk500.601
3 50 Ronnie Williams502.123
4 92 Anthony Nocella502.367
5 60 Matt Hirschman502.482
6 46 Craig Lutz502.801
7 58 Eric Goodale503.191
8 55CT Teddy Hodgdon503.300
9 07 Patrick Emerling503.532
10 36 David Sapienza503.726
11 54 Tommy Catalano504.153
12 9 Tom Martino, Jr.504.841
13 42 Spencer Davis505.533
14 20 Eddie McCarthy506.469
15 2J.R. Bertuccio506.724
16 98 Landon Huffman507.079
17 11 Norman Newman507.300
18 48 Johnny Kay507.480
19 7P Rich Parker491 Lap
20 09 Christopher Hatton473 Laps
21 76 Jimmy Blewett446 Laps
22 179 Anthony Bello446 Laps
23 14NC Bobby Measmer4010 Laps
24 02 Joey Coulter4010 Laps
25 32 Tyler Rypkema2723 Laps
26 158 Timmy Solomito2525 Laps
April 15, 2023
Ryan Preece secures first career Cup Series pole at Martinsville
By Staff Report - NASCAR.com
For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, Ryan Preece will lead the field to green in his 124th start for Sunday’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Preece’s blazing speed of 94.780 mph in Saturday’s final round was the one and only lap to break 20 seconds around the 0.526-mile short track.
RELATED: See Cup lineup | At-track photos
“I was fighting loose that first lap,” Preece said with a smile, adding, “It’s a pole. Not a race.
“So I guess from a company standpoint, it makes us all very optimistic for tomorrow, and can to just be smart and we can have good days. It certainly shows that our short track program is really good, and I know our superspeedway program has been extremely good too, and we’ll keep working on that.”
Of note, Preece has won a pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – and he won both those races (at Iowa in 2017 and at Nashville in 2022, respectively).
Daniel Suárez will join Preece on the front row after putting down a lap of 94.298 mph.
Aric Almirola and Chase Briscoe locked out Row 2 as both earned their best starts of the 2023 season. Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top five in qualifying.
An impressive showing in practice rolled into qualifying for Tyler Reddick as he starts sixth on Sunday, and all four Stewart-Haas Racing Fords will start inside the top 10 as Kevin Harvick was seventh fastest. Last year’s spring Martinsville winner William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher completed the top 10.
Many heavy hitters were left out of the pole round in Saturday evening’s qualifying session. In his return to Cup Series action after six weeks away due to injury, Chase Elliott will roll off 24th in Sunday’s race.
“Felt pretty good, but abysmal qualifying lap and I can’t really blame my leg on that one,” Elliott said. “I had a pretty good first lap and then really messed up in [Turn] two on the second one. Judging off of practice, starting in the back is going to be a lot of fun, looking forward to that in the ole’ NAPA Chevy.”
Of his comfort level, Elliott said, “I feel fine in the car. My entire practice run, I felt fine, and once you kind of get out there on the track and start focusing on the little things that you need to be doing in your car, some of that goes away, so that’s a good thing. My qualifying lap wasn’t because of that, just a poor effort.”
Hendrick Motorsports will see three of their Chevrolets start outside the top 15 as Kyle Larson was 19th fastest in qualifying, and Alex Bowman’s qualifying effort was only good enough for 23rd.
Christopher Bell, the Bristol Dirt Race winner and most recent winner at Martinsville, will have a lot of work to do Sunday as he starts 22nd.
After showing good pace in practice, Ross Chastain had a hot-lap run he’d like to forget as he will start toward the rear in 34th.
Read more of this article at www.nascar.com
Ryan Preece secures first career Cup Series pole at Martinsville
By Staff Report - NASCAR.com
For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, Ryan Preece will lead the field to green in his 124th start for Sunday’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Preece’s blazing speed of 94.780 mph in Saturday’s final round was the one and only lap to break 20 seconds around the 0.526-mile short track.
RELATED: See Cup lineup | At-track photos
“I was fighting loose that first lap,” Preece said with a smile, adding, “It’s a pole. Not a race.
“So I guess from a company standpoint, it makes us all very optimistic for tomorrow, and can to just be smart and we can have good days. It certainly shows that our short track program is really good, and I know our superspeedway program has been extremely good too, and we’ll keep working on that.”
Of note, Preece has won a pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – and he won both those races (at Iowa in 2017 and at Nashville in 2022, respectively).
Daniel Suárez will join Preece on the front row after putting down a lap of 94.298 mph.
Aric Almirola and Chase Briscoe locked out Row 2 as both earned their best starts of the 2023 season. Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top five in qualifying.
An impressive showing in practice rolled into qualifying for Tyler Reddick as he starts sixth on Sunday, and all four Stewart-Haas Racing Fords will start inside the top 10 as Kevin Harvick was seventh fastest. Last year’s spring Martinsville winner William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher completed the top 10.
Many heavy hitters were left out of the pole round in Saturday evening’s qualifying session. In his return to Cup Series action after six weeks away due to injury, Chase Elliott will roll off 24th in Sunday’s race.
“Felt pretty good, but abysmal qualifying lap and I can’t really blame my leg on that one,” Elliott said. “I had a pretty good first lap and then really messed up in [Turn] two on the second one. Judging off of practice, starting in the back is going to be a lot of fun, looking forward to that in the ole’ NAPA Chevy.”
Of his comfort level, Elliott said, “I feel fine in the car. My entire practice run, I felt fine, and once you kind of get out there on the track and start focusing on the little things that you need to be doing in your car, some of that goes away, so that’s a good thing. My qualifying lap wasn’t because of that, just a poor effort.”
Hendrick Motorsports will see three of their Chevrolets start outside the top 15 as Kyle Larson was 19th fastest in qualifying, and Alex Bowman’s qualifying effort was only good enough for 23rd.
Christopher Bell, the Bristol Dirt Race winner and most recent winner at Martinsville, will have a lot of work to do Sunday as he starts 22nd.
After showing good pace in practice, Ross Chastain had a hot-lap run he’d like to forget as he will start toward the rear in 34th.
Read more of this article at www.nascar.com
November 16, 2022
PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF FOR PREECE
Ryan Preece Parlays Reserve Driver Role Into NASCAR Cup Series Drive; New Englander Will Pilot No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023
Stewart-Haas Racing PR
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Nov. 16, 2022) – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has promoted Ryan Preece from his reserve driver role with the organization to the NASCAR Cup Series where the 32-year-old racer from Berlin, Connecticut, will drive the team’s No. 41 Ford Mustang beginning in 2023.
Preece has spent 2022 performing simulator work that has benefitted the entire team and its Cup Series driver lineup of Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, Chase Briscoe and Cole Custer. In addition to his simulator work at the Ford Performance Center, Preece has run a mix of races across each of NASCAR’s top-three national touring series – Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck – a schedule punctuated by a Truck Series win from the pole June 24 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, his second straight at the 1.333-mile oval near Music City.
“Ryan Preece has been a real asset to our race team this year as we’ve developed the NextGen car. The time and effort he’s put into our program, combined with his real-world racing experience, earned him this opportunity,” said Tony Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas.
Custer, who has driven the No. 41 Ford Mustang since his rookie year in 2020 when he delivered a victory at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta in just his 20th career Cup Series start, will remain with SHR. Custer will head back to the Xfinity Series, where he is a 10-time race winner, and be a teammate to Riley Herbst, who returns to SHR for a third straight season and his fourth fulltime year in the Xfinity Series.
“Cole Custer has been a part of SHR since 2017 and we’re glad to have him stay with us,” Stewart said. “Cole’s experience will be invaluable to Riley Herbst as he continues his development in the Xfinity Series.”
With wins in the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, Preece aims to complete the trifecta in 2023 with a Cup Series win behind the wheel of the No. 41 Ford Mustang.
“This is the opportunity I’ve been working for,” Preece said. “Nothing was guaranteed at the start of this year, but I felt like if I put in the time, whether it was in a racecar or in a simulator, that SHR was the place for me. It’s a company built by racers, for racers, and it’s exactly where I want to be.
“I know this season just finished and most people are looking to take a break, but I can’t wait to get going.”
Preece made a name for himself on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour – NASCAR’s oldest division and the only open-wheel series sanctioned by NASCAR. Preece won the Tour championship in 2013 and worked hard to leverage that title into additional opportunities in the Xfinity Series – NASCAR’s stepping-stone division to the elite Cup Series. After spending all of 2016 in a scrappy effort with an underfunded team that delivered a best finish of 10th, Preece mortgaged his house to secure two races with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in 2017. In equipment finally befitting his talent, Preece finished second in his JGR debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and then won in his very next start at Iowa Speedway in Newton. In his next five Xfinity Series starts, Preece never finished outside of the top-10, a run capped with a second victory in April 2018 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
“Ryan has bet on himself a couple of times in his career and it’s always paid off. Now we’re betting on him,” Stewart said.
“I’ve run some Modified Tour races and it’s a tough series with a lot of talent. Ryan’s Mod Tour championship speaks to his talent, and I think he proved that when he pushed all his chips into the middle of the table and bet on himself by getting those Xfinity Series races with Gibbs. When he finally got the right opportunity, he delivered in a big way.
“Now, Ryan’s got the right opportunity in Cup. We’re proud to have him and look forward to seeing what he can do in our racecars.”
Preece will make his debut in the No. 41 Ford Mustang during the non-points Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 5 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before kicking off his 36-race slate of points-paying events with the 65th Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Both events will be broadcast live on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
About Stewart-Haas Racing:
Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 90 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at StewartHaasRacing.com and on social at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.
PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF FOR PREECE
Ryan Preece Parlays Reserve Driver Role Into NASCAR Cup Series Drive; New Englander Will Pilot No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023
Stewart-Haas Racing PR
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Nov. 16, 2022) – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has promoted Ryan Preece from his reserve driver role with the organization to the NASCAR Cup Series where the 32-year-old racer from Berlin, Connecticut, will drive the team’s No. 41 Ford Mustang beginning in 2023.
Preece has spent 2022 performing simulator work that has benefitted the entire team and its Cup Series driver lineup of Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, Chase Briscoe and Cole Custer. In addition to his simulator work at the Ford Performance Center, Preece has run a mix of races across each of NASCAR’s top-three national touring series – Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck – a schedule punctuated by a Truck Series win from the pole June 24 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, his second straight at the 1.333-mile oval near Music City.
“Ryan Preece has been a real asset to our race team this year as we’ve developed the NextGen car. The time and effort he’s put into our program, combined with his real-world racing experience, earned him this opportunity,” said Tony Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas.
Custer, who has driven the No. 41 Ford Mustang since his rookie year in 2020 when he delivered a victory at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta in just his 20th career Cup Series start, will remain with SHR. Custer will head back to the Xfinity Series, where he is a 10-time race winner, and be a teammate to Riley Herbst, who returns to SHR for a third straight season and his fourth fulltime year in the Xfinity Series.
“Cole Custer has been a part of SHR since 2017 and we’re glad to have him stay with us,” Stewart said. “Cole’s experience will be invaluable to Riley Herbst as he continues his development in the Xfinity Series.”
With wins in the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, Preece aims to complete the trifecta in 2023 with a Cup Series win behind the wheel of the No. 41 Ford Mustang.
“This is the opportunity I’ve been working for,” Preece said. “Nothing was guaranteed at the start of this year, but I felt like if I put in the time, whether it was in a racecar or in a simulator, that SHR was the place for me. It’s a company built by racers, for racers, and it’s exactly where I want to be.
“I know this season just finished and most people are looking to take a break, but I can’t wait to get going.”
Preece made a name for himself on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour – NASCAR’s oldest division and the only open-wheel series sanctioned by NASCAR. Preece won the Tour championship in 2013 and worked hard to leverage that title into additional opportunities in the Xfinity Series – NASCAR’s stepping-stone division to the elite Cup Series. After spending all of 2016 in a scrappy effort with an underfunded team that delivered a best finish of 10th, Preece mortgaged his house to secure two races with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in 2017. In equipment finally befitting his talent, Preece finished second in his JGR debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and then won in his very next start at Iowa Speedway in Newton. In his next five Xfinity Series starts, Preece never finished outside of the top-10, a run capped with a second victory in April 2018 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
“Ryan has bet on himself a couple of times in his career and it’s always paid off. Now we’re betting on him,” Stewart said.
“I’ve run some Modified Tour races and it’s a tough series with a lot of talent. Ryan’s Mod Tour championship speaks to his talent, and I think he proved that when he pushed all his chips into the middle of the table and bet on himself by getting those Xfinity Series races with Gibbs. When he finally got the right opportunity, he delivered in a big way.
“Now, Ryan’s got the right opportunity in Cup. We’re proud to have him and look forward to seeing what he can do in our racecars.”
Preece will make his debut in the No. 41 Ford Mustang during the non-points Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 5 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before kicking off his 36-race slate of points-paying events with the 65th Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Both events will be broadcast live on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
About Stewart-Haas Racing:
Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 90 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at StewartHaasRacing.com and on social at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.
September 10, 2021
Ryan Preece claims third consecutive victory in return to Richmond
By Davey Segal NASCAR.com
RICHMOND, Va. – In the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s return to Richmond Raceway, Ryan Preece dominated, leading 98 of 156 laps and surviving multiple late-race restarts to win his third consecutive race over a three-month stretch and first at “The Action Track.”
“Usually you really don’t want late-race restarts, but I knew I had a really good car,” Preece said. “And I knew from the first restart we had that my car was gonna take off. I was good on the short run and good on the long run. It all worked out.”
While multiple big names and championship contenders ran into issues behind him, Preece made staying up front a point of emphasis, understanding the effect clean air has on a car at the 0.75-mile track, regardless of vehicle.
“Clean air was something I wanted,” he said. “Funny to say in a modified, but it matters. I knew the deeper you get into the pack, the less your car is going to do what you want it to do. Ultimately, I’m pretty happy we controlled the race and we had a fast race car.”
His wins at Richmond, Stafford and New Hampshire mark the fourth season in the Berlin, Connecticut, native’s career he has won three or more races on the Modified Tour. This is Preece’s final scheduled race of his Modified Tour season.
Earning his best finish of the season in the runner-up spot was Jon McKennedy. Following back-to-back 16th-place finishes at Beech Ridge and Oswego, the Tommy Baldwin-led group gained a total of 18 positions on the evening after starting back in 20th.
Ronnie Williams brought his No. 50 machine home third after leading three times for a total of 34 laps, the best finish of his career, with Cup Series veteran Ryan Newman and six-time series champion Doug Coby rounding out the top five finishers. Kyle Bonsignore, Austin Beers, Andy Jankowiak, Burt Myers and Woody Pitkat completed the top 10.
Notably absent from the front all night long were the three championship contenders: Justin Bonsignore, Patrick Emerling and Ron Silk.
Around Lap 40, Emerling’s No. 07 began smoking on track. Shortly thereafter, he brought it to the garage for service and a rear end issue was diagnosed. A handful of laps later, points leader and championship rival Bonsignore suffered a similar issue and brought his No. 51 behind the wall. The two teams worked feverishly to get back on track, only a few yards from each other.
Both Bonsignore and Emerling were able to get back on track, but returned to the garage mere laps later, ending their nights early. They finished 24th and 25th, respectively.
Their trouble meant Ron Silk, winner of the last two races on the tour, had an opportunity to pounce. But the No. 85 struggled most of the night and ultimately was involved in a crash of his own, leading to the eventual overtime finish.
With two races to go in the season, Bonsignore’s lead over Emerling in the standings is at 22 points. Up next for the Whelen Modified Tour is a trip to Riverhead Raceway on Sept. 18. Doug Coby earned both wins earlier this season, with Justin Bonsignore winning the four prior in a row (eight overall).
Ryan Preece claims third consecutive victory in return to Richmond
By Davey Segal NASCAR.com
RICHMOND, Va. – In the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s return to Richmond Raceway, Ryan Preece dominated, leading 98 of 156 laps and surviving multiple late-race restarts to win his third consecutive race over a three-month stretch and first at “The Action Track.”
“Usually you really don’t want late-race restarts, but I knew I had a really good car,” Preece said. “And I knew from the first restart we had that my car was gonna take off. I was good on the short run and good on the long run. It all worked out.”
While multiple big names and championship contenders ran into issues behind him, Preece made staying up front a point of emphasis, understanding the effect clean air has on a car at the 0.75-mile track, regardless of vehicle.
“Clean air was something I wanted,” he said. “Funny to say in a modified, but it matters. I knew the deeper you get into the pack, the less your car is going to do what you want it to do. Ultimately, I’m pretty happy we controlled the race and we had a fast race car.”
His wins at Richmond, Stafford and New Hampshire mark the fourth season in the Berlin, Connecticut, native’s career he has won three or more races on the Modified Tour. This is Preece’s final scheduled race of his Modified Tour season.
Earning his best finish of the season in the runner-up spot was Jon McKennedy. Following back-to-back 16th-place finishes at Beech Ridge and Oswego, the Tommy Baldwin-led group gained a total of 18 positions on the evening after starting back in 20th.
Ronnie Williams brought his No. 50 machine home third after leading three times for a total of 34 laps, the best finish of his career, with Cup Series veteran Ryan Newman and six-time series champion Doug Coby rounding out the top five finishers. Kyle Bonsignore, Austin Beers, Andy Jankowiak, Burt Myers and Woody Pitkat completed the top 10.
Notably absent from the front all night long were the three championship contenders: Justin Bonsignore, Patrick Emerling and Ron Silk.
Around Lap 40, Emerling’s No. 07 began smoking on track. Shortly thereafter, he brought it to the garage for service and a rear end issue was diagnosed. A handful of laps later, points leader and championship rival Bonsignore suffered a similar issue and brought his No. 51 behind the wall. The two teams worked feverishly to get back on track, only a few yards from each other.
Both Bonsignore and Emerling were able to get back on track, but returned to the garage mere laps later, ending their nights early. They finished 24th and 25th, respectively.
Their trouble meant Ron Silk, winner of the last two races on the tour, had an opportunity to pounce. But the No. 85 struggled most of the night and ultimately was involved in a crash of his own, leading to the eventual overtime finish.
With two races to go in the season, Bonsignore’s lead over Emerling in the standings is at 22 points. Up next for the Whelen Modified Tour is a trip to Riverhead Raceway on Sept. 18. Doug Coby earned both wins earlier this season, with Justin Bonsignore winning the four prior in a row (eight overall).
August 20, 2021
Rally Car: Ryan Preece Uses Late Run To Win Lincoln Tech Open 80 At Stafford Speedway
www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – The gremlins and unlucky incidents while running near the front of the field in Open Modified events at Stafford Speedway this season have been all too common for Ryan Preece.
Friday the Berlin driver changed things up and made the come from behind style work for him.
Preece came from 20th place after a lap 50 pit stop and raced back to win the Lincoln Tech Open Modified 80 at Stafford Speedway Friday.
“The old razzle dazzle on the radio,” Preece joked in victory lane, similar to his comments when he won the Whelen Modified Tour GAF Roofing 150 two weeks ago at Stafford. “We struggled for three races with this new car. We had a bunch of speed but just haven’t had anything to show for it. I figured I’d play the other card today, come from behind, swap left [tires], put a right rear [tire] on and go like hell. We had a badass race car.”
Mike Christopher Jr. of Wolcott was second and Marcello Rufrano of North Haven third.
Chris Pasteryak dominated the first two thirds of the event before caution flew on lap 50 for the spinning car of Robert Bloxsom III.
Pasteryak led the field off of pit road with Christopher going from fifth place before the caution up to second after the pit stop. Preece came off pit road in 20th place.
With 21 laps remaining Christopher found the way under Pasteryak to take over the top spot.
Caution flew again on lap 70 with Christopher leading Pasteryak and Santos in third.
On the restart it was Santos moving to second. But by lap 72 it was the train of Rufrano and Preece chugging back toward the front. Rufrano went by Santos for second on lap 72 in turn two with Preece then going by Rufrano for second in turn three.
A multi-car crash brought out the caution again on lap 77. On the restart it was Christopher and Preece going side-by-side for the lap with Preece edging Christopher by a bumper to complete the lap. Caution flew on lap 78 to put Preece at the front for the ensuing restart. Preece was able to check out from Christopher on the restart to cruise to the checkered.
“Don’t remind me of that,” Christopher said of the final restart. “That’s pretty disappointing, but if you’re going to lose to anyone I guess [Preece] is a good person to lose to. But I hate that. I hate that so much.”
Rufrano started 20th in the 25 car field.
Said Rufrano: “This is awesome. We really had an awesome car tonight. Just playing the possum game. We kind of played it all day. Tried to play a little bit of the mind games. At the end of the day we had a really fast car, but we didn’t have enough for [Preece]. He was wicked fast.
Rally Car: Ryan Preece Uses Late Run To Win Lincoln Tech Open 80 At Stafford Speedway
www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – The gremlins and unlucky incidents while running near the front of the field in Open Modified events at Stafford Speedway this season have been all too common for Ryan Preece.
Friday the Berlin driver changed things up and made the come from behind style work for him.
Preece came from 20th place after a lap 50 pit stop and raced back to win the Lincoln Tech Open Modified 80 at Stafford Speedway Friday.
“The old razzle dazzle on the radio,” Preece joked in victory lane, similar to his comments when he won the Whelen Modified Tour GAF Roofing 150 two weeks ago at Stafford. “We struggled for three races with this new car. We had a bunch of speed but just haven’t had anything to show for it. I figured I’d play the other card today, come from behind, swap left [tires], put a right rear [tire] on and go like hell. We had a badass race car.”
Mike Christopher Jr. of Wolcott was second and Marcello Rufrano of North Haven third.
Chris Pasteryak dominated the first two thirds of the event before caution flew on lap 50 for the spinning car of Robert Bloxsom III.
Pasteryak led the field off of pit road with Christopher going from fifth place before the caution up to second after the pit stop. Preece came off pit road in 20th place.
With 21 laps remaining Christopher found the way under Pasteryak to take over the top spot.
Caution flew again on lap 70 with Christopher leading Pasteryak and Santos in third.
On the restart it was Santos moving to second. But by lap 72 it was the train of Rufrano and Preece chugging back toward the front. Rufrano went by Santos for second on lap 72 in turn two with Preece then going by Rufrano for second in turn three.
A multi-car crash brought out the caution again on lap 77. On the restart it was Christopher and Preece going side-by-side for the lap with Preece edging Christopher by a bumper to complete the lap. Caution flew on lap 78 to put Preece at the front for the ensuing restart. Preece was able to check out from Christopher on the restart to cruise to the checkered.
“Don’t remind me of that,” Christopher said of the final restart. “That’s pretty disappointing, but if you’re going to lose to anyone I guess [Preece] is a good person to lose to. But I hate that. I hate that so much.”
Rufrano started 20th in the 25 car field.
Said Rufrano: “This is awesome. We really had an awesome car tonight. Just playing the possum game. We kind of played it all day. Tried to play a little bit of the mind games. At the end of the day we had a really fast car, but we didn’t have enough for [Preece]. He was wicked fast.
August 6, 2021
Ryan Preece rallies with ‘razzle dazzle’ to win Modified Tour race at Stafford
www.nascar.com release
For the ninth time in his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career, Ryan Preece was the victor at Stafford, outlasting points leader and defending champion Justin Bonsignore for his second consecutive and overall victory of the 2021 season.
“Gotta pull the ‘ole razzle dazzle,” Preece joked on NBC Sports’ TrackPass following the 30th annual GAF Roofing 150 Presented by Riverhead Building Supply. “We had a really good race car, that’s what it takes to win races.”
Preece led the opening 107 circuits from the pole before surrendering the lead to Doug Coby. Six laps later, a long-but-strategic pit stop relegated him to seventh. After a few more cautions and subsequent restarts, Preece found himself ready to pounce on eventual second-place finisher Bonsignore for the lead and completed the pass for the win with eight laps remaining.
The win comes just over two weeks following the Berlin, Connecticut, native’s triumph at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the first of his career at The Magic Mile in the Modified Tour, and is pleased to see the speed in his No. 6 machine resulting in victories after some early season mishaps.
“We started off the year and had a lot of speed,” he said. “Due to my poor decisions, cost us a few races. But I’m glad to see we’re getting some victories now.”
Bonsignore’s runner-up result marks his third straight this season, dating back to New Hampshire and Lancaster. It’s also his third top-three result in his last four trips to Stafford and his fifth career second-place finish at the Connecticut short-track. After finishing 13th at Stafford earlier this season, the driver of the No. 51 now sits 0-for-40 at the famed half-mile in his career.
Jon McKennedy came home a season-best third. Entering the evening a distant third in the points standings, the Chelmsford, Massachusetts, native earned his third top five in 13 career starts at Stafford.
Doug Coby and Ron Silk rounded out the top five finishers, with Woody Pitkat, Patrick Emerling, Ronnie Williams, Eric Goodale and Tommy Catalano completing the top 10.
With another runner-up result, Bonsignore extended his points lead over Emerling with just five races remaining in the season.
Up next for the Whelen Modified Tour is a trip to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Aug. 21 for the Rumble at the Ridge 200, the first time in 16 years that the tour has visited the Scarborough, Massachusetts, 1/3-mile.
Ryan Preece rallies with ‘razzle dazzle’ to win Modified Tour race at Stafford
www.nascar.com release
For the ninth time in his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career, Ryan Preece was the victor at Stafford, outlasting points leader and defending champion Justin Bonsignore for his second consecutive and overall victory of the 2021 season.
“Gotta pull the ‘ole razzle dazzle,” Preece joked on NBC Sports’ TrackPass following the 30th annual GAF Roofing 150 Presented by Riverhead Building Supply. “We had a really good race car, that’s what it takes to win races.”
Preece led the opening 107 circuits from the pole before surrendering the lead to Doug Coby. Six laps later, a long-but-strategic pit stop relegated him to seventh. After a few more cautions and subsequent restarts, Preece found himself ready to pounce on eventual second-place finisher Bonsignore for the lead and completed the pass for the win with eight laps remaining.
The win comes just over two weeks following the Berlin, Connecticut, native’s triumph at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the first of his career at The Magic Mile in the Modified Tour, and is pleased to see the speed in his No. 6 machine resulting in victories after some early season mishaps.
“We started off the year and had a lot of speed,” he said. “Due to my poor decisions, cost us a few races. But I’m glad to see we’re getting some victories now.”
Bonsignore’s runner-up result marks his third straight this season, dating back to New Hampshire and Lancaster. It’s also his third top-three result in his last four trips to Stafford and his fifth career second-place finish at the Connecticut short-track. After finishing 13th at Stafford earlier this season, the driver of the No. 51 now sits 0-for-40 at the famed half-mile in his career.
Jon McKennedy came home a season-best third. Entering the evening a distant third in the points standings, the Chelmsford, Massachusetts, native earned his third top five in 13 career starts at Stafford.
Doug Coby and Ron Silk rounded out the top five finishers, with Woody Pitkat, Patrick Emerling, Ronnie Williams, Eric Goodale and Tommy Catalano completing the top 10.
With another runner-up result, Bonsignore extended his points lead over Emerling with just five races remaining in the season.
Up next for the Whelen Modified Tour is a trip to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Aug. 21 for the Rumble at the Ridge 200, the first time in 16 years that the tour has visited the Scarborough, Massachusetts, 1/3-mile.
July 17, 2021
Ryan Preece scores Whelen Modified Tour win at New Hampshire in thrilling final lap
NASCAR.com
LOUDON, N.H. — Ryan Preece finally got the win he’d been hoping for.
On a last-lap overtime dive to the outside in Turns 3 and 4, Preece sprinted around Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore to go from third to first to win the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Whelen 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon.
Preece was showered in cheers by the crowd after the native New Englander put on an incredible show.
“I’m from Berlin, Connecticut, born and raised, and I have my local tracks in Connecticut,” Preece said. ‘But when it comes to the big three (national touring series) and the Cup Series, this is the only track that’s two and a half hours away. … But this is New England. And all of us New Englanders, we’re kind of our own breed. It’s just really cool to win in front of them all.”
The race was pushed to overtime when J.B. Fortin and Eric Goodale collided on the front straightaway with two laps to go, setting Silk and Preece on the front row for the final restart.
In a backup car following a crash in Saturday morning’s practice, Silk got the jump on the restart with a massive push from Bonsignore into Turn 1. The No. 85 of Silk shot to the lead but had the field strong in tow, thanks to the effect of the draft.
Silk led to the white flag, but Bonsignore had an outstanding run off Turn 2. He darted to the inside, but Silk hung a left to defend. Preece, meanwhile, held his line against the outside wall while the two leaders lost momentum.
Bonsignore jumped out to lead for a brief moment, but Preece rocketed around both drivers to launch to his first win at the “Magic Mile.”
“I can play it back in my head probably a billion times and probably do 10 different things off of Turn 2, but that’s the move you think you got to make,’ Bonsignore said. “And Ronnie did exactly what I would have done as the leader and probably stalled us both out too much and then Ryan got a good run.”
Bonsignore also elected not to take fuel when the caution fell at Lap 74, choosing to take tires and track position instead. Off Turn 4 on the final lap, Bonsignore said the engine stumbled, hindering any momentum coming back to the checkered flag.
In third place, Silk completed an impressive effort in a backup car that had zero practice laps on it and just two qualifying circuits before Saturday’s contest.
“All you can do at this place is put yourself in a position to win at the end and then it kind of just falls where it falls,” Silk said. “But yeah, to have zero laps of practice on this car and have a good run like that, it’s really good.”
The race kicked off with a caution on Lap 1 when Matt Swanson drifted wide off Turn 4 and contacted the outside wall. As the field scattered around him, Max McLaughlin was turned into the outside wall, and both drivers’ days ended early.
After a lengthy cleanup period, the race got back underway at Lap 12, kicking off a long 62-lap green-flag run.
The front end of that run featured incredible fights for the lead between Bonsignore and Preece, who traded the lead seemingly every other lap as the draft came into play.
“It’s always fun,” Bonsignore said. “We understand what each other is trying to do. You can’t be tucked up behind the guy for too many laps. Otherwise, you start to run hot. So it’s more of a game of just ‘Hey, I need to lead to cool the motor back off and lead three, four laps and get the lead back.’ But at the same time you want to be the leader because if the caution comes out, you want to make sure you’re lined up as the leader, so it’s a game of cat and mouse.”
Bonsignore held the lead at the Lap-74 caution, which flew for Bryan Dauzat’s failed engine, and elected to take tires only while the majority of the leaders pitted for both fuel and tires.
At Lap 93, Tyler Rypkema suffered a right-rear tire puncture heading into Turn 1 and spun driver-side into the outside wall before climbing out under his own power.
That set up a restart with four to go, leading to the eventual contact between Fortin and Goodale.
Patrick Emerling entered Saturday’s race with a three-point lead over Bonsignore in the championship standings but instead left with a disappointing 13th-place finish, at one point losing a lap to Bonsignore.
Doug Coby came into Saturday’s race fourth in points 41 points out despite missing the event at Oswego Speedway, but a blown motor ended the six-time champion’s day after just 44 laps.
Completing the top five behind Preece, Bonsignore and Silk were Ronnie Williams and Jon McKennedy. Andy Seuss, Dave Sapienza, Bobby Santos III, Kyle Bonsignore and Timmy Solomito rounded out the top 10.
Ryan Preece scores Whelen Modified Tour win at New Hampshire in thrilling final lap
NASCAR.com
LOUDON, N.H. — Ryan Preece finally got the win he’d been hoping for.
On a last-lap overtime dive to the outside in Turns 3 and 4, Preece sprinted around Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore to go from third to first to win the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Whelen 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon.
Preece was showered in cheers by the crowd after the native New Englander put on an incredible show.
“I’m from Berlin, Connecticut, born and raised, and I have my local tracks in Connecticut,” Preece said. ‘But when it comes to the big three (national touring series) and the Cup Series, this is the only track that’s two and a half hours away. … But this is New England. And all of us New Englanders, we’re kind of our own breed. It’s just really cool to win in front of them all.”
The race was pushed to overtime when J.B. Fortin and Eric Goodale collided on the front straightaway with two laps to go, setting Silk and Preece on the front row for the final restart.
In a backup car following a crash in Saturday morning’s practice, Silk got the jump on the restart with a massive push from Bonsignore into Turn 1. The No. 85 of Silk shot to the lead but had the field strong in tow, thanks to the effect of the draft.
Silk led to the white flag, but Bonsignore had an outstanding run off Turn 2. He darted to the inside, but Silk hung a left to defend. Preece, meanwhile, held his line against the outside wall while the two leaders lost momentum.
Bonsignore jumped out to lead for a brief moment, but Preece rocketed around both drivers to launch to his first win at the “Magic Mile.”
“I can play it back in my head probably a billion times and probably do 10 different things off of Turn 2, but that’s the move you think you got to make,’ Bonsignore said. “And Ronnie did exactly what I would have done as the leader and probably stalled us both out too much and then Ryan got a good run.”
Bonsignore also elected not to take fuel when the caution fell at Lap 74, choosing to take tires and track position instead. Off Turn 4 on the final lap, Bonsignore said the engine stumbled, hindering any momentum coming back to the checkered flag.
In third place, Silk completed an impressive effort in a backup car that had zero practice laps on it and just two qualifying circuits before Saturday’s contest.
“All you can do at this place is put yourself in a position to win at the end and then it kind of just falls where it falls,” Silk said. “But yeah, to have zero laps of practice on this car and have a good run like that, it’s really good.”
The race kicked off with a caution on Lap 1 when Matt Swanson drifted wide off Turn 4 and contacted the outside wall. As the field scattered around him, Max McLaughlin was turned into the outside wall, and both drivers’ days ended early.
After a lengthy cleanup period, the race got back underway at Lap 12, kicking off a long 62-lap green-flag run.
The front end of that run featured incredible fights for the lead between Bonsignore and Preece, who traded the lead seemingly every other lap as the draft came into play.
“It’s always fun,” Bonsignore said. “We understand what each other is trying to do. You can’t be tucked up behind the guy for too many laps. Otherwise, you start to run hot. So it’s more of a game of just ‘Hey, I need to lead to cool the motor back off and lead three, four laps and get the lead back.’ But at the same time you want to be the leader because if the caution comes out, you want to make sure you’re lined up as the leader, so it’s a game of cat and mouse.”
Bonsignore held the lead at the Lap-74 caution, which flew for Bryan Dauzat’s failed engine, and elected to take tires only while the majority of the leaders pitted for both fuel and tires.
At Lap 93, Tyler Rypkema suffered a right-rear tire puncture heading into Turn 1 and spun driver-side into the outside wall before climbing out under his own power.
That set up a restart with four to go, leading to the eventual contact between Fortin and Goodale.
Patrick Emerling entered Saturday’s race with a three-point lead over Bonsignore in the championship standings but instead left with a disappointing 13th-place finish, at one point losing a lap to Bonsignore.
Doug Coby came into Saturday’s race fourth in points 41 points out despite missing the event at Oswego Speedway, but a blown motor ended the six-time champion’s day after just 44 laps.
Completing the top five behind Preece, Bonsignore and Silk were Ronnie Williams and Jon McKennedy. Andy Seuss, Dave Sapienza, Bobby Santos III, Kyle Bonsignore and Timmy Solomito rounded out the top 10.
June 18, 2021
Ryan Preece wins his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Nashville
Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service
Ryan Preece took the lead from Grant Enfinger with seven laps remaining in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway to earn his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory Friday night in his first race in the series.
Preece, the 30-year-old Connecticut native who competes full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, is only the fifth driver in history to win in his Truck Series debut.
“That was a lot of fun,” Preece said. “Really I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know anything.
“I was just taking the guidance from (crew chief) Chad (Johnston) and my teammates and told them I’d be better in the race than I was in qualifying and practice. And fortunately, I lived up to that.”
Preece’s teammate, Todd Gilliland, who started at the rear of the field after a pre-race inspection violation, rallied all the way to second place, passing Enfinger with four laps remaining.
“It stings not to get that last spot, especially because I was under the 17 (Preece) and got too loose, but that’s racing,” said Gilliland, whose father, David, served as his crew chief after his normal crew chief was suspended as part of the inspection penalty.
The Preece-Gilliland work gave Ford its first one-two finish of the season. Enfinger finished third, followed by Zane Smith and Stewart Friesen.
Veteran Matt Crafton, two-race winner Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Austin Hill and championship leader John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top 10.
Preece, who drives the No. 37 JTG-Daugherty Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series, was one of three full-time Cup Series drivers entered Friday – all wanting to get some extra laps at the 1.333-mile Nashville track, which is hosting its first-ever Cup race Sunday. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ross Chastain finished 22nd driving for Niece Motorsports, and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron finished last in the 36-truck field, his No. 27 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet experiencing a motor problem shortly after the Stage 1 break.
Nineteen-year-old Derek Kraus, who won his first career Camping World Truck Series pole position Friday afternoon, followed it up by leading the first 48 laps of the race and earning the Stage 1 victory – his second career stage win.
A slow pit stop during that stage break forced Kraus to play catch-up, but he rallied back inside the top 10. His race ended early after contact with the Josh Berry truck sent Kraus’ No. 19 Toyota hard into the wall with only 40 laps remaining.
Nemechek’s 10th-place finish retained the lead in the championship standings for the second-generation driver. A four-race winner so far in 2021, he leads Rhodes by 78 points with only three races remaining to set the 10-driver playoff field.
Chandler Smith, who finished 13th Friday, sits in the final playoff transfer position with a slim 15-point edge on former series champion Johnny Sauter, who finished 12th at Nashville.
The series races next in the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway (June 26 at 12 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
NOTE: NASCAR indicated there were no issues in its post-race inspection, thus confirming Preece’s victory.
Ryan Preece wins his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Nashville
Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service
Ryan Preece took the lead from Grant Enfinger with seven laps remaining in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway to earn his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory Friday night in his first race in the series.
Preece, the 30-year-old Connecticut native who competes full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, is only the fifth driver in history to win in his Truck Series debut.
“That was a lot of fun,” Preece said. “Really I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know anything.
“I was just taking the guidance from (crew chief) Chad (Johnston) and my teammates and told them I’d be better in the race than I was in qualifying and practice. And fortunately, I lived up to that.”
Preece’s teammate, Todd Gilliland, who started at the rear of the field after a pre-race inspection violation, rallied all the way to second place, passing Enfinger with four laps remaining.
“It stings not to get that last spot, especially because I was under the 17 (Preece) and got too loose, but that’s racing,” said Gilliland, whose father, David, served as his crew chief after his normal crew chief was suspended as part of the inspection penalty.
The Preece-Gilliland work gave Ford its first one-two finish of the season. Enfinger finished third, followed by Zane Smith and Stewart Friesen.
Veteran Matt Crafton, two-race winner Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Austin Hill and championship leader John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top 10.
Preece, who drives the No. 37 JTG-Daugherty Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series, was one of three full-time Cup Series drivers entered Friday – all wanting to get some extra laps at the 1.333-mile Nashville track, which is hosting its first-ever Cup race Sunday. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ross Chastain finished 22nd driving for Niece Motorsports, and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron finished last in the 36-truck field, his No. 27 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet experiencing a motor problem shortly after the Stage 1 break.
Nineteen-year-old Derek Kraus, who won his first career Camping World Truck Series pole position Friday afternoon, followed it up by leading the first 48 laps of the race and earning the Stage 1 victory – his second career stage win.
A slow pit stop during that stage break forced Kraus to play catch-up, but he rallied back inside the top 10. His race ended early after contact with the Josh Berry truck sent Kraus’ No. 19 Toyota hard into the wall with only 40 laps remaining.
Nemechek’s 10th-place finish retained the lead in the championship standings for the second-generation driver. A four-race winner so far in 2021, he leads Rhodes by 78 points with only three races remaining to set the 10-driver playoff field.
Chandler Smith, who finished 13th Friday, sits in the final playoff transfer position with a slim 15-point edge on former series champion Johnny Sauter, who finished 12th at Nashville.
The series races next in the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway (June 26 at 12 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
NOTE: NASCAR indicated there were no issues in its post-race inspection, thus confirming Preece’s victory.
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April 3, 2021
Ryan Preece Dominates At South Boston
Brandon White / www.shorttrackscene.com
Ryan Preece utilized his free weekend away from the NASCAR Cup Series by returning to his Modified roots at South Boston Speedway on Saturday afternoon.
The performance Preece turned in mirrored the ones from his days in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, as he dominated the 99-lap SMART Modified Tour feature after starting from the pole.
“It wasn’t easy by any means,” Preece said. “I just had a really great car and I’m really fortunate to drive for people like Eddie and Connie Partridge who give you nothing but the best. We made the right adjustments but we had a good car from the start of the race.”
Although Preece did not post the fastest lap in qualifying, he earned the pole position on a re-draw and proceeded to take command of the race up until a caution came out on Lap 49 for James Civali’s spin.
Preece and most of the field pitted for tires and adjustments during the ensuing caution but it would only take a couple of restarts before Preece powered past Chuck Hossfeld to assume control of the front once again
“I knew it was going to be tough,” Preece said about climbing through the field. “The opportunities with the restarts kind of …..read the rest of this story here https://www.shorttrackscene.com/modifieds/preece-dominates-at-south-boston/
Ryan Preece Dominates At South Boston
Brandon White / www.shorttrackscene.com
Ryan Preece utilized his free weekend away from the NASCAR Cup Series by returning to his Modified roots at South Boston Speedway on Saturday afternoon.
The performance Preece turned in mirrored the ones from his days in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, as he dominated the 99-lap SMART Modified Tour feature after starting from the pole.
“It wasn’t easy by any means,” Preece said. “I just had a really great car and I’m really fortunate to drive for people like Eddie and Connie Partridge who give you nothing but the best. We made the right adjustments but we had a good car from the start of the race.”
Although Preece did not post the fastest lap in qualifying, he earned the pole position on a re-draw and proceeded to take command of the race up until a caution came out on Lap 49 for James Civali’s spin.
Preece and most of the field pitted for tires and adjustments during the ensuing caution but it would only take a couple of restarts before Preece powered past Chuck Hossfeld to assume control of the front once again
“I knew it was going to be tough,” Preece said about climbing through the field. “The opportunities with the restarts kind of …..read the rest of this story here https://www.shorttrackscene.com/modifieds/preece-dominates-at-south-boston/
February 23, 2021
Ryan Preece, JTG-Daugherty Racing Building Foundation for Solid 2021 Campaign with Back-To-Back Top-10s
www.tobychristie.com / JOSEPH SRIGLEY
(Photo by Andrew Coppley/HHP for Chevy Racing)
With a ninth-place finish in Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona’s Road Course, Ryan Preece and JTG-Daugherty Racing are continuing to put down a solid base, for what could end up being the organization’s best season to date.
After finishing sixth in the 63rd Annual Daytona 500 – his second top-10 in “The Great American Race” – Preece was awarded a sixth place starting spot, virtue of NASCAR’s “Performance Metric” lineup determination. In the chaos of the race’s initial start, the Kroger / Coca-Cola Chevrolet was able to cycle into the top-five.
Preece wouldn’t return to the top-10 until the closing stages of the event, recording 15th and 23rd-place results in each of the race’s two preliminary stages, therefore earning no stage points. The Berlin, Connecticut-native worked his way back into ninth by the end of the 70-lap event, coming up short in a tight battle for eighth place with Daytona 500 Champion Michael McDowell.
“Our No. 37 Kroger / Coca-Cola Chevrolet was the best road course car we’ve had, said Preece. “We struggled early in the race needing a little more forward drive, but Trent (Owens, crew chief) made some really great adjustments and kept working on it to get us where we could make moves. I’m really proud of everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing for giving us a car that was fast and even with the damage from a late-race caution, we were able to hold our track position and get a second top-10 finish for the season. It’s been a great start so far and we’re just going to keep digging forward next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.”
Sunday’s race marked the second consecutive top-10 finish for Preece and the No. 37 Chevrolet, a feat JTG-Daugherty Racing has been unable to accomplish since Spring 2019. Throughout the entire 2020 season, Preece only scored two top-10s.
The strong start to the season is the total opposite of what Preece experienced to start the 2020 season, which left the 30-year-old relegated to 35th in points after a crash, engine issue and points penalty in the first three races of the season. These setbacks left the second-year driver to claw his way back into the top-30, eventually finishing 29th in points.
However, Preece’s 2020 season will likely be remembered for a bizarre accident in the closing stages of the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway, which saw Preece’s No. 37 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet annihilate the inside wall, sending the car airborne. Amazingly, Preece walked away uninjured.
Through just two races this season, Preece has already accumulated more championship points than he did in the first seven NASCAR Cup Series events of 2020.
Preece enters Homestead-Miami Speedway – the third race of the 2021 campaign – seventh in points, 39 points ahead of 17th-place Kyle Busch – the first driver outside of the provisional playoffs. With the recent streak of momentum and confidence for Preece and JTG-Daugherty Racing – scoring four top-10s and 10 top-20s in the last 12 races – the question must be asked: “Could Ryan Preece and JTG-Daugherty Racing sneak into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs?”
If Preece is able to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, JTG-Daugherty Racing’s No. 37 would become the first open team to claim a spot in NASCAR’s post-season.
Ryan Preece, JTG-Daugherty Racing Building Foundation for Solid 2021 Campaign with Back-To-Back Top-10s
www.tobychristie.com / JOSEPH SRIGLEY
(Photo by Andrew Coppley/HHP for Chevy Racing)
With a ninth-place finish in Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona’s Road Course, Ryan Preece and JTG-Daugherty Racing are continuing to put down a solid base, for what could end up being the organization’s best season to date.
After finishing sixth in the 63rd Annual Daytona 500 – his second top-10 in “The Great American Race” – Preece was awarded a sixth place starting spot, virtue of NASCAR’s “Performance Metric” lineup determination. In the chaos of the race’s initial start, the Kroger / Coca-Cola Chevrolet was able to cycle into the top-five.
Preece wouldn’t return to the top-10 until the closing stages of the event, recording 15th and 23rd-place results in each of the race’s two preliminary stages, therefore earning no stage points. The Berlin, Connecticut-native worked his way back into ninth by the end of the 70-lap event, coming up short in a tight battle for eighth place with Daytona 500 Champion Michael McDowell.
“Our No. 37 Kroger / Coca-Cola Chevrolet was the best road course car we’ve had, said Preece. “We struggled early in the race needing a little more forward drive, but Trent (Owens, crew chief) made some really great adjustments and kept working on it to get us where we could make moves. I’m really proud of everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing for giving us a car that was fast and even with the damage from a late-race caution, we were able to hold our track position and get a second top-10 finish for the season. It’s been a great start so far and we’re just going to keep digging forward next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.”
Sunday’s race marked the second consecutive top-10 finish for Preece and the No. 37 Chevrolet, a feat JTG-Daugherty Racing has been unable to accomplish since Spring 2019. Throughout the entire 2020 season, Preece only scored two top-10s.
The strong start to the season is the total opposite of what Preece experienced to start the 2020 season, which left the 30-year-old relegated to 35th in points after a crash, engine issue and points penalty in the first three races of the season. These setbacks left the second-year driver to claw his way back into the top-30, eventually finishing 29th in points.
However, Preece’s 2020 season will likely be remembered for a bizarre accident in the closing stages of the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway, which saw Preece’s No. 37 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet annihilate the inside wall, sending the car airborne. Amazingly, Preece walked away uninjured.
Through just two races this season, Preece has already accumulated more championship points than he did in the first seven NASCAR Cup Series events of 2020.
Preece enters Homestead-Miami Speedway – the third race of the 2021 campaign – seventh in points, 39 points ahead of 17th-place Kyle Busch – the first driver outside of the provisional playoffs. With the recent streak of momentum and confidence for Preece and JTG-Daugherty Racing – scoring four top-10s and 10 top-20s in the last 12 races – the question must be asked: “Could Ryan Preece and JTG-Daugherty Racing sneak into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs?”
If Preece is able to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, JTG-Daugherty Racing’s No. 37 would become the first open team to claim a spot in NASCAR’s post-season.
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February 21, 2021
Ryan Preece Opens NASCAR Cup Series Season With Consecutive Top-10 Finishes
www.racedayct.com article
Last year Ryan Preece had two top-10 finishes in 36 NASCAR Cup Series starts.
In 2021 it took him exactly two races to match that 2020 total.
Preece finished ninth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 on the road course at Daytona International Speedway Sunday.
“Our No. 37 Kroger/Coca-Cola Chevrolet was the best road course car we’ve had,” Preece said following Sunday’s event at Daytona. “We struggled early in the race needing a little more forward drive, but [crew chief Trent Owens] made some really great adjustments and kept working on it to get us where we could make moves.
“I’m really proud of everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing for giving us a car that was fast and even with the damage from a late-race caution, we were able to hold our track position and get a second top-10 finish for the season. It’s been a great start so far and we’re just going to keep digging forward next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.”
Christopher Bell got his first career series victory in winning Sunday’s event on the Daytona road course.
Sunday’s ninth place finish for Preece followed a sixth place finish in the season opening Daytona 500 last Sunday for the former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion.
Ryan Preece Opens NASCAR Cup Series Season With Consecutive Top-10 Finishes
www.racedayct.com article
Last year Ryan Preece had two top-10 finishes in 36 NASCAR Cup Series starts.
In 2021 it took him exactly two races to match that 2020 total.
Preece finished ninth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 on the road course at Daytona International Speedway Sunday.
“Our No. 37 Kroger/Coca-Cola Chevrolet was the best road course car we’ve had,” Preece said following Sunday’s event at Daytona. “We struggled early in the race needing a little more forward drive, but [crew chief Trent Owens] made some really great adjustments and kept working on it to get us where we could make moves.
“I’m really proud of everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing for giving us a car that was fast and even with the damage from a late-race caution, we were able to hold our track position and get a second top-10 finish for the season. It’s been a great start so far and we’re just going to keep digging forward next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.”
Christopher Bell got his first career series victory in winning Sunday’s event on the Daytona road course.
Sunday’s ninth place finish for Preece followed a sixth place finish in the season opening Daytona 500 last Sunday for the former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion.
February 10, 2021
Big Night: Ryan Preece Wins Blewett Memorial At New Smyrna After Qualifying For Daytona 500
Shawn Courchesne | www.racedayct.com
It’s an old short track announcer’s cliché joke to refer to a driver with a deep starting spot as having started in the parking lot.
When it comes to Ryan Preece participating in Wednesday’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Tour Type Modified feature at New Smyrna Speedway it’s fair to see he started 20 minutes at another race track.
When the Wednesday’s racing card at New Smyrna Speedway kicked off, Preece was down the road at Daytona International Speedway participating in Daytona 500 qualifying with his JTG Daugherty Racing team.
Preece was eighth fastest of 44 entries at Daytona to lock himself into a starting spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Preece, of Berlin, then kept the speed up from qualifying, raced over to New Smyrna Speedway and made it to the track in time for the Tour Type Modified feature.
And that speed just kept on rolling through the night as Preece went from the last starting spot in the 37-car feature to win the John Blewett III Memorial 76 at New Smyrna Speedway.
“I’ve got to thank my team for working here today and getting this thing prepared and letting me just come and drive,” Preece said. “We actually broke something in the rear suspension … [late]. I was just hoping it would hold on and it did.”
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. was second and Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. third.
It was a caution marred event pocked by five red flags for extensive cleanups.
Preece went by Eric Goodale for the lead on lap 70 and then defended the top spot through four late restarts.
“Ultimately, the whole reason I put myself through what I do is to win races,” Preece said. “So showing up here tonight, starting last and winning it makes it worth it.”
Preece became the third different winner in three Tour Type Modified events this week. Craig Lutz won the Tour Type Modified division opener on Monday and Emerling was victorious Tuesday. The division will run a 35-lap feature Thursday before the final Tour Type Modified event of the week on Friday, the Richie Evans 100.
Preece also won the John Blewett III Memorial at New Smyrna in 2017.
“He was a racer man,” Preece said of former Modified standout John Blewett III, who was killed in a crash during a Whelen Modified Tour event at Thompson Speedway in 2007. “A lot of Modified guys are racers, but John Blewett was a racer. I have a ton of respect for Jimmy Blewett and John Blewett, so to be able to win this race – it’s been a while since I’ve won here – it’s pretty cool.”
Preece will be making his third consecutive Daytona 500 start in the 63rd running of the event Sunday.
Hirschman rallied back after spinning while battling with Stephen Kopcik in the top-five on lap 62. Hirschman somehow narrowly missed getting plowed into by numerous cars after spinning.
“I’ll go to bed and thank my lucky stars tonight that we have a race car,” Hirschman said.” That was very bad. … It’s kind of been a demo derby.”
Hirschman was second on Monday and third on Tuesday.
Big Night: Ryan Preece Wins Blewett Memorial At New Smyrna After Qualifying For Daytona 500
Shawn Courchesne | www.racedayct.com
It’s an old short track announcer’s cliché joke to refer to a driver with a deep starting spot as having started in the parking lot.
When it comes to Ryan Preece participating in Wednesday’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Tour Type Modified feature at New Smyrna Speedway it’s fair to see he started 20 minutes at another race track.
When the Wednesday’s racing card at New Smyrna Speedway kicked off, Preece was down the road at Daytona International Speedway participating in Daytona 500 qualifying with his JTG Daugherty Racing team.
Preece was eighth fastest of 44 entries at Daytona to lock himself into a starting spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Preece, of Berlin, then kept the speed up from qualifying, raced over to New Smyrna Speedway and made it to the track in time for the Tour Type Modified feature.
And that speed just kept on rolling through the night as Preece went from the last starting spot in the 37-car feature to win the John Blewett III Memorial 76 at New Smyrna Speedway.
“I’ve got to thank my team for working here today and getting this thing prepared and letting me just come and drive,” Preece said. “We actually broke something in the rear suspension … [late]. I was just hoping it would hold on and it did.”
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. was second and Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. third.
It was a caution marred event pocked by five red flags for extensive cleanups.
Preece went by Eric Goodale for the lead on lap 70 and then defended the top spot through four late restarts.
“Ultimately, the whole reason I put myself through what I do is to win races,” Preece said. “So showing up here tonight, starting last and winning it makes it worth it.”
Preece became the third different winner in three Tour Type Modified events this week. Craig Lutz won the Tour Type Modified division opener on Monday and Emerling was victorious Tuesday. The division will run a 35-lap feature Thursday before the final Tour Type Modified event of the week on Friday, the Richie Evans 100.
Preece also won the John Blewett III Memorial at New Smyrna in 2017.
“He was a racer man,” Preece said of former Modified standout John Blewett III, who was killed in a crash during a Whelen Modified Tour event at Thompson Speedway in 2007. “A lot of Modified guys are racers, but John Blewett was a racer. I have a ton of respect for Jimmy Blewett and John Blewett, so to be able to win this race – it’s been a while since I’ve won here – it’s pretty cool.”
Preece will be making his third consecutive Daytona 500 start in the 63rd running of the event Sunday.
Hirschman rallied back after spinning while battling with Stephen Kopcik in the top-five on lap 62. Hirschman somehow narrowly missed getting plowed into by numerous cars after spinning.
“I’ll go to bed and thank my lucky stars tonight that we have a race car,” Hirschman said.” That was very bad. … It’s kind of been a demo derby.”
Hirschman was second on Monday and third on Tuesday.
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February 10, 2021
With his speed, Preece makes charter a non-issue for the 500
By Kelly Crandall | racer.com
Ryan Preece has repeatedly said he wasn’t worried about qualifying for the Daytona 500 despite not having a charter this season.
Preece’s No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet wound up as an open car this season when Todd Braun took the charter elsewhere. Braun had the rights to the charter, which JTG had been using the past few seasons.
Wednesday night, Preece qualified his way into the 63rd annual Daytona 500 by posting the fastest speed of the eight open cars. Asked afterward about the situation, Preece revealed the worst part of his day had nothing to do with what happened on the track.
“I think the most stressful thing of the day was when we were sitting on the grid, and we had the 15-minute delay (for a power outage), and I realized I had the wrong fire suit on,” said Preece. “So I had to run about a half-mile and change my suit. That was the most stressful thing I had going today.”
While Preece wasn’t worried, he did admit that things were tense within the team. But confidence was found during opening practice earlier in the day with the car’s speed when running by itself. Preece was the fastest of the open cars in practice.
“It didn’t worry me,” he said. “I said it a week ago at media day — my entire racing career has pretty much been full of moments like this. So, this is no other day to me.”
Click HERE for more of Kelly’s article
With his speed, Preece makes charter a non-issue for the 500
By Kelly Crandall | racer.com
Ryan Preece has repeatedly said he wasn’t worried about qualifying for the Daytona 500 despite not having a charter this season.
Preece’s No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet wound up as an open car this season when Todd Braun took the charter elsewhere. Braun had the rights to the charter, which JTG had been using the past few seasons.
Wednesday night, Preece qualified his way into the 63rd annual Daytona 500 by posting the fastest speed of the eight open cars. Asked afterward about the situation, Preece revealed the worst part of his day had nothing to do with what happened on the track.
“I think the most stressful thing of the day was when we were sitting on the grid, and we had the 15-minute delay (for a power outage), and I realized I had the wrong fire suit on,” said Preece. “So I had to run about a half-mile and change my suit. That was the most stressful thing I had going today.”
While Preece wasn’t worried, he did admit that things were tense within the team. But confidence was found during opening practice earlier in the day with the car’s speed when running by itself. Preece was the fastest of the open cars in practice.
“It didn’t worry me,” he said. “I said it a week ago at media day — my entire racing career has pretty much been full of moments like this. So, this is no other day to me.”
Click HERE for more of Kelly’s article
November 14, 2020
Ryan Preece Wins Prestigous Islip 300 at Riverhead Raceway
A www.riverheadraceway.com release
Saturday Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. enjoyed two Long Island homecomings on a picture perfect fall day. His first is when he strolled through the pit gate at Riverhead Raceway where many were waiting to greet the NASCAR Cup Series star. His second homecoming came at the conclusion of the Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply when he parked his TS Haulers Tour Type Modified in the winner’s circle becoming the first repeat winner of the 300.
Twenty nine cars registered for the 4th annual Islip 300 and with the race been advertised as starting 25 cars Riverhead Raceway owners Eddie & Connie Partridge & Tom Gatz in a show of gratitude decided to start all 29 cars entrants. Qualifying saw 2019 Islip 300 winner Kyle Soper of Manorville win the $300 Brigandi Brothers Automotive Pole Award with a lap of 11.416 with Jon McKennedey of Chelmsford, Ma second quick at 11.427.
When the green flags waved on the Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply it was Kyle Soper breaking out to the early advantage over Jon McKenndey. Soper running a special tribute pain scheme to his racing Grandfather would pace McKennedy over the first 19 circuits. As the field raced off the fourth corner to start the 20th lap Craig Lutz slipped under McKennedy for second. Earl on Soper was able to get away from Lutz and rivals by setting a fairly quick pace with lap time in the 11.6 to 11.7 range. Kyle was hoping to put as many cars as he could a lap down but with such a large field that task would be no easy.
On lap 96 McKennedy came roaring by Lutz for second executing his own inside pass for the spot off turn four. McKenndey was able to reel in Soper with the aid of some well-placed cautions and a fast car and on lap 115 exiting the fourth turn Jon made a power move to the outside to take over the race lead. Soper soon fell further back in the top five when he was passed by Ryan Preece for second on lap 119. The next 12 laps found Ryan reeling in and then pressuring McKennedy for the race lead which he took with an inside pass entering the third turn on lap 131.
McKenndey ran second until a lap 152 restart when 2020 NASCAR WMT champion Justin Bosignore not only passed Jon for second but also worked his way by Preece for the race lead on lap 153. Bonsignore was among a handful of drivers who had not yet pitted for either their 3 change tires or adjustments when he took over the race lead. As the race hit the 200-lap mark Kyle Soper who did pit for changes to his Eastport Feeds Chevy was back in the mix and on lap 207 during a restart made his way Bonsignore for the race lead. Soon thereafter another caution flag would wave and that is when Bonsignore and several other teams made their way to the pits for tires and adjustments.
With Soper having pitted earlier than other contenders the two time track NASCAR Modified champion led the race but knew there were some fast cars with fresher tires zeroing in on his race lead. On lap 228 Preece was in the picture once again making his way to second during a restart and just one lap later Ryan powered his way by Soper for the race lead. Once passed by Preece for the lead Soper would soon have to contend with former three time track champion John Fortin who was among the teams making a later pit stop during the 300.
On lap 258 Fortin a 34-time winner at Riverhead made his way by Soper for second and those in attendance wondered if the 57-year old talent would be able to race his way up to Preece to contend for the rich win and take the biggest win of his career. However as the race hit a green flag run Craig Lutz who pitted at the same time Bonsignore and Fortin did was also on the move and on lap 264 made his way by Fortin for second.
With 35-laps left in the 300 Craig Lutz could only watch from a dozen car lengths back as the TS Haulers Chevy of Ryan Preece raced off to victory and his second Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply trophy. 'Man this is great, we had a rough, rough year and to come here and win this race is special" Preece noted in the winner’s circle as he was greeted by his team. "This car was hurt pretty bad at Stafford but my father just kept thrashing away at it, this win is for him. It's his birthday so Happy Birthday Dad!" As for the race and day Ryan offered, "we unloaded and I just didn't like the way the car was but it's funny I texted my wife Heather and she wrote back that when I'm unhappy early on race day the race usually goes our way and sure enough it did"
Craig Lutz of Miller Place was runner-up and reflected afterwards not so much on the race but his overall 2020 season, "we had a good run today, would have been nice to win in our Riverhead Building Supply team's backyard but I can't say enough about Russell Goodale and this team. We had a good year and to cap it off with second is nice".
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville was third and the driver of the Phoenix Communications Chevy offered his post-race thoughts "first off congratulations to Ryan and his team, great to see him back winning with the Modifieds". As for his race Justin looked back, "we tried to out tire them so to speak pitting as late as we could for new rubber but it may have been too late, plus that long caution for the oil clean-up took some laps away but all in all a good day".
Kyle Soper of Manorville and Tom Rogers Jr. completed the top five while the remainder of the top ten were, John Fortin Sr. of Holtsville, Roger Turbush of Riverhead, John Beatty Jr. of Merrick, Keith Rocco of Berlin, Ct and Matt Galko of Meriden, Ct.
In the 50-lap Eagle Auto Mall Crate Modified race NASCAR Modified champion Tom Rogers Jr. subbed for his nephew Michael Berner for the race as Michael recovers from a recent wrist procedure with the end result finding Rogers taking down the victory. Owen Grennan of Glen Cove won the @Jlynnemortgages $150 pole award with a lap of 12.738 with Rogers second quick with a 12.753. At the throw of the green flag Grennan, a 4-time winner in 2020 broke to the lead over Rogers but the challenger wasn't going anywhere as he stayed hot on the heels of the leader. After spending the first 20 circuits pressuring Grennan for the lead Rogers made a power move off the fourth turn and down the front stretch passing Owen for the lead to the outside to start lap 21. The very next lap the duo were side by side for the race lead in a dead heat with Grennan having a slight edge on lap 23. One lap later Rogers still riding the outside lane worked his way by Grennan with another outside pass off the fourth corner. This time Tom Rogers Jr. was able to keep the M3 Technology Chevy out front despite heavy pressure from Owen Grennan who'd settle for second in his Dillner Precast Chevy. 2020 champion Richie Davidowitz of East Moriches was third at the line in his Benimax Trucking Chevy. Brian Brown of Riverhead won the $100 Tiger Tom Baldwin hard Charger Award racing his way from 18th to 11th.
In the 40-lap INEX Legend Race Car main event it was invading Mike Alcaro of Newton, NJ scoring his third career Riverhead Raceway win driving for L.I. based car owner Paul Dodrico. Joseph Braun of Manorville was quickest in qualifying with a lap of 13.516 earning the $150 @Jlynnemortgages Pole Award. Bruan and former champion Dylan Slepian who was second quick in qualifying with a lap of 13.585 brought the field to green with Bruan breaking to the race lead. Brad Van Houten who started third moved under Slepian at the start to come to second where he ran for the first dozen laps.On lap 13 Mike Alcaro who raced his way from 6th made a pass of van Houten for second. With Braun leading and seeking his third win of 2020 disaster struck on lap 14 when Joey threw his car into the infield with a broken axle surrendering the lead to Alcaro. Allan Pedersen made his way to second and was able to stay within striking distance of the race leader but that would be as good as it got for the Arcadia College student. At the conclusion it was Mike Alcaro sitting in victory lane with the Dr. Martha Baker, DDS entry while Allan Pedersen of Center Moriches was runner-up in The Boiler Guy racer. Brad Van Houten of Wading River was third in the Mike Van Houten Trucking machine. Charlie Hodge of Selden won the $100 Tiger Tom Baldwin Hard Charger Award starting 28th and finishing 14th. Nick Morabito of Manorville won the Finishline Demolition & Carting $100 Young Lion of the Race Award with his 16th place finish.
4th Annual Islip 300 Tour-Type Modifieds: 1. Ryan Preece 2. Craig Lutz 3. Justin Bonsignore 4. Kyle Soper 5. Tom Rogers Jr. 6. John Fortin Sr. 7. Roger Turbush 8. John Beatty Jr. 9. Keith Rocco 10. Matt Galko 11. Max Zachem 12. Michael Rutkoski 13. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III 14. Jon McKennedy 15. Dave Sapienza 16. Artie Pedersen III 17. Justin Brown 18. Matt Brode 19. Dave Brigati 20. Chris Young 21. JB Fortin 22. CJ Lehmann 23. Dylan Slepian 24. Anthony Bello 25. Dillon Steuer 26. Ronnie Williams 27. Eric Goodale 28. Jimmy Rennick Jr. 29. Brian Weber
Crate Modifieds: 1. Tom Rogers Jr. 2. Owen Grennan 3. Richie Davidowitz 4. Eric Zeh 5. Matt Brode 6. Terry Stiles 7. Mark Stewart 8. Mike Albasini 9. Dennis Krupski 10. Steve Ratti 11. Brian Brown 12. Roger Tramm 13. Alex Colasanto 14. Max Handley 15. Frank Dumicich Jr. 16. Peter Bertuccio 17. Vinny Delaney 18. Eddie Schutze
Legend Race Cars: 1. Mike Alcaro 2. Allan Pedersen 3. Brad Van Houten 4. Kevin Nowak 5. Riely O'Keefe 6. George Tomko Jr. 7. Dylan Slepian 8. Jason Castaldo 9. Jerry Curran 10. Anthony Colandro 11. Ed Cheslak 12. Colin Volpe 13. Mike Van Houten Jr. 14. Charlie Hodge 15. Robert Henninger III 16. Nick Morabito 17. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 18. Patrick Moore 19. Tanner Jones 20. Jake Curran 21. Chris Sinatro 22. Mike Benton 23. Kyle Ellwood 24. Eugene Drew 25. Tristin Bruce 26. Joseph Braun 27. Jonathan Parsons 28. Sean McElearney 29. Michael Metcalf
Ryan Preece Wins Prestigous Islip 300 at Riverhead Raceway
A www.riverheadraceway.com release
Saturday Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. enjoyed two Long Island homecomings on a picture perfect fall day. His first is when he strolled through the pit gate at Riverhead Raceway where many were waiting to greet the NASCAR Cup Series star. His second homecoming came at the conclusion of the Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply when he parked his TS Haulers Tour Type Modified in the winner’s circle becoming the first repeat winner of the 300.
Twenty nine cars registered for the 4th annual Islip 300 and with the race been advertised as starting 25 cars Riverhead Raceway owners Eddie & Connie Partridge & Tom Gatz in a show of gratitude decided to start all 29 cars entrants. Qualifying saw 2019 Islip 300 winner Kyle Soper of Manorville win the $300 Brigandi Brothers Automotive Pole Award with a lap of 11.416 with Jon McKennedey of Chelmsford, Ma second quick at 11.427.
When the green flags waved on the Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply it was Kyle Soper breaking out to the early advantage over Jon McKenndey. Soper running a special tribute pain scheme to his racing Grandfather would pace McKennedy over the first 19 circuits. As the field raced off the fourth corner to start the 20th lap Craig Lutz slipped under McKennedy for second. Earl on Soper was able to get away from Lutz and rivals by setting a fairly quick pace with lap time in the 11.6 to 11.7 range. Kyle was hoping to put as many cars as he could a lap down but with such a large field that task would be no easy.
On lap 96 McKennedy came roaring by Lutz for second executing his own inside pass for the spot off turn four. McKenndey was able to reel in Soper with the aid of some well-placed cautions and a fast car and on lap 115 exiting the fourth turn Jon made a power move to the outside to take over the race lead. Soper soon fell further back in the top five when he was passed by Ryan Preece for second on lap 119. The next 12 laps found Ryan reeling in and then pressuring McKennedy for the race lead which he took with an inside pass entering the third turn on lap 131.
McKenndey ran second until a lap 152 restart when 2020 NASCAR WMT champion Justin Bosignore not only passed Jon for second but also worked his way by Preece for the race lead on lap 153. Bonsignore was among a handful of drivers who had not yet pitted for either their 3 change tires or adjustments when he took over the race lead. As the race hit the 200-lap mark Kyle Soper who did pit for changes to his Eastport Feeds Chevy was back in the mix and on lap 207 during a restart made his way Bonsignore for the race lead. Soon thereafter another caution flag would wave and that is when Bonsignore and several other teams made their way to the pits for tires and adjustments.
With Soper having pitted earlier than other contenders the two time track NASCAR Modified champion led the race but knew there were some fast cars with fresher tires zeroing in on his race lead. On lap 228 Preece was in the picture once again making his way to second during a restart and just one lap later Ryan powered his way by Soper for the race lead. Once passed by Preece for the lead Soper would soon have to contend with former three time track champion John Fortin who was among the teams making a later pit stop during the 300.
On lap 258 Fortin a 34-time winner at Riverhead made his way by Soper for second and those in attendance wondered if the 57-year old talent would be able to race his way up to Preece to contend for the rich win and take the biggest win of his career. However as the race hit a green flag run Craig Lutz who pitted at the same time Bonsignore and Fortin did was also on the move and on lap 264 made his way by Fortin for second.
With 35-laps left in the 300 Craig Lutz could only watch from a dozen car lengths back as the TS Haulers Chevy of Ryan Preece raced off to victory and his second Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply trophy. 'Man this is great, we had a rough, rough year and to come here and win this race is special" Preece noted in the winner’s circle as he was greeted by his team. "This car was hurt pretty bad at Stafford but my father just kept thrashing away at it, this win is for him. It's his birthday so Happy Birthday Dad!" As for the race and day Ryan offered, "we unloaded and I just didn't like the way the car was but it's funny I texted my wife Heather and she wrote back that when I'm unhappy early on race day the race usually goes our way and sure enough it did"
Craig Lutz of Miller Place was runner-up and reflected afterwards not so much on the race but his overall 2020 season, "we had a good run today, would have been nice to win in our Riverhead Building Supply team's backyard but I can't say enough about Russell Goodale and this team. We had a good year and to cap it off with second is nice".
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville was third and the driver of the Phoenix Communications Chevy offered his post-race thoughts "first off congratulations to Ryan and his team, great to see him back winning with the Modifieds". As for his race Justin looked back, "we tried to out tire them so to speak pitting as late as we could for new rubber but it may have been too late, plus that long caution for the oil clean-up took some laps away but all in all a good day".
Kyle Soper of Manorville and Tom Rogers Jr. completed the top five while the remainder of the top ten were, John Fortin Sr. of Holtsville, Roger Turbush of Riverhead, John Beatty Jr. of Merrick, Keith Rocco of Berlin, Ct and Matt Galko of Meriden, Ct.
In the 50-lap Eagle Auto Mall Crate Modified race NASCAR Modified champion Tom Rogers Jr. subbed for his nephew Michael Berner for the race as Michael recovers from a recent wrist procedure with the end result finding Rogers taking down the victory. Owen Grennan of Glen Cove won the @Jlynnemortgages $150 pole award with a lap of 12.738 with Rogers second quick with a 12.753. At the throw of the green flag Grennan, a 4-time winner in 2020 broke to the lead over Rogers but the challenger wasn't going anywhere as he stayed hot on the heels of the leader. After spending the first 20 circuits pressuring Grennan for the lead Rogers made a power move off the fourth turn and down the front stretch passing Owen for the lead to the outside to start lap 21. The very next lap the duo were side by side for the race lead in a dead heat with Grennan having a slight edge on lap 23. One lap later Rogers still riding the outside lane worked his way by Grennan with another outside pass off the fourth corner. This time Tom Rogers Jr. was able to keep the M3 Technology Chevy out front despite heavy pressure from Owen Grennan who'd settle for second in his Dillner Precast Chevy. 2020 champion Richie Davidowitz of East Moriches was third at the line in his Benimax Trucking Chevy. Brian Brown of Riverhead won the $100 Tiger Tom Baldwin hard Charger Award racing his way from 18th to 11th.
In the 40-lap INEX Legend Race Car main event it was invading Mike Alcaro of Newton, NJ scoring his third career Riverhead Raceway win driving for L.I. based car owner Paul Dodrico. Joseph Braun of Manorville was quickest in qualifying with a lap of 13.516 earning the $150 @Jlynnemortgages Pole Award. Bruan and former champion Dylan Slepian who was second quick in qualifying with a lap of 13.585 brought the field to green with Bruan breaking to the race lead. Brad Van Houten who started third moved under Slepian at the start to come to second where he ran for the first dozen laps.On lap 13 Mike Alcaro who raced his way from 6th made a pass of van Houten for second. With Braun leading and seeking his third win of 2020 disaster struck on lap 14 when Joey threw his car into the infield with a broken axle surrendering the lead to Alcaro. Allan Pedersen made his way to second and was able to stay within striking distance of the race leader but that would be as good as it got for the Arcadia College student. At the conclusion it was Mike Alcaro sitting in victory lane with the Dr. Martha Baker, DDS entry while Allan Pedersen of Center Moriches was runner-up in The Boiler Guy racer. Brad Van Houten of Wading River was third in the Mike Van Houten Trucking machine. Charlie Hodge of Selden won the $100 Tiger Tom Baldwin Hard Charger Award starting 28th and finishing 14th. Nick Morabito of Manorville won the Finishline Demolition & Carting $100 Young Lion of the Race Award with his 16th place finish.
4th Annual Islip 300 Tour-Type Modifieds: 1. Ryan Preece 2. Craig Lutz 3. Justin Bonsignore 4. Kyle Soper 5. Tom Rogers Jr. 6. John Fortin Sr. 7. Roger Turbush 8. John Beatty Jr. 9. Keith Rocco 10. Matt Galko 11. Max Zachem 12. Michael Rutkoski 13. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III 14. Jon McKennedy 15. Dave Sapienza 16. Artie Pedersen III 17. Justin Brown 18. Matt Brode 19. Dave Brigati 20. Chris Young 21. JB Fortin 22. CJ Lehmann 23. Dylan Slepian 24. Anthony Bello 25. Dillon Steuer 26. Ronnie Williams 27. Eric Goodale 28. Jimmy Rennick Jr. 29. Brian Weber
Crate Modifieds: 1. Tom Rogers Jr. 2. Owen Grennan 3. Richie Davidowitz 4. Eric Zeh 5. Matt Brode 6. Terry Stiles 7. Mark Stewart 8. Mike Albasini 9. Dennis Krupski 10. Steve Ratti 11. Brian Brown 12. Roger Tramm 13. Alex Colasanto 14. Max Handley 15. Frank Dumicich Jr. 16. Peter Bertuccio 17. Vinny Delaney 18. Eddie Schutze
Legend Race Cars: 1. Mike Alcaro 2. Allan Pedersen 3. Brad Van Houten 4. Kevin Nowak 5. Riely O'Keefe 6. George Tomko Jr. 7. Dylan Slepian 8. Jason Castaldo 9. Jerry Curran 10. Anthony Colandro 11. Ed Cheslak 12. Colin Volpe 13. Mike Van Houten Jr. 14. Charlie Hodge 15. Robert Henninger III 16. Nick Morabito 17. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 18. Patrick Moore 19. Tanner Jones 20. Jake Curran 21. Chris Sinatro 22. Mike Benton 23. Kyle Ellwood 24. Eugene Drew 25. Tristin Bruce 26. Joseph Braun 27. Jonathan Parsons 28. Sean McElearney 29. Michael Metcalf
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September 20, 2020
Preece scores his first top-10 of 2020 season at Bristol
Seth Eggert, Staff Writer at kickinthetires.net
The Bass Pro Shops / NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway was a bright spot amidst a rough season for Ryan Preece.
The JTG-Daugherty Racing driver climbed into the top-10 late in the 500-lap race. Preece outlasted many of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers as they made green flag pit stops. A timely caution left the Berlin, CT native one of several a lap behind the leaders. However, only six drivers were on the lead lap.
Stuck a lap behind the leaders, Preece was limited to run between seventh and 12th in the running order. Several Playoff drivers including Kurt Busch and Matt DiBenedetto found trouble with flat tires and loose wheels, moving the 29-year-old up the grid.
Preece battled with his former teammate Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott. The trio were the only drivers one lap behind. The final run of the race at Bristol went green for 82 laps. By the time the checkered flag waved, Preece crossed the line in ninth in the No. 37 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to earn his first top-10 of 2020.
“That was a really fun night at Bristol Motor Speedway,” admitted Preece. “This year has obviously had its challenges for us. We’ve worked so hard to try and make the strategy play in our favor and get JTG Daugherty Racing the finish we deserve, and it feels really good to be able to put it all together.
“Our BUSH’S Beans Chevrolet was really good on the long run, and Trent and the guys did some great work on pit road to get our handling where we needed it to be to maintain those fast laps at the end of the long run.
“The cautions finally fell our way and we were able to capitalize on it. Every week for the rest of the season....." Read the rest of this article at https://kickinthetires.net/nascar/cup/preecescoreshisfirsttop10of2020seasonatbristol/
Preece scores his first top-10 of 2020 season at Bristol
Seth Eggert, Staff Writer at kickinthetires.net
The Bass Pro Shops / NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway was a bright spot amidst a rough season for Ryan Preece.
The JTG-Daugherty Racing driver climbed into the top-10 late in the 500-lap race. Preece outlasted many of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers as they made green flag pit stops. A timely caution left the Berlin, CT native one of several a lap behind the leaders. However, only six drivers were on the lead lap.
Stuck a lap behind the leaders, Preece was limited to run between seventh and 12th in the running order. Several Playoff drivers including Kurt Busch and Matt DiBenedetto found trouble with flat tires and loose wheels, moving the 29-year-old up the grid.
Preece battled with his former teammate Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott. The trio were the only drivers one lap behind. The final run of the race at Bristol went green for 82 laps. By the time the checkered flag waved, Preece crossed the line in ninth in the No. 37 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to earn his first top-10 of 2020.
“That was a really fun night at Bristol Motor Speedway,” admitted Preece. “This year has obviously had its challenges for us. We’ve worked so hard to try and make the strategy play in our favor and get JTG Daugherty Racing the finish we deserve, and it feels really good to be able to put it all together.
“Our BUSH’S Beans Chevrolet was really good on the long run, and Trent and the guys did some great work on pit road to get our handling where we needed it to be to maintain those fast laps at the end of the long run.
“The cautions finally fell our way and we were able to capitalize on it. Every week for the rest of the season....." Read the rest of this article at https://kickinthetires.net/nascar/cup/preecescoreshisfirsttop10of2020seasonatbristol/
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March 29, 2020
Timmy Hill Holds Off Ryan Preece To Win eNASCAR iRacing Event At Virtual Texas Motor Speedway
NASCAR Wire Service/Racedayct
Timmy Hill gave the afternoon’s dominant car, driven by William Byron, the virtual “bump-and-run” with three laps remaining to take the race lead and then ultimately held off fellow NASCAR Cup Series drivers Ryan Preece and Garrett Smithley for the victory in Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 125, the second event in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
Byron, who drives the famed No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, led a dominating 80 laps but Hill’s move with three laps of regulation was good enough to flush Byron back into the pack. A caution came out and Hill then had to hold off fellow iRacing regulars Preece and Smithley on a green-white-checkered restart. Byron ended up seventh.
It was the 27-year old Maryland native’s 674th iRacing victory, but Hill acknowledged it was among the most important of his career.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Hill said “Very exciting times for us because we just don’t get the recognition on a normal basis. To be on an even playing field is excellent. To be on this platform, the Cup platform, is exciting. The amount of folks that reached out to me has just been tremendous.
“The last lap was just one I will definitely remember for a while.”
Hill said he had already participated in his usual victory celebration – his wife gave him a hug and big glass of milk to drink.
“Downed that right away and hugged her,” he said.
“I had quite a bit of friends that were in my channel throughout the race that were spotting me, crew chiefing me throughout the race. I kind of got to chat with them. I am not surrounded by all my loved ones right now because everybody is trying to be safe. But I got a lot of phone calls, messages. I feel like the hero today.”
Although Hill, who has 1,677 iRacing starts, essentially paces the field in iRacing virtual experience, in the real world, he competes for a smaller, low-budget team. He qualified for his first NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 only this February driving the No. 66 for Motorsports Business Management and finished 27th – his best showing in the four races NASCAR held before putting the regular season on hold as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The opportunity to continue to compete – albeit virtually – against many of the same NASCAR Cup Series drivers – plus a group of drivers from other NASCAR series that qualified for Sunday’s race – has been a significant achievement for Hill – a sort of virtual victory for the real life underdog.
For example, Hill is competing in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series with a 12-year old steering wheel attached to a desk with only a single viewing monitor to conduct his race – a stark difference from last week’s inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational winner, Denny Hamlin who estimates he spent nearly $40,000 on his elaborate simulator set-up which is high-end all the way – from its high tech race seat to the three monitors and pedal system.
Hill, on the other hand, estimates his wheel cost him $300, it’s mounted to a $75 desk he got at a local office store. He sits in a $100 chair coordinating his race on a gaming computer that cost him about $1,400 by his estimate. But, he noted, it’s his primary laptop computer and he doesn’t just use it for iRacing but for everything – from running his NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series team to filling out a personal tax return.
“For me personally the iRacing platform, it’s kind of an equalizer in effect that the cars that we’re driving on there, I’m in the same cars as everybody,” Hill explained. “Most weekends, I’m not in that situation. I’m in a situation where I’m racing on 15 lap tires, have a motor that’s 200 horsepower down, got a car that’s probably five years old. I’m really kind of behind the eight ball as soon as we show up at the racetrack at times.
“To come into the server where everybody has the same cars, in this case even the same setup, everybody is on the same exact playing field, basically the driver conquers all in this situation.
“I had more experience coming into it because I’ve been on the service quite a bit longer. I knew that would be to my advantage. At the end of the day, these guys are all competitors, they’re all turning hundreds of laps. They’re all doing the best they can.
“For me to actually beat these guys on a level playing field, it really feels good for my driving talents. I look forward to the competition as it gets better in the coming weeks.
Certainly this second week of competition featured an even more robust level of performance – from fewer multi-car incidents, to fantastic racing up front. Byron, who famously helped earn his NASCAR opportunities through his excellence in iRacing won the pole position and showed the way for much of the race, which featured 10 leaders and 16 lead changes.
“Led most laps, got moved out of the way. We’ll get him back next time! Thanks,” Byron said of his afternoon on Twitter following the race.
Hill acknowledged that Byron may not have been too thrilled with the “bump-and-run” pass for the win, but that it was his only opportunity for victory – something he hoped the 22-year old Byron would understand in the coming days.
“I think the etiquette is similar to real life; basically you race people how they race you,” Hill said of the Byron incident at the end of the race.
“In this situation, we’ve never really raced each other. In real life we’re on two completely different levels of competition. So this is a unique situation where we were kind of competing for the win in the closing laps. I think that kind of changes the element and style of racing. For me it was a situation where I don’t get the chance to win much on this big of a platform. I told myself, If I have a chance to win any race, NASCAR, short track level, if it came down to it, that’s what I would do. It doesn’t change because it was iRacing. That’s what I would do in real life.
“Going forward, I’m sure William isn’t happy about it. I’m sure he’ll do the same back to me. Reverting back to what I said before, you race others how they race you. I’ll probably get a lot of abuse going forward. I’ll have to accept that. But that’s in the future. I’m kind of living in the present and happy to get the win.”
The win – on a nationally-televised NASCAR event – could be a game-changer for Hill; possibly attracting more sponsorship to either the Gander Truck team he owns or perhaps his NASCAR Cup Series car. The implications go beyond the virtual dashboard.
“For me personally, I’ve been in this sport for 10 years, don’t get talked about much. I feel like I can get the job done given an opportunity. I’m trying to showcase that as many times as I can.
“I really feel that I can drive at a high-level in tough equipment given that opportunity,” Hill continued. “I don’t know if that will come from this, but you never know. I kind of hold hope for that. We’ll kind of see.”
One thing for sure, Hill will receive an iconic memento of his work.
As he was completing the winner’s press conference via conference call after the event, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage offered a real – not virtual – winner’s cowboy hat – the traditional celebration in the Fort Worth Victory Lane.
“Excellent,” Hill said, when informed of the news.
It was indeed an excellent day for Hill.
eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
Race Number 2
Race Results:
March 29, 2020
Texas Motor Speedway
Total Race Length: 130 laps
1. (10) Timmy Hill, No. 66 Toyota, 130.
2. (7) Ryan Preece, No. 37 Chevrolet, 130.
3. (12) Garrett Smithley, No. 51 Chevrolet, 130.
4. (5) Landon Cassill, No. 89 Chevrolet, 130.
5. (20) Alex W Bowman, No. 88 Chevrolet, 130.
6. (2) Dale Earnhardt Jr, No. 8 Chevrolet, 130.
7. (1) William Byron Jr, No. 24 Chevrolet, 130.
8. (3) John H Nemechek, No. 38 Ford, 130.
9. (27) Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, 130.
10. (30) Kurt Busch, No. 1 Chevrolet, 130.
11. (15) Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Ford, 130.
12. (4) Parker Kligerman, No. 77 Toyota, 130.
13. (6) Bobby Labonte, No. 19 Toyota, 130.
14. (11) Michael McDowell, No. 34 Ford, 130.
15. (16) Matt DiBenedetto, No. 21 Ford, 130.
16. (24) Ty Dillon, No.13 Chevrolet, 130.
17. (19) Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, 130.
18. (18) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford, 130.
19. (25) Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, 130.
20. (28) Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet, 130.
21. (22) Erik Jones, No. 20 Toyota, 130.
22. (33) Ross Chastain, No. 6 Ford, 129.
23. (31) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, No. 47 Chevrolet, 129.
24. (17) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, 129.
25. (29) Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Chevrolet, 129.
26. (32) Alex Labbe, No. 90 Chevrolet, 128.
27. (26) Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford, 128.
28. (13) Tyler Reddick, No. 31 Chevrolet, 128.
29. (8) Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, 128.
30. (34) Ty Majeski, No. 45 Chevrolet, 122.
31. (21) Ruben Garcia, No. 27 Ford, 122.
32. (35) Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, 121.
33. (9) Daniel Suarez, No. 96 Toyota, 110.
34. (14) Christopher Bell, No. 95 Toyota, 88.
35. (23) Anthony Alfredo, No. 33 Chevrolet, 39.
Race Statistics:
Average Lap: 40.366 seconds
Caution Flags: 5 for 21 laps
Lead Changes: 16
Timmy Hill Holds Off Ryan Preece To Win eNASCAR iRacing Event At Virtual Texas Motor Speedway
NASCAR Wire Service/Racedayct
Timmy Hill gave the afternoon’s dominant car, driven by William Byron, the virtual “bump-and-run” with three laps remaining to take the race lead and then ultimately held off fellow NASCAR Cup Series drivers Ryan Preece and Garrett Smithley for the victory in Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 125, the second event in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
Byron, who drives the famed No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, led a dominating 80 laps but Hill’s move with three laps of regulation was good enough to flush Byron back into the pack. A caution came out and Hill then had to hold off fellow iRacing regulars Preece and Smithley on a green-white-checkered restart. Byron ended up seventh.
It was the 27-year old Maryland native’s 674th iRacing victory, but Hill acknowledged it was among the most important of his career.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Hill said “Very exciting times for us because we just don’t get the recognition on a normal basis. To be on an even playing field is excellent. To be on this platform, the Cup platform, is exciting. The amount of folks that reached out to me has just been tremendous.
“The last lap was just one I will definitely remember for a while.”
Hill said he had already participated in his usual victory celebration – his wife gave him a hug and big glass of milk to drink.
“Downed that right away and hugged her,” he said.
“I had quite a bit of friends that were in my channel throughout the race that were spotting me, crew chiefing me throughout the race. I kind of got to chat with them. I am not surrounded by all my loved ones right now because everybody is trying to be safe. But I got a lot of phone calls, messages. I feel like the hero today.”
Although Hill, who has 1,677 iRacing starts, essentially paces the field in iRacing virtual experience, in the real world, he competes for a smaller, low-budget team. He qualified for his first NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 only this February driving the No. 66 for Motorsports Business Management and finished 27th – his best showing in the four races NASCAR held before putting the regular season on hold as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The opportunity to continue to compete – albeit virtually – against many of the same NASCAR Cup Series drivers – plus a group of drivers from other NASCAR series that qualified for Sunday’s race – has been a significant achievement for Hill – a sort of virtual victory for the real life underdog.
For example, Hill is competing in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series with a 12-year old steering wheel attached to a desk with only a single viewing monitor to conduct his race – a stark difference from last week’s inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational winner, Denny Hamlin who estimates he spent nearly $40,000 on his elaborate simulator set-up which is high-end all the way – from its high tech race seat to the three monitors and pedal system.
Hill, on the other hand, estimates his wheel cost him $300, it’s mounted to a $75 desk he got at a local office store. He sits in a $100 chair coordinating his race on a gaming computer that cost him about $1,400 by his estimate. But, he noted, it’s his primary laptop computer and he doesn’t just use it for iRacing but for everything – from running his NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series team to filling out a personal tax return.
“For me personally the iRacing platform, it’s kind of an equalizer in effect that the cars that we’re driving on there, I’m in the same cars as everybody,” Hill explained. “Most weekends, I’m not in that situation. I’m in a situation where I’m racing on 15 lap tires, have a motor that’s 200 horsepower down, got a car that’s probably five years old. I’m really kind of behind the eight ball as soon as we show up at the racetrack at times.
“To come into the server where everybody has the same cars, in this case even the same setup, everybody is on the same exact playing field, basically the driver conquers all in this situation.
“I had more experience coming into it because I’ve been on the service quite a bit longer. I knew that would be to my advantage. At the end of the day, these guys are all competitors, they’re all turning hundreds of laps. They’re all doing the best they can.
“For me to actually beat these guys on a level playing field, it really feels good for my driving talents. I look forward to the competition as it gets better in the coming weeks.
Certainly this second week of competition featured an even more robust level of performance – from fewer multi-car incidents, to fantastic racing up front. Byron, who famously helped earn his NASCAR opportunities through his excellence in iRacing won the pole position and showed the way for much of the race, which featured 10 leaders and 16 lead changes.
“Led most laps, got moved out of the way. We’ll get him back next time! Thanks,” Byron said of his afternoon on Twitter following the race.
Hill acknowledged that Byron may not have been too thrilled with the “bump-and-run” pass for the win, but that it was his only opportunity for victory – something he hoped the 22-year old Byron would understand in the coming days.
“I think the etiquette is similar to real life; basically you race people how they race you,” Hill said of the Byron incident at the end of the race.
“In this situation, we’ve never really raced each other. In real life we’re on two completely different levels of competition. So this is a unique situation where we were kind of competing for the win in the closing laps. I think that kind of changes the element and style of racing. For me it was a situation where I don’t get the chance to win much on this big of a platform. I told myself, If I have a chance to win any race, NASCAR, short track level, if it came down to it, that’s what I would do. It doesn’t change because it was iRacing. That’s what I would do in real life.
“Going forward, I’m sure William isn’t happy about it. I’m sure he’ll do the same back to me. Reverting back to what I said before, you race others how they race you. I’ll probably get a lot of abuse going forward. I’ll have to accept that. But that’s in the future. I’m kind of living in the present and happy to get the win.”
The win – on a nationally-televised NASCAR event – could be a game-changer for Hill; possibly attracting more sponsorship to either the Gander Truck team he owns or perhaps his NASCAR Cup Series car. The implications go beyond the virtual dashboard.
“For me personally, I’ve been in this sport for 10 years, don’t get talked about much. I feel like I can get the job done given an opportunity. I’m trying to showcase that as many times as I can.
“I really feel that I can drive at a high-level in tough equipment given that opportunity,” Hill continued. “I don’t know if that will come from this, but you never know. I kind of hold hope for that. We’ll kind of see.”
One thing for sure, Hill will receive an iconic memento of his work.
As he was completing the winner’s press conference via conference call after the event, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage offered a real – not virtual – winner’s cowboy hat – the traditional celebration in the Fort Worth Victory Lane.
“Excellent,” Hill said, when informed of the news.
It was indeed an excellent day for Hill.
eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
Race Number 2
Race Results:
March 29, 2020
Texas Motor Speedway
Total Race Length: 130 laps
1. (10) Timmy Hill, No. 66 Toyota, 130.
2. (7) Ryan Preece, No. 37 Chevrolet, 130.
3. (12) Garrett Smithley, No. 51 Chevrolet, 130.
4. (5) Landon Cassill, No. 89 Chevrolet, 130.
5. (20) Alex W Bowman, No. 88 Chevrolet, 130.
6. (2) Dale Earnhardt Jr, No. 8 Chevrolet, 130.
7. (1) William Byron Jr, No. 24 Chevrolet, 130.
8. (3) John H Nemechek, No. 38 Ford, 130.
9. (27) Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, 130.
10. (30) Kurt Busch, No. 1 Chevrolet, 130.
11. (15) Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Ford, 130.
12. (4) Parker Kligerman, No. 77 Toyota, 130.
13. (6) Bobby Labonte, No. 19 Toyota, 130.
14. (11) Michael McDowell, No. 34 Ford, 130.
15. (16) Matt DiBenedetto, No. 21 Ford, 130.
16. (24) Ty Dillon, No.13 Chevrolet, 130.
17. (19) Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, 130.
18. (18) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford, 130.
19. (25) Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, 130.
20. (28) Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet, 130.
21. (22) Erik Jones, No. 20 Toyota, 130.
22. (33) Ross Chastain, No. 6 Ford, 129.
23. (31) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, No. 47 Chevrolet, 129.
24. (17) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, 129.
25. (29) Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Chevrolet, 129.
26. (32) Alex Labbe, No. 90 Chevrolet, 128.
27. (26) Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford, 128.
28. (13) Tyler Reddick, No. 31 Chevrolet, 128.
29. (8) Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, 128.
30. (34) Ty Majeski, No. 45 Chevrolet, 122.
31. (21) Ruben Garcia, No. 27 Ford, 122.
32. (35) Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, 121.
33. (9) Daniel Suarez, No. 96 Toyota, 110.
34. (14) Christopher Bell, No. 95 Toyota, 88.
35. (23) Anthony Alfredo, No. 33 Chevrolet, 39.
Race Statistics:
Average Lap: 40.366 seconds
Caution Flags: 5 for 21 laps
Lead Changes: 16
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December 2, 2019
JTG Daugherty Racing Announces 2020 Driver, Crew Chief Lineup
JTG Daugherty PR
HARRISBURG, N.C. (December 2, 2019) – JTG Daugherty Racing announced today the official driver, car number and crew chief lineup for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will take over the No. 47 Chevrolet, adding crew chief Brian Pattie to the organization. Ryan Preece will be at the helm of the No. 37 Chevrolet with crew chief Trent Owens.
Pattie joins JTG Daugherty Racing from Roush Fenway Racing where he was the crew chief with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. the past three seasons. A crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series for 16 years, he has six wins with three drivers, two of which were with Stenhouse Jr.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming Brian Pattie to JTG Daugherty Racing,” team owner Tad Geschickter said. “With Brian’s veteran experience and knowledge at NASCAR’s premier level, we know he is going to be a great asset to the organization and work well with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.”
“I’m very grateful to have Brian join me at JTG Daugherty Racing next season,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “Working together the past several seasons, our relationship away from the track has really developed and I know that will speed up the process of getting familiar and plugged into the team as quick as possible. He knows what I’m looking for and I know what he expects from me. This team is a great fit for both of us, and we’re looking forward to contributing to the success JTG Daugherty Racing has been building.”
Owens enters his fourth year as the crew chief on the No. 37 car in 2020. He led the team to four top-10 finishes and 12 top-15 finishes in 2019, improving the team’s average finishing position from 21.0 to 17.8. Previously, he worked at Richard Petty Motorsports from 2014 through 2016, where he earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win with Aric Almirola at Daytona International Speedway in 2014.
“Trent is a veteran at our organization leading the charge on the No. 37 car for the past three seasons,” Geschickter said. “He elevated a young driver in his second year in the series to consistently running in the top 15, and we have high expectations that he will be a great fit with Ryan Preece next year in his sophomore season.”
“I’m really looking forward to working with Trent Owens this upcoming season,” Preece said. “Our teams worked closely together in 2019. It was impressive to see what he’s done with the No. 37 team the last three years. I really want to continue building on that and bringing both cars into the top 15 regularly next year.”
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2:30 pm ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
JTG Daugherty Racing Announces 2020 Driver, Crew Chief Lineup
JTG Daugherty PR
HARRISBURG, N.C. (December 2, 2019) – JTG Daugherty Racing announced today the official driver, car number and crew chief lineup for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will take over the No. 47 Chevrolet, adding crew chief Brian Pattie to the organization. Ryan Preece will be at the helm of the No. 37 Chevrolet with crew chief Trent Owens.
Pattie joins JTG Daugherty Racing from Roush Fenway Racing where he was the crew chief with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. the past three seasons. A crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series for 16 years, he has six wins with three drivers, two of which were with Stenhouse Jr.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming Brian Pattie to JTG Daugherty Racing,” team owner Tad Geschickter said. “With Brian’s veteran experience and knowledge at NASCAR’s premier level, we know he is going to be a great asset to the organization and work well with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.”
“I’m very grateful to have Brian join me at JTG Daugherty Racing next season,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “Working together the past several seasons, our relationship away from the track has really developed and I know that will speed up the process of getting familiar and plugged into the team as quick as possible. He knows what I’m looking for and I know what he expects from me. This team is a great fit for both of us, and we’re looking forward to contributing to the success JTG Daugherty Racing has been building.”
Owens enters his fourth year as the crew chief on the No. 37 car in 2020. He led the team to four top-10 finishes and 12 top-15 finishes in 2019, improving the team’s average finishing position from 21.0 to 17.8. Previously, he worked at Richard Petty Motorsports from 2014 through 2016, where he earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win with Aric Almirola at Daytona International Speedway in 2014.
“Trent is a veteran at our organization leading the charge on the No. 37 car for the past three seasons,” Geschickter said. “He elevated a young driver in his second year in the series to consistently running in the top 15, and we have high expectations that he will be a great fit with Ryan Preece next year in his sophomore season.”
“I’m really looking forward to working with Trent Owens this upcoming season,” Preece said. “Our teams worked closely together in 2019. It was impressive to see what he’s done with the No. 37 team the last three years. I really want to continue building on that and bringing both cars into the top 15 regularly next year.”
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2:30 pm ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
October 20, 2019
Ryan Preece Finishes 12th at Kansas, Takes Rookie Point Lead After Chaotic Start to the Weekend
A www.tobychristie.com article
We will hear a lot about the incredible efforts by Denny Hamlin grabbing his fifth win of the 2019 season Sunday at Kansas Speedway, and Chase Elliott’s gritty determination to move on to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs. But let’s give a bit of love to JTG Daugherty Racing’s rookie driver Ryan Preece as well.
Preece and his No. 47 team didn’t even get to use their primary car this weekend, as their hauler truck caught fire in Illinois on the way to Kansas Speedway on Thursday.
The team regrouped, and borrowed their teammate Chris Buescher’s backup No. 37 car and used it as their primary car. They also utilized a Hendrick Motorsports test hauler to work out of for the weekend.
On Friday, Preece qualified 28th for Sunday’s race. Initially it felt like a win for a team that had been reeling the day before. Then, Daniel Hemric — Preece’s competition for the rookie of the year crown — took the pole for the race.
It looked like a bad week was going to get even worse.
Preece didn’t show top speed for the majority of the Hollywood Casino 400. In fact, up until 10 laps to go in the race, he looked like a 25th-place car.
As Preece lined up for a late race restart he got back into the game as he took a wave around to get back on the lead lap.
With a few laps remaining, a crash involving Bubba Wallace developed right in front of Preece. Luckily, for the driver of the No. 47, he was able to avoid the carnage.
During this yellow, Preece would pit for fresh tires, as he flat spotted his trying to avoid the crash. This turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for Preece.
He restarted 23rd and when Daniel Suarez, Hemric and Joey Logano went spinning to bring the caution out again, Preece had moved to 16th.
Even luckier for Preece, Hemric’s day was done in the incident.
On the final restart of the day Preece utilized his four fresh tires to knife his way to 12th. This finish marks Preece’s best finish since a seventh-place effort at Michigan in August.
Couple Preece’s 12th place finish, with Hemric’s 31st-place DNF and what you have is a change atop the Rookie of the Year Point Standings.
Preece came into the day 17 points behind Hemric. After an emotional week, he and the JTG Daugherty Racing team leave Kansas with a two point advantage with four races left in the 2019 season.
Ryan Preece Finishes 12th at Kansas, Takes Rookie Point Lead After Chaotic Start to the Weekend
A www.tobychristie.com article
We will hear a lot about the incredible efforts by Denny Hamlin grabbing his fifth win of the 2019 season Sunday at Kansas Speedway, and Chase Elliott’s gritty determination to move on to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs. But let’s give a bit of love to JTG Daugherty Racing’s rookie driver Ryan Preece as well.
Preece and his No. 47 team didn’t even get to use their primary car this weekend, as their hauler truck caught fire in Illinois on the way to Kansas Speedway on Thursday.
The team regrouped, and borrowed their teammate Chris Buescher’s backup No. 37 car and used it as their primary car. They also utilized a Hendrick Motorsports test hauler to work out of for the weekend.
On Friday, Preece qualified 28th for Sunday’s race. Initially it felt like a win for a team that had been reeling the day before. Then, Daniel Hemric — Preece’s competition for the rookie of the year crown — took the pole for the race.
It looked like a bad week was going to get even worse.
Preece didn’t show top speed for the majority of the Hollywood Casino 400. In fact, up until 10 laps to go in the race, he looked like a 25th-place car.
As Preece lined up for a late race restart he got back into the game as he took a wave around to get back on the lead lap.
With a few laps remaining, a crash involving Bubba Wallace developed right in front of Preece. Luckily, for the driver of the No. 47, he was able to avoid the carnage.
During this yellow, Preece would pit for fresh tires, as he flat spotted his trying to avoid the crash. This turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for Preece.
He restarted 23rd and when Daniel Suarez, Hemric and Joey Logano went spinning to bring the caution out again, Preece had moved to 16th.
Even luckier for Preece, Hemric’s day was done in the incident.
On the final restart of the day Preece utilized his four fresh tires to knife his way to 12th. This finish marks Preece’s best finish since a seventh-place effort at Michigan in August.
Couple Preece’s 12th place finish, with Hemric’s 31st-place DNF and what you have is a change atop the Rookie of the Year Point Standings.
Preece came into the day 17 points behind Hemric. After an emotional week, he and the JTG Daugherty Racing team leave Kansas with a two point advantage with four races left in the 2019 season.
August 12, 2019
Ryan Preece leaves Michigan with first Top-10 since Talladega
A www.kickinthetires.net / Sarah Handy article | www.nascar.com photo
Ryan Preece will leave the Irish Hills of Michigan International Speedway with some much-needed momentum after earning his first Top-10 finish since Talladega in the spring.
Preece has had so-so results since that third-place finish twelve races ago.
His best finish prior to Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 is two back-to-back finishes of 21st coming at Kentucky and New Hampshire.
After finishing out the practice’s sessions for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 28th, 15th and 27th, Preece qualified his No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet for JTG-Daugherty Racing to a 29th starting spot on the grid.
Preece would ultimately start the 200-lap event in the 25th position due to some cars having to move to the rear of the field for the start of the race.
Preece would run a clean race in his Chevrolet and after finishing Stage 1 in the 22nd position, he would work his way into the Top-20 running order and be scored in the 17th position at the halfway mark on lap 100.
At the conclusion of Stage 2, the 28-year old was scored in the 14th position behind his teammate Chris Buescher.
Preece would continually work his way to the front of the field, avoiding any on track incidents that brought on six cautions throughout the day.
With one lap to go some of the leaders had to pit for fuel but Preece who was running 11th at the time was good to go to the end.
The Connecticut native would cross the finish in the 7th position for his third Top-10 finish of the season thus far.
“Honestly we just had a good car. We ran with Kyle the entire time there those last 30 or so laps. It was hard to get by people for me, just a little bit too much drag so whenever he’d get by me, I’d just let him go and pull me by the next guy and then we’d race him”, said Preece.
“All in all, it was a good day for Kroger, JTG and everyone on the 47 team. We needed that, we needed that run.”
The series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next Saturday evening for the Bass Pro Shops NHRA Night race with Preece coming off a 25th place finish in the spring race which is his only previous MENCS start at the half-mile oval.
Ryan Preece leaves Michigan with first Top-10 since Talladega
A www.kickinthetires.net / Sarah Handy article | www.nascar.com photo
Ryan Preece will leave the Irish Hills of Michigan International Speedway with some much-needed momentum after earning his first Top-10 finish since Talladega in the spring.
Preece has had so-so results since that third-place finish twelve races ago.
His best finish prior to Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 is two back-to-back finishes of 21st coming at Kentucky and New Hampshire.
After finishing out the practice’s sessions for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 28th, 15th and 27th, Preece qualified his No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet for JTG-Daugherty Racing to a 29th starting spot on the grid.
Preece would ultimately start the 200-lap event in the 25th position due to some cars having to move to the rear of the field for the start of the race.
Preece would run a clean race in his Chevrolet and after finishing Stage 1 in the 22nd position, he would work his way into the Top-20 running order and be scored in the 17th position at the halfway mark on lap 100.
At the conclusion of Stage 2, the 28-year old was scored in the 14th position behind his teammate Chris Buescher.
Preece would continually work his way to the front of the field, avoiding any on track incidents that brought on six cautions throughout the day.
With one lap to go some of the leaders had to pit for fuel but Preece who was running 11th at the time was good to go to the end.
The Connecticut native would cross the finish in the 7th position for his third Top-10 finish of the season thus far.
“Honestly we just had a good car. We ran with Kyle the entire time there those last 30 or so laps. It was hard to get by people for me, just a little bit too much drag so whenever he’d get by me, I’d just let him go and pull me by the next guy and then we’d race him”, said Preece.
“All in all, it was a good day for Kroger, JTG and everyone on the 47 team. We needed that, we needed that run.”
The series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next Saturday evening for the Bass Pro Shops NHRA Night race with Preece coming off a 25th place finish in the spring race which is his only previous MENCS start at the half-mile oval.
June 16, 2019
Barnstormer: Ryan Preece Wins Twisted Tea Open Modified 80 In Surprise Visit To Stafford Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
(Photo: Jim DuPont/RaceDayCT)
STAFFORD – The usual norm when a NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series driver heads to a local short track for competition is for much pomp and celebration of their celebrity status in racing.
Friday at Stafford Speedway Monster Energy Cup Series rookie and Berlin native Ryan Preece came home to Stafford Speedway not looking to be celebrated just for making a visit to his former home track.
All Preece wanted was to be the one celebrating when the night was over.
Mission accomplished for Preece.
Preece snuck into the pits unannounced Friday, but by the end night of all the fans on hand knew he was in the house for the Twisted Team Open Modified 80. Preece made his an unannounced visit to Stafford Speedway on Friday for the Twisted Tea Open Modified 80 one that fans wouldn’t soon forget.
After pitting on lap 48, Preece rallied from 14thplace with a harried rush back to the front and then drove away from the field over the closing laps to win the Twisted Tea Open Modified 80 at Stafford.
“I didn’t tell anybody I was coming here because I … I just wanted to go race,” Preece said.
In the formative years of NASCAR the sport’s biggest stars often showed up unannounced at short tracks across the country looking to steal away paydays from the locals in what become know as barnstorming.
The explosion of NASCAR through the 1980’s and 90’s essentially made barnstorming a thing of the past. Preece wanted to bring those days back on Friday.
“I’m really happy to be here,” Preece said. “I didn’t want to publicize that I was coming tonight. I wanted to do it like they did it back in the day and just show up. With social media and everything these days it’s so hard to do it. I’m happy I did it and we won the race.”
Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. was second and Matt Galko of Meriden third.
“It’s special,” Preece said. “I put a lot of work, a lot of effort into this. … This is my week off. I was down south doing a lot of obligations and trying to get prepared for my next [Monster Energy Cup Series race]. And then I flew up late Wednesday night and worked. All day Thursday, until 11 o’clock, I worked all day [on the car]. I woke up early this morning and worked all morning. And I don’t complain about it because I enjoy it, but I put a lot of effort into this, so when I show up to the race track I want to win.”
Preece went to the lead past Chase Dowling on lap 22 and showed he had the dominant car in the event.
He pitted from the lead to make a tire change on lap 48. He restarted the race in 14thand the show was on with his frantic run back to the front.
By lap 53 he was up to sixth and he went by Keith Rocco for fifth on lap 55. On lap 61 he went under Todd Owen for fourth and three laps later he was up to third moving past Tommy Barrett Jr. On lap 68 Preece went by Ronnie Willams for second place and quickly got to the bumper of leader Matt Galko before caution flow on lap 72. On the ensuing restart Preece made quick work of Galko to go back to the lead. He went unchallenged the rest of the way.
“I had a lot of fun,” Preece said. “I love racing and I love winning.”
Said Goodale: “I’d rather finish second to Preece than anybody.”
Barnstormer: Ryan Preece Wins Twisted Tea Open Modified 80 In Surprise Visit To Stafford Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
(Photo: Jim DuPont/RaceDayCT)
STAFFORD – The usual norm when a NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series driver heads to a local short track for competition is for much pomp and celebration of their celebrity status in racing.
Friday at Stafford Speedway Monster Energy Cup Series rookie and Berlin native Ryan Preece came home to Stafford Speedway not looking to be celebrated just for making a visit to his former home track.
All Preece wanted was to be the one celebrating when the night was over.
Mission accomplished for Preece.
Preece snuck into the pits unannounced Friday, but by the end night of all the fans on hand knew he was in the house for the Twisted Team Open Modified 80. Preece made his an unannounced visit to Stafford Speedway on Friday for the Twisted Tea Open Modified 80 one that fans wouldn’t soon forget.
After pitting on lap 48, Preece rallied from 14thplace with a harried rush back to the front and then drove away from the field over the closing laps to win the Twisted Tea Open Modified 80 at Stafford.
“I didn’t tell anybody I was coming here because I … I just wanted to go race,” Preece said.
In the formative years of NASCAR the sport’s biggest stars often showed up unannounced at short tracks across the country looking to steal away paydays from the locals in what become know as barnstorming.
The explosion of NASCAR through the 1980’s and 90’s essentially made barnstorming a thing of the past. Preece wanted to bring those days back on Friday.
“I’m really happy to be here,” Preece said. “I didn’t want to publicize that I was coming tonight. I wanted to do it like they did it back in the day and just show up. With social media and everything these days it’s so hard to do it. I’m happy I did it and we won the race.”
Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. was second and Matt Galko of Meriden third.
“It’s special,” Preece said. “I put a lot of work, a lot of effort into this. … This is my week off. I was down south doing a lot of obligations and trying to get prepared for my next [Monster Energy Cup Series race]. And then I flew up late Wednesday night and worked. All day Thursday, until 11 o’clock, I worked all day [on the car]. I woke up early this morning and worked all morning. And I don’t complain about it because I enjoy it, but I put a lot of effort into this, so when I show up to the race track I want to win.”
Preece went to the lead past Chase Dowling on lap 22 and showed he had the dominant car in the event.
He pitted from the lead to make a tire change on lap 48. He restarted the race in 14thand the show was on with his frantic run back to the front.
By lap 53 he was up to sixth and he went by Keith Rocco for fifth on lap 55. On lap 61 he went under Todd Owen for fourth and three laps later he was up to third moving past Tommy Barrett Jr. On lap 68 Preece went by Ronnie Willams for second place and quickly got to the bumper of leader Matt Galko before caution flow on lap 72. On the ensuing restart Preece made quick work of Galko to go back to the lead. He went unchallenged the rest of the way.
“I had a lot of fun,” Preece said. “I love racing and I love winning.”
Said Goodale: “I’d rather finish second to Preece than anybody.”
June 6, 2019
Happy Homecoming: Ryan Preece Wins SK Modified Feature In Return To Thompson Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Last October Cathy Moniz thought she had seen Ryan Preece drive his last race at Thompson Speedway for the SK Modified team owned by her and her husband Albert.
Since it was announced last September that Preece would drive the JTG Daughtery No. 47 car in the Monster Energy Cup Series in 2019, the Berlin driver had Wednesday’s event at Thompson Speedway on his calendar for the perfect moonlighting return to Thompson Speedway.
But surely nobody thought Preece could return to Thompson with the Whelen Modified Tour and not want to get back into his old SK Modified which he had so much success in with the Moniz family.
Preece did get back in that SK Modified Wednesday and he gave the Moniz family one more win to celebrate.
Preece passed Max McLaughlin for the lead on lap 27 and went on to win the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at Thompson Wednesday.
McLaughlin held on to finish second and Keith Rocco was third.
Preece began driving for the Moniz family in 2011. Wednesday was his 31stSK Modified victory at Thompson in the Moniz owned No. 31 car. Preece also won SK Modified championships for the Moniz family in 2012 and 2014.
“Big thank you to Albert and Cathy [Moniz] for getting the car ready,” Preece said.
McLaughlin, the son of former Modified standout Mike McLaughlin and a regular on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, was making his first start at Thompson and his first start in an asphalt Modified.
Max McLaughlin rocketed from ninth toward the front and took the lead from Troy Talman on lap 14. Preece followed Max McLaughlin into second and then hounded McLaughlin’s bumper.
Preece methodically made move after move under Max McLaughlin in turns one and two before getting the advantage off of turn two on lap 27. Preece came off of turn four in the side-by-side battle in the front. He cleared Max McLaughlin off of turn two on lap 28.
“We got really loose really early,” Preece said. “I started searching for grip and I found some on the bottom and made it work.”
Said Max McLaughlin: “Just lack of experience on my end probably cost me that race. He’s probably the best in all of Modified racing. He just schooled me a little bit.”
Happy Homecoming: Ryan Preece Wins SK Modified Feature In Return To Thompson Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Last October Cathy Moniz thought she had seen Ryan Preece drive his last race at Thompson Speedway for the SK Modified team owned by her and her husband Albert.
Since it was announced last September that Preece would drive the JTG Daughtery No. 47 car in the Monster Energy Cup Series in 2019, the Berlin driver had Wednesday’s event at Thompson Speedway on his calendar for the perfect moonlighting return to Thompson Speedway.
But surely nobody thought Preece could return to Thompson with the Whelen Modified Tour and not want to get back into his old SK Modified which he had so much success in with the Moniz family.
Preece did get back in that SK Modified Wednesday and he gave the Moniz family one more win to celebrate.
Preece passed Max McLaughlin for the lead on lap 27 and went on to win the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at Thompson Wednesday.
McLaughlin held on to finish second and Keith Rocco was third.
Preece began driving for the Moniz family in 2011. Wednesday was his 31stSK Modified victory at Thompson in the Moniz owned No. 31 car. Preece also won SK Modified championships for the Moniz family in 2012 and 2014.
“Big thank you to Albert and Cathy [Moniz] for getting the car ready,” Preece said.
McLaughlin, the son of former Modified standout Mike McLaughlin and a regular on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, was making his first start at Thompson and his first start in an asphalt Modified.
Max McLaughlin rocketed from ninth toward the front and took the lead from Troy Talman on lap 14. Preece followed Max McLaughlin into second and then hounded McLaughlin’s bumper.
Preece methodically made move after move under Max McLaughlin in turns one and two before getting the advantage off of turn two on lap 27. Preece came off of turn four in the side-by-side battle in the front. He cleared Max McLaughlin off of turn two on lap 28.
“We got really loose really early,” Preece said. “I started searching for grip and I found some on the bottom and made it work.”
Said Max McLaughlin: “Just lack of experience on my end probably cost me that race. He’s probably the best in all of Modified racing. He just schooled me a little bit.”
April 29, 2019
Super Run: Third Place At Talladega Gives Ryan Preece First Monster Energy Cup Podium Finish
A Shawn Courchesne - www.racedayct.com article
Visits to super speedways have proved to be super days this year for NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series rookie Ryan Preece.
The former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and regular at Stafford Speedway, Thompson Speedway and Riverhead Raceway, scored an eighth place finish in his first Monster Energy Cup Series superspeedway start to kick off his career with JTG Daugherty Motorsports in February at the Daytona 500.
Sunday, in his second superspeedway visit of the season and first Monster Energy Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway, Preece scored his first series podium finish.
Preece, of Berlin, took the checkered in third place in the Geico 500 Saturday at Talladega.
It was a 1-2-3 finish for Chevy drivers with Chase Elliott winning the event and Alex Bowman finishing second.
“It was awesome,” Preece said. “I was only here one other time and that was with the XFINITY [Series] car in 2016 and I was running third with three [laps] to go and I went for the sucker hole and got flushed. So I wasn’t going to do that today. Ultimately it was a perfect situation for Chevy there on that [final] restart, being able to line up and push each other and really not give any of the other manufacturers an opportunity to get by us. Great day for Kroger and great day for JTG [Daugherty] and hopefully we can use this momentum moving forward.”
Before Sunday Preece’s best Monster Energy Cup Series finish in 15 career starts was his eighth place at Daytona earlier this season.
One the final restart of the day, Preece lined up behind Elliott and Bowman and they rode their line to the front of the pack. The race ended under caution after a wreck on the backstretch after Elliott had taken the white flag.
“It was a really crazy day, well‑executed day on the Chevrolet teams’ behalf,” Chase Elliott said. “Proud of that effort.”
Preece talked after the race about importance of Chevy teams working together at the end.
“You have your practice and qualifying and you really don’t know what you’re going to have until the race,” Preece said. “We started out the race and we were really really loose and the plan was to just ride around until about 50 to go. … We got ourselves in position to have a good day. Then that last restart, honestly, we were in as good of a position as you could be.
“There was a meeting earlier in the day [Saturday] with Chevy about working with other Chevy’s. That last restart really couldn’t have worked out any better for everybody with Chevy because we were all committed to pushing one another. I’m just happy that was the case and I wasn’t the odd man out there. … It felt good those last three or four laps knowing that I was going to get moved out of the way or shuffled. And ultimately we were able to keep everybody in line and it was a great day.
Super Run: Third Place At Talladega Gives Ryan Preece First Monster Energy Cup Podium Finish
A Shawn Courchesne - www.racedayct.com article
Visits to super speedways have proved to be super days this year for NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series rookie Ryan Preece.
The former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and regular at Stafford Speedway, Thompson Speedway and Riverhead Raceway, scored an eighth place finish in his first Monster Energy Cup Series superspeedway start to kick off his career with JTG Daugherty Motorsports in February at the Daytona 500.
Sunday, in his second superspeedway visit of the season and first Monster Energy Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway, Preece scored his first series podium finish.
Preece, of Berlin, took the checkered in third place in the Geico 500 Saturday at Talladega.
It was a 1-2-3 finish for Chevy drivers with Chase Elliott winning the event and Alex Bowman finishing second.
“It was awesome,” Preece said. “I was only here one other time and that was with the XFINITY [Series] car in 2016 and I was running third with three [laps] to go and I went for the sucker hole and got flushed. So I wasn’t going to do that today. Ultimately it was a perfect situation for Chevy there on that [final] restart, being able to line up and push each other and really not give any of the other manufacturers an opportunity to get by us. Great day for Kroger and great day for JTG [Daugherty] and hopefully we can use this momentum moving forward.”
Before Sunday Preece’s best Monster Energy Cup Series finish in 15 career starts was his eighth place at Daytona earlier this season.
One the final restart of the day, Preece lined up behind Elliott and Bowman and they rode their line to the front of the pack. The race ended under caution after a wreck on the backstretch after Elliott had taken the white flag.
“It was a really crazy day, well‑executed day on the Chevrolet teams’ behalf,” Chase Elliott said. “Proud of that effort.”
Preece talked after the race about importance of Chevy teams working together at the end.
“You have your practice and qualifying and you really don’t know what you’re going to have until the race,” Preece said. “We started out the race and we were really really loose and the plan was to just ride around until about 50 to go. … We got ourselves in position to have a good day. Then that last restart, honestly, we were in as good of a position as you could be.
“There was a meeting earlier in the day [Saturday] with Chevy about working with other Chevy’s. That last restart really couldn’t have worked out any better for everybody with Chevy because we were all committed to pushing one another. I’m just happy that was the case and I wasn’t the odd man out there. … It felt good those last three or four laps knowing that I was going to get moved out of the way or shuffled. And ultimately we were able to keep everybody in line and it was a great day.
March 25, 2019
Keselowski cruises to dominant Martinsville win
Ryan Preece finishes as Top Rookie with 16th place finish
www.nascar.com article w/ RPR Headline Addition
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Brad Keselowski led 446 of 500 laps in winning Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
An easy victory, right?
Well, not exactly. After Keselowski’s pit crew put him in the lead for a restart on Lap 380, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford spent the rest of the race fending off a determined charge from Chase Elliott.
Ultimately, Keselowski got to the finish line .594 seconds ahead of Elliott and 1.335 seconds in front of Kyle Busch, who was attempting to win his third straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in his 1,000th national series start. But it wasn’t easy, as both Elliott and Busch were close enough to capitalize on even the smallest potential mistake.
The victory was Keselowski’s second of the season, second at Martinsville and the 29th of his career. It was also Team Penske’s third triumph of the season in six races, equaling the total of Joe Gibbs Racing and the third Cup win for the Ford Mustang, which debuted in the series this year.
“The car was really good,” Keselowski said. “This Ford Mustang. … Ford worked really hard in the offseason to build these cars and make them real strong, and so far, so good. Just a great day for our team.
“Awesome execution on pit road, and big credit to (engine builder) Doug Yates and all the engine stuff. Those guys worked really hard. But just one of those days you dream of as a race car driver where you’ve got a great car.”
Before Keselowski could claim the grandfather clock trophy that goes to the winner, he had to go to school. Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was a superior short-run car, enabling Elliott to pass Keselowski for the lead on Lap 325, five laps after a restart necessitated by a caution for William Byron’s spin in Turn 4.
Keselowski followed Elliott for 48 green-flag laps — until Matt Tifft spun in Turn 2 on Lap 372 — and learned a valuable lesson.
“I don’t know if we were as good as the 9 car, Chase Elliott,” Keselowski said. “He was really strong, but he passed me there with about 200 to go, and I watched him and studied him and kind of broke it down and knew what I had to do to hold him off with that fast of a car.
“And we were able to pull it off that last run.”
Busch was hounding Elliott as fiercely as Elliott was dogging Keselowski, but when Busch was held up in traffic in the late going, Elliott began experimenting with a higher line in the corners.
“I felt like we were about as even with him as we could be,” Elliott said. “I felt like when he did get the lead, there was a little advantage to being out front, being able to work traffic your way and kind of play off it and whatnot.
“But, yeah, I tried to move up there at the end, and I don’t know if I could have got to him. Maybe if I moved up a little sooner. But I tried to get to him there in (Turn) 3 (on the final lap). I was pretty well content on moving him out of the way. But maybe next time.”
Ryan Blaney finished fourth, followed by Denny Hamlin, who recovered from a penalty for an uncontrolled tire. Kevin Harvick was sixth, Clint Bowyer came home seventh, despite being sent to the rear twice for speeding on pit road. Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola and Daniel Suarez completed the top 10.
Martinsville Results
Lap length: 0.526 miles (Starting position in parentheses)
1. (3) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 500.
2. (7) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 500.
3. (13) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 500
4. (17) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 500.
5. (5) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 500.
6. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 500.
7. (10) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 500.
8. (8) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 500.
9. (2) Aric Almirola, Ford, 500.
10. (9) Daniel Suarez, Ford, 500.
11. (29) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 500.
12. (19) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 500.
13. (22) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 500.
14. (16) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 500.
15. (14) Paul Menard, Ford, 500.
16. (15) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 500.
17. (26) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet, 500.
18. (6) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 500.
19. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, 500.
20. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota, 500.
21. (12) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 499.
22. (34) William Byron, Chevrolet, 499.
23. (20) Ryan Newman, Ford, 499.
24. (11) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 498.
25. (24) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 498.
26. (25) David Ragan, Ford, 496.
27. (28) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 496.
28. (27) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 494.
29. (31) Matt Tifft, Ford, 494.
30. (18) Erik Jones, Toyota, 491.
31. (23) Michael McDowell, Ford, 491.
32. (35) DJ Kennington, Chevrolet, 489.
33. (32) Corey LaJoie, Ford, 489.
34. (30) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, Engine, 365.
35. (36) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, Brakes, 163.
36. (33) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, Brakes, 55.
RACE STATISTICS
Average Speed of Race Winner: 78.158 mph.
Time of Race: 3 hours, 21 minutes, 54 seconds.
Margin of Victory: .594 seconds.
Caution Flags: 7 for 56 laps.
Lead Changes: 4 among 3 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Logano 1-5; B. Keselowski 6-324; C. Elliott 325-373; B. Keselowski 374-500.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brad Keselowski 2 times for 446 laps; Chase Elliott 1 time for 49 laps; Joey Logano 1 time for 5 laps.
Keselowski cruises to dominant Martinsville win
Ryan Preece finishes as Top Rookie with 16th place finish
www.nascar.com article w/ RPR Headline Addition
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Brad Keselowski led 446 of 500 laps in winning Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
An easy victory, right?
Well, not exactly. After Keselowski’s pit crew put him in the lead for a restart on Lap 380, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford spent the rest of the race fending off a determined charge from Chase Elliott.
Ultimately, Keselowski got to the finish line .594 seconds ahead of Elliott and 1.335 seconds in front of Kyle Busch, who was attempting to win his third straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in his 1,000th national series start. But it wasn’t easy, as both Elliott and Busch were close enough to capitalize on even the smallest potential mistake.
The victory was Keselowski’s second of the season, second at Martinsville and the 29th of his career. It was also Team Penske’s third triumph of the season in six races, equaling the total of Joe Gibbs Racing and the third Cup win for the Ford Mustang, which debuted in the series this year.
“The car was really good,” Keselowski said. “This Ford Mustang. … Ford worked really hard in the offseason to build these cars and make them real strong, and so far, so good. Just a great day for our team.
“Awesome execution on pit road, and big credit to (engine builder) Doug Yates and all the engine stuff. Those guys worked really hard. But just one of those days you dream of as a race car driver where you’ve got a great car.”
Before Keselowski could claim the grandfather clock trophy that goes to the winner, he had to go to school. Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was a superior short-run car, enabling Elliott to pass Keselowski for the lead on Lap 325, five laps after a restart necessitated by a caution for William Byron’s spin in Turn 4.
Keselowski followed Elliott for 48 green-flag laps — until Matt Tifft spun in Turn 2 on Lap 372 — and learned a valuable lesson.
“I don’t know if we were as good as the 9 car, Chase Elliott,” Keselowski said. “He was really strong, but he passed me there with about 200 to go, and I watched him and studied him and kind of broke it down and knew what I had to do to hold him off with that fast of a car.
“And we were able to pull it off that last run.”
Busch was hounding Elliott as fiercely as Elliott was dogging Keselowski, but when Busch was held up in traffic in the late going, Elliott began experimenting with a higher line in the corners.
“I felt like we were about as even with him as we could be,” Elliott said. “I felt like when he did get the lead, there was a little advantage to being out front, being able to work traffic your way and kind of play off it and whatnot.
“But, yeah, I tried to move up there at the end, and I don’t know if I could have got to him. Maybe if I moved up a little sooner. But I tried to get to him there in (Turn) 3 (on the final lap). I was pretty well content on moving him out of the way. But maybe next time.”
Ryan Blaney finished fourth, followed by Denny Hamlin, who recovered from a penalty for an uncontrolled tire. Kevin Harvick was sixth, Clint Bowyer came home seventh, despite being sent to the rear twice for speeding on pit road. Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola and Daniel Suarez completed the top 10.
Martinsville Results
Lap length: 0.526 miles (Starting position in parentheses)
1. (3) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 500.
2. (7) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 500.
3. (13) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 500
4. (17) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 500.
5. (5) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 500.
6. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 500.
7. (10) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 500.
8. (8) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 500.
9. (2) Aric Almirola, Ford, 500.
10. (9) Daniel Suarez, Ford, 500.
11. (29) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 500.
12. (19) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 500.
13. (22) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 500.
14. (16) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 500.
15. (14) Paul Menard, Ford, 500.
16. (15) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 500.
17. (26) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet, 500.
18. (6) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 500.
19. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, 500.
20. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota, 500.
21. (12) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 499.
22. (34) William Byron, Chevrolet, 499.
23. (20) Ryan Newman, Ford, 499.
24. (11) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 498.
25. (24) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 498.
26. (25) David Ragan, Ford, 496.
27. (28) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 496.
28. (27) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 494.
29. (31) Matt Tifft, Ford, 494.
30. (18) Erik Jones, Toyota, 491.
31. (23) Michael McDowell, Ford, 491.
32. (35) DJ Kennington, Chevrolet, 489.
33. (32) Corey LaJoie, Ford, 489.
34. (30) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, Engine, 365.
35. (36) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, Brakes, 163.
36. (33) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, Brakes, 55.
RACE STATISTICS
Average Speed of Race Winner: 78.158 mph.
Time of Race: 3 hours, 21 minutes, 54 seconds.
Margin of Victory: .594 seconds.
Caution Flags: 7 for 56 laps.
Lead Changes: 4 among 3 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Logano 1-5; B. Keselowski 6-324; C. Elliott 325-373; B. Keselowski 374-500.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brad Keselowski 2 times for 446 laps; Chase Elliott 1 time for 49 laps; Joey Logano 1 time for 5 laps.
February 25, 2019
Positive Day, But Mixed Results For JTG Daugherty
By Jacob Seelman | www.speedsport.com | Photo by HHP/Harold Hinson
HAMPTON, Ga. – Despite a pit-road incident that left JTG Daugherty Racing with mixed fortunes in the final results, the team still enjoyed a successful afternoon on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Both Chris Buescher and rookie Ryan Preece ran among the top 10 for much of the afternoon, with Buescher collecting a ninth-place finish for his best result of the season and at the 1.54-mile quad-oval.
Preece was on-track to join Buescher in the top 10, but was involved in a collision with B.J. McLeod as he was leaving pit road after his final stop that damaged the front of his car and ended his day.
Despite Preece’s misfortune, Buescher was quick to point out the silver lining in the clouds for the team as a whole – they had plenty of speed throughout the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
“That was a really good day for us,” said Buescher. “We thought we were (both) better in practice than where we qualified – Friday went really bad – so to bounce back like we did and keep making huge steps as a team like we did is awesome. I’m proud of this group for that. We were able to take our Scott Comfort Plus Camaro and really roll up through the field, and the biggest thing was that we got better every time we came down pit road.
“This is just a good step for us and a good recovery from what happened to us at Daytona, so we’re heading in the right direction going out to the West Coast.”
Preece was challenging for a top-10 running position when he ducked down pit road for the final time and looked down briefly at his tachometer on the dashboard as he was exiting his pit stall.
By the time the former NASCAR modified champion looked up again, McLeod’s car was right in his path.
“I was just trying to make sure I wasn’t speeding, and when I looked up, he (B.J. McLeod) was coming in the pits,” Preece explained. “It’s a mistake on my part, what are you going to do? It’s just unfortunate for us because we were having a really good run. We are going to have some good cars this year, and if we can keep that, we’ll be really good at Vegas.
“I’m just really proud of everybody with JTG and Kroger and I’m looking forward to next week.”
That sense of optimism was shared by the entire team after the race, with Buescher quick to note that a run like JTG had in Atlanta will serve them well, momentum-wise, heading into the West Coast Swing.
“Atlanta has helped get us out of that hole … or started to dig us out of that hole we got in with being trapped in the Big One at Daytona,” Buescher said. “It just puts everyone in a good mood all around, especially with Ryan (Preece) running well like he was, too. I’m not exactly sure what happened there, but I know it was something a little bit out of his control.
“I think this is a sign of good things to come. We’ve got some more work to do, but heck of a start.”
While Atlanta’s data may not carry over directly to the coming weekend’s full rollout of the new aerodynamic package at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Buescher said there was still a lot to be learned.
“Yeah, we learned a ton (that will carry through),” said Buescher. Maybe not so much (to) Vegas, because it’s a smoother, higher grip race track … but you look at Fontana’s surface and it’s very similar to this and it’s a bigger track. There’s something to be said about the bumps and what we did to combat that, versus what we were doing about clean air.
“It was definitely something we will apply towards Fontana, and maybe a little bit towards Vegas.”
All in all, if Sunday’s race is any indication, the best is yet to come for JTG Daugherty Racing.
“We feel like we’re going to be better this year,” Buescher stated. “The test out in Vegas with Ryan went really well and we were happy with our speed there. Even here, we were dialed in at the end when we needed to be.
“We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re getting there. We’re moving forward.”
https://speedsport.com/nascar/monster-nascar-cup/positive-day-mixed-fortunes-jtg/
Positive Day, But Mixed Results For JTG Daugherty
By Jacob Seelman | www.speedsport.com | Photo by HHP/Harold Hinson
HAMPTON, Ga. – Despite a pit-road incident that left JTG Daugherty Racing with mixed fortunes in the final results, the team still enjoyed a successful afternoon on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Both Chris Buescher and rookie Ryan Preece ran among the top 10 for much of the afternoon, with Buescher collecting a ninth-place finish for his best result of the season and at the 1.54-mile quad-oval.
Preece was on-track to join Buescher in the top 10, but was involved in a collision with B.J. McLeod as he was leaving pit road after his final stop that damaged the front of his car and ended his day.
Despite Preece’s misfortune, Buescher was quick to point out the silver lining in the clouds for the team as a whole – they had plenty of speed throughout the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
“That was a really good day for us,” said Buescher. “We thought we were (both) better in practice than where we qualified – Friday went really bad – so to bounce back like we did and keep making huge steps as a team like we did is awesome. I’m proud of this group for that. We were able to take our Scott Comfort Plus Camaro and really roll up through the field, and the biggest thing was that we got better every time we came down pit road.
“This is just a good step for us and a good recovery from what happened to us at Daytona, so we’re heading in the right direction going out to the West Coast.”
Preece was challenging for a top-10 running position when he ducked down pit road for the final time and looked down briefly at his tachometer on the dashboard as he was exiting his pit stall.
By the time the former NASCAR modified champion looked up again, McLeod’s car was right in his path.
“I was just trying to make sure I wasn’t speeding, and when I looked up, he (B.J. McLeod) was coming in the pits,” Preece explained. “It’s a mistake on my part, what are you going to do? It’s just unfortunate for us because we were having a really good run. We are going to have some good cars this year, and if we can keep that, we’ll be really good at Vegas.
“I’m just really proud of everybody with JTG and Kroger and I’m looking forward to next week.”
That sense of optimism was shared by the entire team after the race, with Buescher quick to note that a run like JTG had in Atlanta will serve them well, momentum-wise, heading into the West Coast Swing.
“Atlanta has helped get us out of that hole … or started to dig us out of that hole we got in with being trapped in the Big One at Daytona,” Buescher said. “It just puts everyone in a good mood all around, especially with Ryan (Preece) running well like he was, too. I’m not exactly sure what happened there, but I know it was something a little bit out of his control.
“I think this is a sign of good things to come. We’ve got some more work to do, but heck of a start.”
While Atlanta’s data may not carry over directly to the coming weekend’s full rollout of the new aerodynamic package at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Buescher said there was still a lot to be learned.
“Yeah, we learned a ton (that will carry through),” said Buescher. Maybe not so much (to) Vegas, because it’s a smoother, higher grip race track … but you look at Fontana’s surface and it’s very similar to this and it’s a bigger track. There’s something to be said about the bumps and what we did to combat that, versus what we were doing about clean air.
“It was definitely something we will apply towards Fontana, and maybe a little bit towards Vegas.”
All in all, if Sunday’s race is any indication, the best is yet to come for JTG Daugherty Racing.
“We feel like we’re going to be better this year,” Buescher stated. “The test out in Vegas with Ryan went really well and we were happy with our speed there. Even here, we were dialed in at the end when we needed to be.
“We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re getting there. We’re moving forward.”
https://speedsport.com/nascar/monster-nascar-cup/positive-day-mixed-fortunes-jtg/
February 18, 2019
A short-track star from Connecticut finished eighth in the Daytona 500
Ryan Preece's first race as a NASCAR Cup full-timer was a successful one.
By Jon Couture | www.boston.com
Seven of the 12 caution flags in Sunday’s 61st Daytona 500 happened in the final 50 laps of the race. Four were in the last 20 laps, including a 21-car crash on Lap 192 (of a scheduled 205) and a nine-car incident on Lap 200 that ultimately forced the race into NASCAR’s two-lap version of overtime.
It was a jumbled version of “The Great American Race” at Daytona International Speedway, one in which three of the rookies in the 40-car field finished among the bottom seven spots. The fourth, Ryan Preece, finished eighth, dodging all the damage in those chaotic final laps to land a top-10 in his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race as a full-time driver.
Not bad for a New England kid who grew up racing far from the sport’s southern hotbeds.
“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good too,” the Connecticut-born Preece told reporters. “I just wanted to finish, to be honest with you, going into this race because I hadn’t finished at Daytona yet. It’s a good day.”
Denny Hamlin delivered with a storybook tribute for Joe Gibbs Racing by winning his second career 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Hamlin led JGR in a 1-2-3 sweep of the podium in overtime with Kyle Busch and Erik Jones. The race and the season have been dedicated to J.D. Gibbs, Joe Gibbs’ eldest son who died last month after battling a degenerative neurological disease.
J.D. Gibbs helped his father start the race team, ran it while Joe Gibbs was coaching the Washington Redskins, was a tire changer on the team’s first Daytona 500 victory and the one who discovered Hamlin during a test session at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Hamlin was hired to drive the No. 11 — the number J.D. Gibbs used when he played football — and J.D. Gibbs’ name is on the Toyota.
Preece’s story can’t match that, but the 28-year-old has connections with Gibbs as well, racing part-time for him in the second-tier Xfinity Series and winning twice the last two seasons before earning a full-time NASCAR Cup ride for this season in September. Getting there, however, was built on smaller successes: More than 150 starts on the northeast-based Whelen Modified Tour across the last 12 years.
Though that regularly meant rides at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Preece’s 22 Whelen victories — including the four that helped him win the 2013 season championship — are all on short tracks. He’s been a regular at the likes of tiny Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, and Waterford Speedbowl in Connecticut; Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire; and Riverhead Raceway on Long Island. (To say nothing of his teenage years in the Northeastern Midgets Association.)
A New Englander making it to NASCAR’s highest levels is hardly unique: The reigning NASCAR Cup champion is Joey Logano, who’s from Middletown, Conn., and who raced on some of those short-tracks with Preece growing up.
Logano, however, moved to Georgia as a 10-year-old and was a phenomenon as a teenager, reaching the Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series by 18 in 2008. Preece needed the Whelan success to crack the upper echelons. He made five NASCAR Cup starts in 2015 to little fanfare, earned a lone top-10 running the Xfinity series full-time in 2016, then got a major step-up in equipment running with Gibbs in 2017-18 and won twice, the latter — last April in Bristol, Tenn. — jumpstarting his road to this year’s opportunity.
It all led him to Sunday, when three narrow escapes in those late laps found him third in NASCAR’s biggest race with the white flag waving.
“So frustrating, watching it,” he recounted to reporters afterward with a smile. “We were in third place on the white flag lap, and we got flushed.
“When I get in my truck and drive home, I’m going to be happy, but I’m going to sit here and watch this finish and say I could have had fifth, I could have had third. But at the end of the day, it’s still a great day.”
And perhaps the start of something greater.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
https://www.boston.com/sports/cars/2019/02/18/ryan-preece-short-track-star-connecticut-daytona-500
A short-track star from Connecticut finished eighth in the Daytona 500
Ryan Preece's first race as a NASCAR Cup full-timer was a successful one.
By Jon Couture | www.boston.com
Seven of the 12 caution flags in Sunday’s 61st Daytona 500 happened in the final 50 laps of the race. Four were in the last 20 laps, including a 21-car crash on Lap 192 (of a scheduled 205) and a nine-car incident on Lap 200 that ultimately forced the race into NASCAR’s two-lap version of overtime.
It was a jumbled version of “The Great American Race” at Daytona International Speedway, one in which three of the rookies in the 40-car field finished among the bottom seven spots. The fourth, Ryan Preece, finished eighth, dodging all the damage in those chaotic final laps to land a top-10 in his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race as a full-time driver.
Not bad for a New England kid who grew up racing far from the sport’s southern hotbeds.
“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good too,” the Connecticut-born Preece told reporters. “I just wanted to finish, to be honest with you, going into this race because I hadn’t finished at Daytona yet. It’s a good day.”
Denny Hamlin delivered with a storybook tribute for Joe Gibbs Racing by winning his second career 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Hamlin led JGR in a 1-2-3 sweep of the podium in overtime with Kyle Busch and Erik Jones. The race and the season have been dedicated to J.D. Gibbs, Joe Gibbs’ eldest son who died last month after battling a degenerative neurological disease.
J.D. Gibbs helped his father start the race team, ran it while Joe Gibbs was coaching the Washington Redskins, was a tire changer on the team’s first Daytona 500 victory and the one who discovered Hamlin during a test session at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Hamlin was hired to drive the No. 11 — the number J.D. Gibbs used when he played football — and J.D. Gibbs’ name is on the Toyota.
Preece’s story can’t match that, but the 28-year-old has connections with Gibbs as well, racing part-time for him in the second-tier Xfinity Series and winning twice the last two seasons before earning a full-time NASCAR Cup ride for this season in September. Getting there, however, was built on smaller successes: More than 150 starts on the northeast-based Whelen Modified Tour across the last 12 years.
Though that regularly meant rides at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Preece’s 22 Whelen victories — including the four that helped him win the 2013 season championship — are all on short tracks. He’s been a regular at the likes of tiny Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, and Waterford Speedbowl in Connecticut; Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire; and Riverhead Raceway on Long Island. (To say nothing of his teenage years in the Northeastern Midgets Association.)
A New Englander making it to NASCAR’s highest levels is hardly unique: The reigning NASCAR Cup champion is Joey Logano, who’s from Middletown, Conn., and who raced on some of those short-tracks with Preece growing up.
Logano, however, moved to Georgia as a 10-year-old and was a phenomenon as a teenager, reaching the Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series by 18 in 2008. Preece needed the Whelan success to crack the upper echelons. He made five NASCAR Cup starts in 2015 to little fanfare, earned a lone top-10 running the Xfinity series full-time in 2016, then got a major step-up in equipment running with Gibbs in 2017-18 and won twice, the latter — last April in Bristol, Tenn. — jumpstarting his road to this year’s opportunity.
It all led him to Sunday, when three narrow escapes in those late laps found him third in NASCAR’s biggest race with the white flag waving.
“So frustrating, watching it,” he recounted to reporters afterward with a smile. “We were in third place on the white flag lap, and we got flushed.
“When I get in my truck and drive home, I’m going to be happy, but I’m going to sit here and watch this finish and say I could have had fifth, I could have had third. But at the end of the day, it’s still a great day.”
And perhaps the start of something greater.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
https://www.boston.com/sports/cars/2019/02/18/ryan-preece-short-track-star-connecticut-daytona-500
February 18, 2019
@nascarcasm: Appreciating the wizardry of Ryan Preece’s Daytona 500 maneuver
By @nascarcasm and Steve Luvender
Ryan Preece was somehow, some way able to speed through a massive wreck in the closing laps of the Daytona 500. Not only was his move amazing and wizard-like, but it was also the perfect analogy for some of life's little moments. Click through and see what we mean https://www.nascar.com/gallery/nascarcasm-appreciating-the-wizardry-of-ryan-preeces-daytona-500-maneuver/#/0
@nascarcasm: Appreciating the wizardry of Ryan Preece’s Daytona 500 maneuver
By @nascarcasm and Steve Luvender
Ryan Preece was somehow, some way able to speed through a massive wreck in the closing laps of the Daytona 500. Not only was his move amazing and wizard-like, but it was also the perfect analogy for some of life's little moments. Click through and see what we mean https://www.nascar.com/gallery/nascarcasm-appreciating-the-wizardry-of-ryan-preeces-daytona-500-maneuver/#/0
FEBRUARY 17, 2019
RYAN PREECE AVOIDS TWO 'BIG ONES' IN DAYTONA 500 UPSET BID
The Modified ace turned Cup Series rookie will race full time in the No. 47
A Matt Weaver | www.autoweek.com article | PHOTO BY HHP FOR CHEVROLET
Ryan Preece battled a variety of factors in his bid to upset the traditional powers of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the closing stages of his first Daytona 500.
Making his debut in the JTG-Daugherty Racing No. 47, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion narrowly avoided two multi-car crashes and was running fifth at the time of the final restart. He had a shot to pull off the upset but believes his inexperience and manufacturer affiliation worked against him.
"Sitting here watching this, I’m probably going to get frustrated with myself because there’s a couple things I could have done different to help my chances," Preece said as he watched the replay. "I was so committed to pushing Joey (Logano), I focused more on him than I did some of the runs I probably should have focused on.
While he was pushing Logano, Erik Jones got a run behind him, and Preece's attempts to block the No. 20 cost them both momentum. Once Jones got by, Preece was left without any other Chevrolets inside the top 10, and he faded to eighth.
Preece wore a disappointed smile as he watched a second replay.
"It’s just so frustrating watching it," Preece said. "I'm not a fan of blocking, but that's what this comes down to. I need to do a better job of blocking runs. I stopped us from getting a top-three or top-four when I didn't do a good enough job of blocking Erik on the backstretch."
And even if Preece didn't win the show, he put on a show as he just barely avoided getting caught up in the last two big crashes.
He said he didn't close his eyes as he gunned down the throttle and threaded the needle through the 20-car pileup.
"No, I didn't close my eyes," Preece said. "For all the people that I raced throughout my career. I don't like wrecking equipment. I try extra hard to not tear up equipment or cost my guys time in the shop. If you wreck, you can't win. That mentality paid dividends over my career."
And at least through one race in his debut full-time NASCAR Cup Series career, it provided him a top-10 in the Great American Race and 12th in the championship standings through one race.
Read more: https://autoweek.com/article/nascar/ryan-preece-avoids-two-big-ones-daytona-500-upset-bid#ixzz5gN6TfUz
RYAN PREECE AVOIDS TWO 'BIG ONES' IN DAYTONA 500 UPSET BID
The Modified ace turned Cup Series rookie will race full time in the No. 47
A Matt Weaver | www.autoweek.com article | PHOTO BY HHP FOR CHEVROLET
Ryan Preece battled a variety of factors in his bid to upset the traditional powers of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the closing stages of his first Daytona 500.
Making his debut in the JTG-Daugherty Racing No. 47, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion narrowly avoided two multi-car crashes and was running fifth at the time of the final restart. He had a shot to pull off the upset but believes his inexperience and manufacturer affiliation worked against him.
"Sitting here watching this, I’m probably going to get frustrated with myself because there’s a couple things I could have done different to help my chances," Preece said as he watched the replay. "I was so committed to pushing Joey (Logano), I focused more on him than I did some of the runs I probably should have focused on.
While he was pushing Logano, Erik Jones got a run behind him, and Preece's attempts to block the No. 20 cost them both momentum. Once Jones got by, Preece was left without any other Chevrolets inside the top 10, and he faded to eighth.
Preece wore a disappointed smile as he watched a second replay.
"It’s just so frustrating watching it," Preece said. "I'm not a fan of blocking, but that's what this comes down to. I need to do a better job of blocking runs. I stopped us from getting a top-three or top-four when I didn't do a good enough job of blocking Erik on the backstretch."
And even if Preece didn't win the show, he put on a show as he just barely avoided getting caught up in the last two big crashes.
He said he didn't close his eyes as he gunned down the throttle and threaded the needle through the 20-car pileup.
"No, I didn't close my eyes," Preece said. "For all the people that I raced throughout my career. I don't like wrecking equipment. I try extra hard to not tear up equipment or cost my guys time in the shop. If you wreck, you can't win. That mentality paid dividends over my career."
And at least through one race in his debut full-time NASCAR Cup Series career, it provided him a top-10 in the Great American Race and 12th in the championship standings through one race.
Read more: https://autoweek.com/article/nascar/ryan-preece-avoids-two-big-ones-daytona-500-upset-bid#ixzz5gN6TfUz
February 17, 2019
Strong rookie showing still leaves Ryan Preece frustrated after last lap
Nate Ryan - NBC Sports
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As he stood amidst a throng of reporters, Ryan Preece kept staring at a large video board replaying the white-flag lap of his first Daytona 500.
It was a sterling showing for the JTG Daugherty Racing rookie, who finished eighth in his Great American Race debut.
But as he watched the replay unfold, Preece kept sounding more as if he was trying to talk himself into believing it.
“Sitting here watching this, I’m probably going to get frustrated with myself because there’s a couple of things I could have done different to help my chances,” Preece said. “I was so committed to pushing Joey (Logano) that I focused more on him than I did on some of the runs I probably should have focused on. All in all it’s a good day. It’s an eighth-place finish … ”
His voice trailed off as the reality of losing five spots in the final 2.5 miles seemed to take root
“And that is so frustrating watching it,” Preece said with a smile. “We were in third place on the white flag lap, and we got flushed.”
Sure, but it still was another fine chapter in one of NASCAR’s greatest current underdog stories.
Preece is the Modified champion from Berlin, Connecticut, who bet on himself by arranging funding for some Xfinity rides with Joe Gibbs Racing and won to help land his new No. 47 ride.
There were no guarantees he would even have this ride a year ago, much less have a chance entering the final lap to win the season’s biggest race in his first try.
But that’s not how Preece, 28, looked at it, nor how he would be processing the finish during the long drive back to North Carolina.
“A lot of you guys might not know me, but I’m from a racing background,” he said. “Typically I’m competitive. I’m going to nitpick myself right now, but when I get in my truck and drive home, I’m going to be happy, but I’m going to sit here and watch this finish and say I could have had fifth, I could have had third.
“But at the end of the day, it’s still a great day.”
There were some hairy moments for Preece, who started 21st. He sustained only minor damage in the 21-car pileup on Lap 191 by shooting the gap through the middle. He narrowly missed two more pileups in the next 10 laps.
“Yeah, it was something, I guess,” he said. “I don’t know. We did what we needed to do, and that was finish this race. We got a little tore up car, not as bad as some.”
While some other veterans made some major mistakes, Preece kept it clean and earned the respect of Logano, who finished fourth.
“I had a great push by the 47 of Ryan Preece, and I thought that was cool,” the defending series champion said. “We grew up racing quarter-midgets against each other in Connecticut, and it just shows that dreams can really come true. I’m proud to be racing with him in the Daytona 500. I think that’s super-cool.”
Joey Logano ✔
@joeylogano
Was a cool moment racing up front with @RyanPreece_ there towards the end tonight. From quarter-midgets in Connecticut to the #Daytona500 it shows dreams can come true.
Though he was pleased to hear the compliment from his friend, Preece still couldn’t help thinking about – and watching — that last lap.
“I’m really just disappointed in myself right there with not being more aggressive with blocking,” he said. “How can you be upset with a top 10 in my first Daytona 500? Really happy.
“So what I take away from this type of stuff is learning when to be aggressive, learning not to be aggressive. And just hopefully making some friends in the future so I can get some help when I need help instead of, ‘He’s a rookie.’ If I were them, I’d do the same they were doing to me, that’s abandoning ship. I don’t really blame them. I’m happy for everything we did.
“I felt we had a shot (to win). I just need to get more aggressive when it comes to blocking cars at the right time.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/strong-rookie-showing-still-leaves-031000598.htm
Strong rookie showing still leaves Ryan Preece frustrated after last lap
Nate Ryan - NBC Sports
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As he stood amidst a throng of reporters, Ryan Preece kept staring at a large video board replaying the white-flag lap of his first Daytona 500.
It was a sterling showing for the JTG Daugherty Racing rookie, who finished eighth in his Great American Race debut.
But as he watched the replay unfold, Preece kept sounding more as if he was trying to talk himself into believing it.
“Sitting here watching this, I’m probably going to get frustrated with myself because there’s a couple of things I could have done different to help my chances,” Preece said. “I was so committed to pushing Joey (Logano) that I focused more on him than I did on some of the runs I probably should have focused on. All in all it’s a good day. It’s an eighth-place finish … ”
His voice trailed off as the reality of losing five spots in the final 2.5 miles seemed to take root
“And that is so frustrating watching it,” Preece said with a smile. “We were in third place on the white flag lap, and we got flushed.”
Sure, but it still was another fine chapter in one of NASCAR’s greatest current underdog stories.
Preece is the Modified champion from Berlin, Connecticut, who bet on himself by arranging funding for some Xfinity rides with Joe Gibbs Racing and won to help land his new No. 47 ride.
There were no guarantees he would even have this ride a year ago, much less have a chance entering the final lap to win the season’s biggest race in his first try.
But that’s not how Preece, 28, looked at it, nor how he would be processing the finish during the long drive back to North Carolina.
“A lot of you guys might not know me, but I’m from a racing background,” he said. “Typically I’m competitive. I’m going to nitpick myself right now, but when I get in my truck and drive home, I’m going to be happy, but I’m going to sit here and watch this finish and say I could have had fifth, I could have had third.
“But at the end of the day, it’s still a great day.”
There were some hairy moments for Preece, who started 21st. He sustained only minor damage in the 21-car pileup on Lap 191 by shooting the gap through the middle. He narrowly missed two more pileups in the next 10 laps.
“Yeah, it was something, I guess,” he said. “I don’t know. We did what we needed to do, and that was finish this race. We got a little tore up car, not as bad as some.”
While some other veterans made some major mistakes, Preece kept it clean and earned the respect of Logano, who finished fourth.
“I had a great push by the 47 of Ryan Preece, and I thought that was cool,” the defending series champion said. “We grew up racing quarter-midgets against each other in Connecticut, and it just shows that dreams can really come true. I’m proud to be racing with him in the Daytona 500. I think that’s super-cool.”
Joey Logano ✔
@joeylogano
Was a cool moment racing up front with @RyanPreece_ there towards the end tonight. From quarter-midgets in Connecticut to the #Daytona500 it shows dreams can come true.
Though he was pleased to hear the compliment from his friend, Preece still couldn’t help thinking about – and watching — that last lap.
“I’m really just disappointed in myself right there with not being more aggressive with blocking,” he said. “How can you be upset with a top 10 in my first Daytona 500? Really happy.
“So what I take away from this type of stuff is learning when to be aggressive, learning not to be aggressive. And just hopefully making some friends in the future so I can get some help when I need help instead of, ‘He’s a rookie.’ If I were them, I’d do the same they were doing to me, that’s abandoning ship. I don’t really blame them. I’m happy for everything we did.
“I felt we had a shot (to win). I just need to get more aggressive when it comes to blocking cars at the right time.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/strong-rookie-showing-still-leaves-031000598.htm
February 17, 2019
Denny Hamlin wins 61st annual Daytona 500;
Ryan Preece Uses Masterful Driving To Finish 8th In Daytona 500 Debut
By Staff Report NASCAR.com w/RPR headline addition
Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, his second-career victory in the “Great American Race.” The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was one of only three cars not involved in a wreck throughout the 207 laps.
It was a 1-2-3 sweep for JGR as teammates Kyle Busch in the No. 18 and Erik Jones in the No. 20 finished second and third, respectively. Hamlin led 30 laps en route to his 32nd Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win. It was the first time since Hendrick Motorsports in 1997 that a team swept the top three spots in the Daytona 500.
Defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano finished in fourth followed by Michael McDowell, Ty Dillon, Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece, Jimmie Johnson and Ross Chastain rounding out the top 10.
It took NASCAR Overtime, two red flags and three big wrecks in the last 10 laps of the race for Hamlin to reach the finish line.
The ‘The Big One’ unfolded on Lap 189 when the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford of Paul Menard got into the back of Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota, spinning him and causing a domino-effect for the cars behind, leaving multiple drivers with no place to evade the incident on the inside and outside lanes.
Multiple cars were involved in the wreck that brought out the 10th caution of the night — Menard, DiBenedetto, Jones, Ryan Blaney, Matt Tifft, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Aric Almirola, David Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Preece, Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher, Daniel Hemric, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Johnson, William Byron, Ty Dillon, Logano and Larson.
Kyle Busch earned the Stage 1 victory, while Blaney won Stage 2.
This story will be updated at www.nascar.com
Denny Hamlin wins 61st annual Daytona 500;
Ryan Preece Uses Masterful Driving To Finish 8th In Daytona 500 Debut
By Staff Report NASCAR.com w/RPR headline addition
Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, his second-career victory in the “Great American Race.” The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was one of only three cars not involved in a wreck throughout the 207 laps.
It was a 1-2-3 sweep for JGR as teammates Kyle Busch in the No. 18 and Erik Jones in the No. 20 finished second and third, respectively. Hamlin led 30 laps en route to his 32nd Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win. It was the first time since Hendrick Motorsports in 1997 that a team swept the top three spots in the Daytona 500.
Defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano finished in fourth followed by Michael McDowell, Ty Dillon, Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece, Jimmie Johnson and Ross Chastain rounding out the top 10.
It took NASCAR Overtime, two red flags and three big wrecks in the last 10 laps of the race for Hamlin to reach the finish line.
The ‘The Big One’ unfolded on Lap 189 when the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford of Paul Menard got into the back of Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota, spinning him and causing a domino-effect for the cars behind, leaving multiple drivers with no place to evade the incident on the inside and outside lanes.
Multiple cars were involved in the wreck that brought out the 10th caution of the night — Menard, DiBenedetto, Jones, Ryan Blaney, Matt Tifft, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Aric Almirola, David Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Preece, Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher, Daniel Hemric, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Johnson, William Byron, Ty Dillon, Logano and Larson.
Kyle Busch earned the Stage 1 victory, while Blaney won Stage 2.
This story will be updated at www.nascar.com
February 12, 2019
Preece Scores a Special Win for Friends and Supporters At New Smyrna Speedway
A speed51.com article
Ryan Preece didn’t want to leave New Smyrna Speedway this week without a Tour-type Modified victory. The NASCAR Cup Series rookie made sure that didn’t happen Tuesday night by charging from the eighth starting spot to win the 35-lap World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing feature.
For Preece, his victory was made special because of the people involved, including many friends and supporters who have been with him since day one.
“What’s really special about this is that it’s all my friends. We’re all buddies from home, they come down and it’s a yearly thing,” Preece said on FansChoice.TV. “To be able to come here and win, this is a brand-new car, a Chassis Dynamics race car. What’s even more special about it is the guy who owns Chassis Dyanmics, Mike Paquette, gave me an opportunity in 2010 with Bob Hitchcock. That’s really what got my career going, so to be able to debut this car as a tour car and be as good as it is, I’m really pumped.”
Preece, who will only be competing in the first three nights of racing at New Smyrna before shifting focus over to his Daytona 500 debut, started the night by setting fast time in qualifying over the field of 22 Modifieds. However, an invert of eight made him work hard to earn his 11th career Tour-type Modified win at the World Series.
At the drop of the green flag, Preece began picking off positions as he worked his way to the front. His biggest and boldest move came on Lap 10 when he shot to the bottom of the race track in turn two and made a three-wide pass down the backstretch for the second position.
Three laps later, Preece reeled in early leader Tommy Catalano and made the pass for the lead on Lap 13.
A major pileup in turn three on Lap 21 collected a handful of competitors including Anthony Nocella, Patrick Emerling, Andy Jankowiak, Dave Sapienza and Jeff Goodale. Jankowiak’s car came to a rest on top of Emerling’s and the incident resulted in the red flag being displayed for extensive cleanup.
On the ensuing restart, Preece pulled away from the field as Jimmy Blewett made the pass for second on the inside of Catalano……
Click HERE to read the rest of this Speed51 article
Preece Scores a Special Win for Friends and Supporters At New Smyrna Speedway
A speed51.com article
Ryan Preece didn’t want to leave New Smyrna Speedway this week without a Tour-type Modified victory. The NASCAR Cup Series rookie made sure that didn’t happen Tuesday night by charging from the eighth starting spot to win the 35-lap World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing feature.
For Preece, his victory was made special because of the people involved, including many friends and supporters who have been with him since day one.
“What’s really special about this is that it’s all my friends. We’re all buddies from home, they come down and it’s a yearly thing,” Preece said on FansChoice.TV. “To be able to come here and win, this is a brand-new car, a Chassis Dynamics race car. What’s even more special about it is the guy who owns Chassis Dyanmics, Mike Paquette, gave me an opportunity in 2010 with Bob Hitchcock. That’s really what got my career going, so to be able to debut this car as a tour car and be as good as it is, I’m really pumped.”
Preece, who will only be competing in the first three nights of racing at New Smyrna before shifting focus over to his Daytona 500 debut, started the night by setting fast time in qualifying over the field of 22 Modifieds. However, an invert of eight made him work hard to earn his 11th career Tour-type Modified win at the World Series.
At the drop of the green flag, Preece began picking off positions as he worked his way to the front. His biggest and boldest move came on Lap 10 when he shot to the bottom of the race track in turn two and made a three-wide pass down the backstretch for the second position.
Three laps later, Preece reeled in early leader Tommy Catalano and made the pass for the lead on Lap 13.
A major pileup in turn three on Lap 21 collected a handful of competitors including Anthony Nocella, Patrick Emerling, Andy Jankowiak, Dave Sapienza and Jeff Goodale. Jankowiak’s car came to a rest on top of Emerling’s and the incident resulted in the red flag being displayed for extensive cleanup.
On the ensuing restart, Preece pulled away from the field as Jimmy Blewett made the pass for second on the inside of Catalano……
Click HERE to read the rest of this Speed51 article
January 23, 2019
JTG DAUGHERTY RACING ANNOUNCES REVOLUTIONARY NASCAR SPONSORSHIP STRATEGY
JTG PR
KROGER AND ITS RACING SHOPPER BRANDS RETURN WITH A NEW SPONSORSHIP CONCEPT
HARRISBURG, N.C. (January 23, 2018) – For a quarter of a century, JTG Daugherty Racing has been admired as a NASCAR team that is progressive in their sponsorship program development. The team today announced a revolutionary new NASCAR sponsorship strategy that focuses on shopper themes and will help participating brands communicate more effectively with consumers. The goal: to significantly increase sales for the sponsor brands and for The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR).
Kroger Pickup, Delivery, Ship
The No. 47 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entry, driven this year by Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Ryan Preece, will highlight and promote the new Kroger shopping and delivery options. Kroger’s expanded services allow shoppers to order groceries online for curbside pickup, delivery from a nearby Kroger store to homes, and a ship to home service accessible from anywhere in the country.
“I can’t think of a better team to start my Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career with,” Preece said. “Kroger’s new services make it easy to access Kroger groceries anywhere we travel and is available to race fans across the country. I’m excited to get the season started with JTG Daugherty Racing, and I am proud to showcase the Kroger Pickup, Delivery and Ship services on our No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this season.”
Seven Themes of Sponsorship
The No. 37 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entry returns with Chris Buescher at the wheel. In previous seasons, the team had numerous brands that rotated on the hood from race to race, making it difficult for any particular brand to consistently communicate with the race fans. In 2019, the team will highlight shopper themes throughout the season that allow groups of brands to communicate with fans when they are most likely to be focused on specific buying occasions. The unique approach will feature seven themes that will be showcased on the hood for consecutive weeks at a time:
Flavor Fill Up: the month of March focuses on when sporting events such as the NCAA Basketball tournament encourages a snacking occasion, and when Kroger is highlighting National Frozen Foods Month. Corporate partners include Unilever, Kraft-Heinz, Conagra, General Mills, and Kellogg’s.
Speedup Your Cleanup: the month of April will highlight the spring-cleaning season where shoppers are focused on buying from corporate partners such as such as Clorox, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
Personal Pit Stop: personal healthcare brands take center stage on the hood in May with corporate partners Procter & Gamble and Unilever.
Thrill of the Grill: June and July highlights everyone’s love for summer grilling with relevant brands from Clorox, Unilever, Kraft-Heinz, General Mills, BUSH’S Beans, and Southeastern Mills.
Fast Start: theme will occur during back-to-school timing when families are stocking up on partner product for their change of schedule and the new school year.
Fast Lane to Flavor: focuses on healthy meal solutions for families on the go with brands from General Mills, BUSH’S Beans, Clorox and Conagra.
Simmer Like a Winner: as the weather turns cooler, fans will enjoy shopping for their crock pot recipes with brands from BUSH’S Beans, Kraft, ConAgra and General Mills.
“I’m really excited to showcase our brands in a really unique marketing approach this season on the No. 37 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1,” Buescher said. “JTG Daugherty Racing has always had a one-of-a-kind sponsorship strategy, and this just amplifies it as we head into a new year with our brands. I’m looking forward to winning races and selling cases in 2019.”
Convenient Technology
To bring the entire program to life and to simplify the communication between NASCAR fans and Kroger.com, the team is also introducing a game-changing mobile technology. All JTG Daugherty Racing advertising during each month throughout the season will encourage shoppers to text a key word that directs the fans to fun tips, sweepstakes, and Kroger savings for the brands highlighted by the shopper themes.
“We are fortunate to work every day with innovators in the retail industry,” Tad Geschickter, JTG Daugherty Racing team owner, said. “I’m excited about the new marketing plan we have developed together. I know that this new approach will deliver great engagement with our NASCAR fans and will create positive sales results for Kroger and our brand partners. I can’t wait to see the whole thing come to life on the racetrack. It’s time to win races and sell cases in 2019.”
JTG Daugherty Racing will hit the track in the No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the No. 37 Kleenex Wet Wipes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona International Speedway for the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 17 at 2:30pmET, broadcast on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
JTG DAUGHERTY RACING ANNOUNCES REVOLUTIONARY NASCAR SPONSORSHIP STRATEGY
JTG PR
KROGER AND ITS RACING SHOPPER BRANDS RETURN WITH A NEW SPONSORSHIP CONCEPT
HARRISBURG, N.C. (January 23, 2018) – For a quarter of a century, JTG Daugherty Racing has been admired as a NASCAR team that is progressive in their sponsorship program development. The team today announced a revolutionary new NASCAR sponsorship strategy that focuses on shopper themes and will help participating brands communicate more effectively with consumers. The goal: to significantly increase sales for the sponsor brands and for The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR).
Kroger Pickup, Delivery, Ship
The No. 47 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entry, driven this year by Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Ryan Preece, will highlight and promote the new Kroger shopping and delivery options. Kroger’s expanded services allow shoppers to order groceries online for curbside pickup, delivery from a nearby Kroger store to homes, and a ship to home service accessible from anywhere in the country.
“I can’t think of a better team to start my Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career with,” Preece said. “Kroger’s new services make it easy to access Kroger groceries anywhere we travel and is available to race fans across the country. I’m excited to get the season started with JTG Daugherty Racing, and I am proud to showcase the Kroger Pickup, Delivery and Ship services on our No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this season.”
Seven Themes of Sponsorship
The No. 37 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entry returns with Chris Buescher at the wheel. In previous seasons, the team had numerous brands that rotated on the hood from race to race, making it difficult for any particular brand to consistently communicate with the race fans. In 2019, the team will highlight shopper themes throughout the season that allow groups of brands to communicate with fans when they are most likely to be focused on specific buying occasions. The unique approach will feature seven themes that will be showcased on the hood for consecutive weeks at a time:
Flavor Fill Up: the month of March focuses on when sporting events such as the NCAA Basketball tournament encourages a snacking occasion, and when Kroger is highlighting National Frozen Foods Month. Corporate partners include Unilever, Kraft-Heinz, Conagra, General Mills, and Kellogg’s.
Speedup Your Cleanup: the month of April will highlight the spring-cleaning season where shoppers are focused on buying from corporate partners such as such as Clorox, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
Personal Pit Stop: personal healthcare brands take center stage on the hood in May with corporate partners Procter & Gamble and Unilever.
Thrill of the Grill: June and July highlights everyone’s love for summer grilling with relevant brands from Clorox, Unilever, Kraft-Heinz, General Mills, BUSH’S Beans, and Southeastern Mills.
Fast Start: theme will occur during back-to-school timing when families are stocking up on partner product for their change of schedule and the new school year.
Fast Lane to Flavor: focuses on healthy meal solutions for families on the go with brands from General Mills, BUSH’S Beans, Clorox and Conagra.
Simmer Like a Winner: as the weather turns cooler, fans will enjoy shopping for their crock pot recipes with brands from BUSH’S Beans, Kraft, ConAgra and General Mills.
“I’m really excited to showcase our brands in a really unique marketing approach this season on the No. 37 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1,” Buescher said. “JTG Daugherty Racing has always had a one-of-a-kind sponsorship strategy, and this just amplifies it as we head into a new year with our brands. I’m looking forward to winning races and selling cases in 2019.”
Convenient Technology
To bring the entire program to life and to simplify the communication between NASCAR fans and Kroger.com, the team is also introducing a game-changing mobile technology. All JTG Daugherty Racing advertising during each month throughout the season will encourage shoppers to text a key word that directs the fans to fun tips, sweepstakes, and Kroger savings for the brands highlighted by the shopper themes.
“We are fortunate to work every day with innovators in the retail industry,” Tad Geschickter, JTG Daugherty Racing team owner, said. “I’m excited about the new marketing plan we have developed together. I know that this new approach will deliver great engagement with our NASCAR fans and will create positive sales results for Kroger and our brand partners. I can’t wait to see the whole thing come to life on the racetrack. It’s time to win races and sell cases in 2019.”
JTG Daugherty Racing will hit the track in the No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the No. 37 Kleenex Wet Wipes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona International Speedway for the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 17 at 2:30pmET, broadcast on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
September 28th, 2018
Ryan Preece earns full-time Monster Energy Series ride with JTG Daugherty Racing
By Staff Report NASCAR.com
JTG Daugherty Racing announced Friday that Ryan Preece will drive the team’s No. 47 Chevrolet next year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Preece, who made his mark as a decorated champion in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, will succeed AJ Allmendinger, the No. 47 team’s driver the last five seasons. Allmendinger scored a breakthrough premier series victory for himself and JTG Daugherty at Watkins Glen in 2014. The team announced Sept. 25 that Allmendinger would not return in 2019.
“To finally get to this level and earn it, it’s really a short-trackers’ dream,” Preece said. “To get here and to race for people with such class, it’s a family-owned team and that’s something I’ve always been a part of. Hopefully we can start out strong and compete for wins.”
Preece, 27, has driven on a part-time basis for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series the last two seasons. In that span, he’s collected two victories — last season at Iowa Speedway and earlier this year at Bristol Motor Speedway. He’s scheduled to run the majority of the races left in the season in JGR equipment.
It was that Bristol race where Preece first hopped onto the radar of team competition director Ernie Cope and team owner Tad Geschickter, who watched the underdog in good equipment give more experienced drivers all they could handle.
“I’m excited,” Cope said. “I started watching him at the end of the year at Homestead, and he drove hard. Watching that Bristol race and watching him go after it and I’m like, ‘This guy is something.’ Then you hear his backstory, and that’s the mold I’m looking for.
“Every time I’ve called him he’s in the shop.”
Preece made five career starts in NASCAR’s top division in 2015 for car owner Mike Curb. He followed that partial schedule with a full-season Xfinity Series slate for JD Motorsports in 2016.
Preece secured the Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2013. He also has four runner-up finishes in that series’ standings. Preece has competed in the majority of the Modified Tour’s races this season, locking up two wins (at Stafford and Langley) in eight starts.
“I’m not saying this is easy,” Preece said of his ascension to the Monster Energy Series. “It’s not. There were a lot of nights where I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was going to try though. I was going to try like hell.”
The team release also stated that JTG would remain a two-car operation next year. Chris Buescher currently drives the organization’s No. 37 Chevrolet, and Geschickter confirmed he would return.
Geschickter added that the team would move to engines provided by Hendrick.
“We’re really looking forward to having Ryan join our team for the 2019 season,” team owner Tad Geschickter said in a release. “Ryan has an impressive list of accomplishments in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series and is now being given a great opportunity to compete at NASCAR’s highest level full-time. We really believe in him and think he’s a great addition to the team.”
Ryan Preece earns full-time Monster Energy Series ride with JTG Daugherty Racing
By Staff Report NASCAR.com
JTG Daugherty Racing announced Friday that Ryan Preece will drive the team’s No. 47 Chevrolet next year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Preece, who made his mark as a decorated champion in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, will succeed AJ Allmendinger, the No. 47 team’s driver the last five seasons. Allmendinger scored a breakthrough premier series victory for himself and JTG Daugherty at Watkins Glen in 2014. The team announced Sept. 25 that Allmendinger would not return in 2019.
“To finally get to this level and earn it, it’s really a short-trackers’ dream,” Preece said. “To get here and to race for people with such class, it’s a family-owned team and that’s something I’ve always been a part of. Hopefully we can start out strong and compete for wins.”
Preece, 27, has driven on a part-time basis for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series the last two seasons. In that span, he’s collected two victories — last season at Iowa Speedway and earlier this year at Bristol Motor Speedway. He’s scheduled to run the majority of the races left in the season in JGR equipment.
It was that Bristol race where Preece first hopped onto the radar of team competition director Ernie Cope and team owner Tad Geschickter, who watched the underdog in good equipment give more experienced drivers all they could handle.
“I’m excited,” Cope said. “I started watching him at the end of the year at Homestead, and he drove hard. Watching that Bristol race and watching him go after it and I’m like, ‘This guy is something.’ Then you hear his backstory, and that’s the mold I’m looking for.
“Every time I’ve called him he’s in the shop.”
Preece made five career starts in NASCAR’s top division in 2015 for car owner Mike Curb. He followed that partial schedule with a full-season Xfinity Series slate for JD Motorsports in 2016.
Preece secured the Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2013. He also has four runner-up finishes in that series’ standings. Preece has competed in the majority of the Modified Tour’s races this season, locking up two wins (at Stafford and Langley) in eight starts.
“I’m not saying this is easy,” Preece said of his ascension to the Monster Energy Series. “It’s not. There were a lot of nights where I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was going to try though. I was going to try like hell.”
The team release also stated that JTG would remain a two-car operation next year. Chris Buescher currently drives the organization’s No. 37 Chevrolet, and Geschickter confirmed he would return.
Geschickter added that the team would move to engines provided by Hendrick.
“We’re really looking forward to having Ryan join our team for the 2019 season,” team owner Tad Geschickter said in a release. “Ryan has an impressive list of accomplishments in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series and is now being given a great opportunity to compete at NASCAR’s highest level full-time. We really believe in him and think he’s a great addition to the team.”
August 5th. 2018
Ryan Preece earns top-five finish in added Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen
Chris Knight www.catchfence.com
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Saturday’s Zippo 200 wasn’t originally on Ryan Preece’s limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule this year – but when Craftsman agreed to sponsor his No. 18 Toyota Camry, the Berlin, Conn. native certainly made the most opportunity.
Known more for his skills on a short track – rather than a speedway or a road course, Preece used superior equipment to qualify eighth Saturday morning ahead of his second Xfinity Series start at The Glen.
Throughout Stage 1, Preece maintained his presence inside the top-10 and had climbed to fifth by the end of the 20-lap sprint. A short time later, a summer shower rolled in and drenched the 2.45-mile course forcing teams to switch from slicks to wet tires.
Knowing it was a short stint in the wet, Preece kept his No. 18 Craftsman Toyota Camry out of trouble and pitted less than 15 laps later for the switch back to slick tires.
Utilizing the final laps of the stage to his advantage, Preece worked his way back to 10th and elected to stay out for the start of Stage 3. Quickly, Preece shot by Brad Keselowski for the lead – but relinquished back to the Cup invader a few laps later.
Preece made his final pit stop at Lap 56 pitting for fuel only – sending him outside the top-10. By Lap 62, the two-time Xfinity Series winner was back to fourth and found himself another opportunity to win when the caution waved on Lap 66.
Over the final laps of the race, Preece worked his way to second before a restart with eight laps to go – saw the on-track aggression peg with drivers making moves. Logano passed Preece on the restart – before losing two more spots to Justin Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger to take the checkered flag fourth – for his fourth top-five in six races this season.
“I am pretty happy,” said Preece. “Pretty happy we got a top-five today. Wish that caution didn’t come out when……..read the rest HERE
Ryan Preece earns top-five finish in added Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen
Chris Knight www.catchfence.com
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Saturday’s Zippo 200 wasn’t originally on Ryan Preece’s limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule this year – but when Craftsman agreed to sponsor his No. 18 Toyota Camry, the Berlin, Conn. native certainly made the most opportunity.
Known more for his skills on a short track – rather than a speedway or a road course, Preece used superior equipment to qualify eighth Saturday morning ahead of his second Xfinity Series start at The Glen.
Throughout Stage 1, Preece maintained his presence inside the top-10 and had climbed to fifth by the end of the 20-lap sprint. A short time later, a summer shower rolled in and drenched the 2.45-mile course forcing teams to switch from slicks to wet tires.
Knowing it was a short stint in the wet, Preece kept his No. 18 Craftsman Toyota Camry out of trouble and pitted less than 15 laps later for the switch back to slick tires.
Utilizing the final laps of the stage to his advantage, Preece worked his way back to 10th and elected to stay out for the start of Stage 3. Quickly, Preece shot by Brad Keselowski for the lead – but relinquished back to the Cup invader a few laps later.
Preece made his final pit stop at Lap 56 pitting for fuel only – sending him outside the top-10. By Lap 62, the two-time Xfinity Series winner was back to fourth and found himself another opportunity to win when the caution waved on Lap 66.
Over the final laps of the race, Preece worked his way to second before a restart with eight laps to go – saw the on-track aggression peg with drivers making moves. Logano passed Preece on the restart – before losing two more spots to Justin Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger to take the checkered flag fourth – for his fourth top-five in six races this season.
“I am pretty happy,” said Preece. “Pretty happy we got a top-five today. Wish that caution didn’t come out when……..read the rest HERE
July 16th, 2018
Spoiler: Ryan Preece Ends Keith Rocco Domination In SK Modified At Thompson
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Keith Rocco’s ownership of the SK Modified division at Thompson Speedway in 2018 came to an end Saturday night.
Ryan Preece held off the charges of Rocco over the closing stages to win the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Saturday at Thompson Speedway.
Rocco had won the first three SK Modified features of the season at Thompson coming into Saturday’s event.
“It was fun,” said Preece, of Berlin. “I had fun because I ended up winning. It was a race that’s for sure.
Rocco, of Wallingford, ended up second. Woody Pitkat of Stafford was third.
Rocco rocketed to the lead at the start with Todd Owen following him to second and Preece to third in the opening stages. Preece made work of Owen soon after and after stalking Rocco for a spell, made the move for the lead on lap 20. But the pass was negated when a crash at the back of the field brought out the caution.
Rocco was able to hold off Preece on two ensuing restarts but on lap 24 it was Preece using the low lane into turn three to grab the lead.
A lap later Rocco tried a diving move into three and briefly regained the lead. But Preece deftly slowed hard through the corner and let Rocco drift up the track. Preece went low to retake the lead before the close of the lap. From there Preece controlled the rest of the way to victory.
“With the SK Modifieds the draft comes into play,” Preece said. “I knew my car was better through the corners. Just sometimes when you get that guy, if he can stay within a half [a car length] off of you coming off the corner he can usually get to you or try to pull a dive bomb on you when you’re getting [into the corner]. That’s what happened in [turn] three, so I checked up hard and got back under him and tried to make sure I had two solid corner to kind of inch away to where he couldn’t get that sniff of a draft.”
Spoiler: Ryan Preece Ends Keith Rocco Domination In SK Modified At Thompson
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Keith Rocco’s ownership of the SK Modified division at Thompson Speedway in 2018 came to an end Saturday night.
Ryan Preece held off the charges of Rocco over the closing stages to win the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Saturday at Thompson Speedway.
Rocco had won the first three SK Modified features of the season at Thompson coming into Saturday’s event.
“It was fun,” said Preece, of Berlin. “I had fun because I ended up winning. It was a race that’s for sure.
Rocco, of Wallingford, ended up second. Woody Pitkat of Stafford was third.
Rocco rocketed to the lead at the start with Todd Owen following him to second and Preece to third in the opening stages. Preece made work of Owen soon after and after stalking Rocco for a spell, made the move for the lead on lap 20. But the pass was negated when a crash at the back of the field brought out the caution.
Rocco was able to hold off Preece on two ensuing restarts but on lap 24 it was Preece using the low lane into turn three to grab the lead.
A lap later Rocco tried a diving move into three and briefly regained the lead. But Preece deftly slowed hard through the corner and let Rocco drift up the track. Preece went low to retake the lead before the close of the lap. From there Preece controlled the rest of the way to victory.
“With the SK Modifieds the draft comes into play,” Preece said. “I knew my car was better through the corners. Just sometimes when you get that guy, if he can stay within a half [a car length] off of you coming off the corner he can usually get to you or try to pull a dive bomb on you when you’re getting [into the corner]. That’s what happened in [turn] three, so I checked up hard and got back under him and tried to make sure I had two solid corner to kind of inch away to where he couldn’t get that sniff of a draft.”
June 24th, 2018
Ryan Preece Makes His Move When It Counts at Langley
A www.hometracks.nascar.com release
HAMPTON, Va. — In the midst of a Saturday night short-track shootout at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway, Ryan Preece made the right move, at the right time.
The Berlin, Connecticut driver passed Justin Bonsignore for the lead on lap 131, and he never looked back en route to his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory of the season.
The triumph was the 22nd of his career, and his first at the 0.396-mile Virginia oval. The 27-year-old has now been to Victory Lane in seven of his last 19 stars in Whelen Modified Tour competition.
“Justin’s car started to get tight, and my car just wasn’t at that point yet,” Preece said. “I knew I had to get by him as quick as I possibly could. Once I got in front of him, I knew I could get into my rhythm and drive away.”
When the caution flew on lap 103 for a planned mid-race break, Bonsignore, Doug Coby and Eric Goodale elected to stay on the track and take over the top three spots. On the restart, Coby lost positions, and eventually cut down a left-rear tire that ended his night.
On the following green flag, Preece began to hound the back bumper of Bonsignore’s No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet, and attempted to make the pass multiple times — but to no avail. Finally, on lap 131, Preece took the bottom lane off turn two, and cleared to the point down into turn three.
He was not challenged for the remainder of the race.
Bonsignore settled for second, with Matt Hirschman charging back up through the field late to finish in third.
“He was a gentleman about it, I was doing everything I could to block his crossover move up off,” Bonsignore said of the battle with Preece. “I could see in the mirror that he was most likely going to get me. That was a lot of fun. Good short-track racing. When we are bummed about second, that’s really good right now.”
Preece was out front in the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet for a race-high 83 laps, while Bonsignore was out front for 25 laps.
Chase Dowling finished sixth, followed by Ronnie Williams, Rowan Pennink, Chris Pasteryak and Blake Barney.
Bonsignore holds a 23-point advantage in the championship standings over Dowling, while Timmy Solomito is 44 points back in third. Craig Lutz, who had his motor expire on lap 29, dropped to fourth in the standings.
The WhosYourDriver.org 150 from Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway will air on NBCSN on Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track at Riverhead Raceway on Saturday, July 7.
Ryan Preece Makes His Move When It Counts at Langley
A www.hometracks.nascar.com release
HAMPTON, Va. — In the midst of a Saturday night short-track shootout at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway, Ryan Preece made the right move, at the right time.
The Berlin, Connecticut driver passed Justin Bonsignore for the lead on lap 131, and he never looked back en route to his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory of the season.
The triumph was the 22nd of his career, and his first at the 0.396-mile Virginia oval. The 27-year-old has now been to Victory Lane in seven of his last 19 stars in Whelen Modified Tour competition.
“Justin’s car started to get tight, and my car just wasn’t at that point yet,” Preece said. “I knew I had to get by him as quick as I possibly could. Once I got in front of him, I knew I could get into my rhythm and drive away.”
When the caution flew on lap 103 for a planned mid-race break, Bonsignore, Doug Coby and Eric Goodale elected to stay on the track and take over the top three spots. On the restart, Coby lost positions, and eventually cut down a left-rear tire that ended his night.
On the following green flag, Preece began to hound the back bumper of Bonsignore’s No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet, and attempted to make the pass multiple times — but to no avail. Finally, on lap 131, Preece took the bottom lane off turn two, and cleared to the point down into turn three.
He was not challenged for the remainder of the race.
Bonsignore settled for second, with Matt Hirschman charging back up through the field late to finish in third.
“He was a gentleman about it, I was doing everything I could to block his crossover move up off,” Bonsignore said of the battle with Preece. “I could see in the mirror that he was most likely going to get me. That was a lot of fun. Good short-track racing. When we are bummed about second, that’s really good right now.”
Preece was out front in the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet for a race-high 83 laps, while Bonsignore was out front for 25 laps.
Chase Dowling finished sixth, followed by Ronnie Williams, Rowan Pennink, Chris Pasteryak and Blake Barney.
Bonsignore holds a 23-point advantage in the championship standings over Dowling, while Timmy Solomito is 44 points back in third. Craig Lutz, who had his motor expire on lap 29, dropped to fourth in the standings.
The WhosYourDriver.org 150 from Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway will air on NBCSN on Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track at Riverhead Raceway on Saturday, July 7.
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June 17th, 2018
Ryan Preece Wins Prestigious Islip 300 At Riverhead Raceway
Bob Finan PR
Popular Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. went back to basics in the set-up of his Eddie & Connie Partridge Tour Type Modified Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway and did it ever pay off as he won the 2nd annual Islip 300 worth $7,000 to the winning team. For Preece a two time winner on the Xfinity Series of NASCAR it was his 16th career win at the historic quarter mile oval.
Ronnie Williams was quickest in qualifying turning in a lap of 11.910 just edging out former three time track champion Howie Brode who went 11.918 while Preece could only muster a 14th place effort in time trials. Williams steering a tribute Gershow Motorsports machine in tribute to Don Howe’s 1994 machine that he won a championship with for owner Joe Bertuccio jumped to the lead at the throw of the green. Howie Brode tucked in behind Williams but the leader would soon pull away from the challenger over the first 60 laps. Meanwhile Preece was on the march from what would be a 12th starting spot and soon made his presence known racing by Brode on lap 64 for second.
During the race WMT standout Eric Goodale was doing color commentary and noted over the airwaves that Ryan’s car “had amazing drive off the corners”. Indeed going back to an old Riverhead set-up clearly gave Preece the best car on the track as just two laps after moving to second he wheeled by Williams on lap 66 for the race lead. Once out front Preece’s goal was to put as many cars as he could a lap down and at one point there were just five cars on the lead lap. His other strategy was to stay out as long as he could before pitting under yellow for his three change tires. Other drivers like John Fortin Sr. had another game plan pitting early for a right front tire and then later for the two rears. Fortin would become a contender for the race win later in the contest. Among those who ran second to Preece over the first two thirds of the race included Williams, Kyle Soper and Howie Brode.
Preece would pit for his change tires just after the 200 lap mark of the race moving John Fortin Sr. to the race lead on lap 215. However armed with three new tires Preece’s car was again on rails and he wasted little time taking back the race lead from Fortin on lap 222. However during a long green flag run after taking back the lead Ryan’s car seemed to level off allowing not only Fortin to pressure the leader but also John Beatty Jr. who with 40-laps remaining got by Fortin and set sail for Preece. Beatty was able to stay right in the tire tracks of Preece and on occasion tried to cross the leader over off the corners but Ryan was able to inch away each time.
When the checker flag waved Ryan Preece would indeed by the winner of the Islip 300 and he was quick to point out how he got there, “you see all these guys out here, they busted their butt for me and this win is for them” Preece boasted. He also admitted, “we came here last week and I was embarrassed but that was on me, I tried something and it didn’t work. Tonight we threw an old set-up at the car and the thing was quick right off the truck”. With it being Father’s Day weekend Ryan added, “I can’t thank my Dad enough, without him I would be where I am today. Also a big thank you to Eddie & Connie for letting me drive their car”. In conclusion the happy winner added, “it is so cool to win the Islip 300 and better yet to win here three weeks before the Buzz Chew Chevy 200 WMT is even better, we’ll have something for them that night (July 7th).
John Beatty Jr. of Merrick was runner-up in the MSM Elite Motorsports Chevy sending praise the race winners way, “hats off to Ryan and his team, they had a great car. So did we, his was just that much better”. John Fortin Sr. was third in his Long Island Truck Parts Chevy, “we were good” John stated afterwards, “if I had it to do over again I may not have come in so early for that right front tire, she wore out and I was sliding the nose late in the race”. Kyle Soper of Manorville crossed the line fourth while Dave Brigati of Calverton completed the top five.
Ryan Preece Wins Prestigious Islip 300 At Riverhead Raceway
Bob Finan PR
Popular Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. went back to basics in the set-up of his Eddie & Connie Partridge Tour Type Modified Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway and did it ever pay off as he won the 2nd annual Islip 300 worth $7,000 to the winning team. For Preece a two time winner on the Xfinity Series of NASCAR it was his 16th career win at the historic quarter mile oval.
Ronnie Williams was quickest in qualifying turning in a lap of 11.910 just edging out former three time track champion Howie Brode who went 11.918 while Preece could only muster a 14th place effort in time trials. Williams steering a tribute Gershow Motorsports machine in tribute to Don Howe’s 1994 machine that he won a championship with for owner Joe Bertuccio jumped to the lead at the throw of the green. Howie Brode tucked in behind Williams but the leader would soon pull away from the challenger over the first 60 laps. Meanwhile Preece was on the march from what would be a 12th starting spot and soon made his presence known racing by Brode on lap 64 for second.
During the race WMT standout Eric Goodale was doing color commentary and noted over the airwaves that Ryan’s car “had amazing drive off the corners”. Indeed going back to an old Riverhead set-up clearly gave Preece the best car on the track as just two laps after moving to second he wheeled by Williams on lap 66 for the race lead. Once out front Preece’s goal was to put as many cars as he could a lap down and at one point there were just five cars on the lead lap. His other strategy was to stay out as long as he could before pitting under yellow for his three change tires. Other drivers like John Fortin Sr. had another game plan pitting early for a right front tire and then later for the two rears. Fortin would become a contender for the race win later in the contest. Among those who ran second to Preece over the first two thirds of the race included Williams, Kyle Soper and Howie Brode.
Preece would pit for his change tires just after the 200 lap mark of the race moving John Fortin Sr. to the race lead on lap 215. However armed with three new tires Preece’s car was again on rails and he wasted little time taking back the race lead from Fortin on lap 222. However during a long green flag run after taking back the lead Ryan’s car seemed to level off allowing not only Fortin to pressure the leader but also John Beatty Jr. who with 40-laps remaining got by Fortin and set sail for Preece. Beatty was able to stay right in the tire tracks of Preece and on occasion tried to cross the leader over off the corners but Ryan was able to inch away each time.
When the checker flag waved Ryan Preece would indeed by the winner of the Islip 300 and he was quick to point out how he got there, “you see all these guys out here, they busted their butt for me and this win is for them” Preece boasted. He also admitted, “we came here last week and I was embarrassed but that was on me, I tried something and it didn’t work. Tonight we threw an old set-up at the car and the thing was quick right off the truck”. With it being Father’s Day weekend Ryan added, “I can’t thank my Dad enough, without him I would be where I am today. Also a big thank you to Eddie & Connie for letting me drive their car”. In conclusion the happy winner added, “it is so cool to win the Islip 300 and better yet to win here three weeks before the Buzz Chew Chevy 200 WMT is even better, we’ll have something for them that night (July 7th).
John Beatty Jr. of Merrick was runner-up in the MSM Elite Motorsports Chevy sending praise the race winners way, “hats off to Ryan and his team, they had a great car. So did we, his was just that much better”. John Fortin Sr. was third in his Long Island Truck Parts Chevy, “we were good” John stated afterwards, “if I had it to do over again I may not have come in so early for that right front tire, she wore out and I was sliding the nose late in the race”. Kyle Soper of Manorville crossed the line fourth while Dave Brigati of Calverton completed the top five.
April 30th, 2018
Ryan Preece Wins Second Straight Stafford Spring Sizzler
A www.hometracks.nascar.com release
STAFFORD, Conn. — There has been nobody better than Ryan Preece lately when it comes to NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing at Stafford Motor Speedway.
For the second straight year, Preece drove the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet to Victory Lane at the track’s NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler 200. It continues a hot streak for the Berlin, Connecticut, driver at the historic half-mile. He’s the first driver to win the Sizzler in back-to-back years since Bobby Santos III in 2013-14.
“Winning the Sizzler, it’s a big deal,” Preece said. “Guys 30 years from now, they are going to think of me how I think of Bugsy (Stevens), Richie (Evans) and Ted (Christopher) right now. I want to move up, but at the same time, I want to create a name for myself.”
Preece, who won his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 14, has finished inside the top two in seven of his last eight Stafford starts, and has now been victorious in six of his last 16 Whelen Modified Tour races driving for Ed Partridge.
Preece won two of three events at Stafford last year, finishing runner-up in the other.
The victory was the 21st career in Whelen Modified Tour competition for Preece, and his eighth at Stafford.
To get the latest win, Preece had to gamble a little. He stayed out on the track for the entire first half of the race, while other competitors pitted. After leading for a long stretch, he began to fall back after losing the point on Lap 115. He got caution he needed on Lap 152, and pitted for three new Hoosier tires. The 27-year-old began his drive to the front and took the lead from rising star Chase Dowling on lap 171, never looking back en route to the win.
Preece led a race-high 91 laps, including the final 29.
Dowling, who led 69 laps, finished second. It was the third straight top 10 finish for the Roxbury, Connecticut, driver to open the season and his best career finish at Stafford, where he is also a full-time SK Modified competitor as part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
“Overall, it was a pit strategy race, and we had a fast car all day,” Dowling said. “I’m just trying to soak in everything we have and I appreciate all of these good runs that we have been having.”
Rowan Pennink scored his second straight podium finish back from injury with a third. Patrick Emerling, who led 40 laps, and Craig Lutz rounded out the top five.
Jon McKennedy was sixth, followed by Matt Swanson, Justin Bonsignore, Timmy Solomito and Rob Summers.
Bonsignore holds a one-point lead over Dowling, and a five-point advantage over Lutz.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track in Massachusetts at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, June 2.
Ryan Preece Wins Second Straight Stafford Spring Sizzler
A www.hometracks.nascar.com release
STAFFORD, Conn. — There has been nobody better than Ryan Preece lately when it comes to NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing at Stafford Motor Speedway.
For the second straight year, Preece drove the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet to Victory Lane at the track’s NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler 200. It continues a hot streak for the Berlin, Connecticut, driver at the historic half-mile. He’s the first driver to win the Sizzler in back-to-back years since Bobby Santos III in 2013-14.
“Winning the Sizzler, it’s a big deal,” Preece said. “Guys 30 years from now, they are going to think of me how I think of Bugsy (Stevens), Richie (Evans) and Ted (Christopher) right now. I want to move up, but at the same time, I want to create a name for myself.”
Preece, who won his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 14, has finished inside the top two in seven of his last eight Stafford starts, and has now been victorious in six of his last 16 Whelen Modified Tour races driving for Ed Partridge.
Preece won two of three events at Stafford last year, finishing runner-up in the other.
The victory was the 21st career in Whelen Modified Tour competition for Preece, and his eighth at Stafford.
To get the latest win, Preece had to gamble a little. He stayed out on the track for the entire first half of the race, while other competitors pitted. After leading for a long stretch, he began to fall back after losing the point on Lap 115. He got caution he needed on Lap 152, and pitted for three new Hoosier tires. The 27-year-old began his drive to the front and took the lead from rising star Chase Dowling on lap 171, never looking back en route to the win.
Preece led a race-high 91 laps, including the final 29.
Dowling, who led 69 laps, finished second. It was the third straight top 10 finish for the Roxbury, Connecticut, driver to open the season and his best career finish at Stafford, where he is also a full-time SK Modified competitor as part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
“Overall, it was a pit strategy race, and we had a fast car all day,” Dowling said. “I’m just trying to soak in everything we have and I appreciate all of these good runs that we have been having.”
Rowan Pennink scored his second straight podium finish back from injury with a third. Patrick Emerling, who led 40 laps, and Craig Lutz rounded out the top five.
Jon McKennedy was sixth, followed by Matt Swanson, Justin Bonsignore, Timmy Solomito and Rob Summers.
Bonsignore holds a one-point lead over Dowling, and a five-point advantage over Lutz.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track in Massachusetts at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, June 2.
April 14th, 2018
Ryan Preece doubles up, grabs Xfinity win and Dash 4 Cash bonus at Bristol
A www.nascar.com article
Ryan Preece rolled to victory and a $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Preece’s Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota led 39 of the 300 laps in the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300. His first win of the year was his first in the series at Bristol and the second of his Xfinity career.
Justin Allgaier recovered from a Stage 1 incident and wound up second in the JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet. Daniel Hemric, Elliott Sadler and Spencer Gallagher completed the top five.
Preece collected the Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus, edging out three other eligible drivers — third-place finisher Hemric, Cole Custer (eighth) and Christopher Bell (29th). Top finishers Allgaier, Hemric, Sadler and Gallagher will be eligible for the next six-figure payday in the series’ next race, Friday’s ToyotaCare 250 (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Richmond Raceway. Preece is not on the entry list for Richmond’s 250-lapper.
Brandon Jones led a race-high 106 laps in a bid for his first series victory but faded to a sixth-place finish. Jones’ No. 19 team opted for a two-tire pit stop on the final pit stop while his rivals chose four. Preece pulled away from Jones on the final restart to lead the final 10 laps.
Bell’s exit from Dash 4 Cash contention was the most dramatic. The Joe Gibbs Racing rookie led 35 laps, won the race’s first stage and was running third when trouble started in front of him just before the halfway point. Ryan Sieg’s car initiated contact that spun Vinnie Miller’s No. 01, slowing Cody Ware’s No. 74.
Bell, unable to stop or take evasive action, piled in to the Miller-Ware fracas and made heavy contact with the right side of the No. 20 Toyota.
“That was our worst run handling-wise,” said Bell, who was sidelined after completing 140 laps. “I thought we had a car that was capable of doing it and then a guy that’s a couple seconds off the pace spins out in front of me.”
The race was slowed by 13 caution periods, the most for an Xfinity Series event at the .533-mile Tennessee track since 2006.
This story will be updated at www.nascar.com
Ryan Preece doubles up, grabs Xfinity win and Dash 4 Cash bonus at Bristol
A www.nascar.com article
Ryan Preece rolled to victory and a $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Preece’s Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota led 39 of the 300 laps in the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300. His first win of the year was his first in the series at Bristol and the second of his Xfinity career.
Justin Allgaier recovered from a Stage 1 incident and wound up second in the JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet. Daniel Hemric, Elliott Sadler and Spencer Gallagher completed the top five.
Preece collected the Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus, edging out three other eligible drivers — third-place finisher Hemric, Cole Custer (eighth) and Christopher Bell (29th). Top finishers Allgaier, Hemric, Sadler and Gallagher will be eligible for the next six-figure payday in the series’ next race, Friday’s ToyotaCare 250 (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Richmond Raceway. Preece is not on the entry list for Richmond’s 250-lapper.
Brandon Jones led a race-high 106 laps in a bid for his first series victory but faded to a sixth-place finish. Jones’ No. 19 team opted for a two-tire pit stop on the final pit stop while his rivals chose four. Preece pulled away from Jones on the final restart to lead the final 10 laps.
Bell’s exit from Dash 4 Cash contention was the most dramatic. The Joe Gibbs Racing rookie led 35 laps, won the race’s first stage and was running third when trouble started in front of him just before the halfway point. Ryan Sieg’s car initiated contact that spun Vinnie Miller’s No. 01, slowing Cody Ware’s No. 74.
Bell, unable to stop or take evasive action, piled in to the Miller-Ware fracas and made heavy contact with the right side of the No. 20 Toyota.
“That was our worst run handling-wise,” said Bell, who was sidelined after completing 140 laps. “I thought we had a car that was capable of doing it and then a guy that’s a couple seconds off the pace spins out in front of me.”
The race was slowed by 13 caution periods, the most for an Xfinity Series event at the .533-mile Tennessee track since 2006.
This story will be updated at www.nascar.com
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February 16th, 2018
Ryan Preece Wins Evans/Christopher 100; Matt Hirschman Grabs New Smyrna World Series Tour Type Mod Title
A www.racedayct.com article
A roller coaster week of racing in Florida ended on a high note Friday for Ryan Preece.
Preece, of Berlin, drove away from the field over the closing laps to win the Richie Evans/Ted Christopher Memorial 100 on the final night of Tour Type Modified racing at the 52nd World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
“To win this race is a big deal because it’s named after Teddy and it’s name after Richie,” Preece said. “Teddy was somebody that I’ve raced with. He’s never given me an inch and he’s pushed me to be the race I am today. To win this race down here where he used to come – this was his playground – so to win here for this 100-lapper with his name and Richie’s name, it means a lot to me. And obviously I finished the race, so that’s even better.”
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. was second and Timmy Solomito of Islip, N.Y. third.
It was the second victory in five events at New Smyrna since Monday for Preece, who was the only repeat winner of the week. Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Mass. won on opening night Monday. Preece won Tuesday. Hirschman won the John Blewett III Memorial 76 on Wednesday. Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. won Thursday’s event.
It was the third time in four years that Preece has won the Richie Evans/Ted Christopher Memorial event at New Smyrna.
Preece took the lead from Hirschman on a lap 65 restart and never trailed again.
“I was a little nervous with about 10 [laps] to go,” Preece said. “The car really started to free up, had a twitch. But apparently [Hirschman] must have been loosening up or tightening up too.”
Hirschman, who also won Saturday’s Tour Type Modified event at Bronson Speedway in Archer, Fla, clinched his first Tour Type Modified division championship at the World Series.
Hirschman was fourth on Monday, second on Tuesday and fourth on Thursday. Hirschman came into the final night of racing leading Emerling by one point in the standings. Emerling’s night was plagued by two wrecks.
“We had a good week and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Hirschman said. “All the times we’ve come down here I’ve never really left here satisfied with the week we’ve had and I’m still a little disappointed in what we had. We had a good solid week. We won a couple. We did some things that we never did before. Checked some things off the list. … It would have been a lot more fun to race with Ryan for the win. I need to do better. I didn’t have the focus on the things I needed to have I think to get it done and stay on top of it all week. I always say that the Turkey Derby is the hardest day of the year for racing. … But this is by far the hardest thing to do, the week-long racing here at New Smyrna. It’s an experience for sure.”
Ryan Preece Wins Evans/Christopher 100; Matt Hirschman Grabs New Smyrna World Series Tour Type Mod Title
A www.racedayct.com article
A roller coaster week of racing in Florida ended on a high note Friday for Ryan Preece.
Preece, of Berlin, drove away from the field over the closing laps to win the Richie Evans/Ted Christopher Memorial 100 on the final night of Tour Type Modified racing at the 52nd World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
“To win this race is a big deal because it’s named after Teddy and it’s name after Richie,” Preece said. “Teddy was somebody that I’ve raced with. He’s never given me an inch and he’s pushed me to be the race I am today. To win this race down here where he used to come – this was his playground – so to win here for this 100-lapper with his name and Richie’s name, it means a lot to me. And obviously I finished the race, so that’s even better.”
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. was second and Timmy Solomito of Islip, N.Y. third.
It was the second victory in five events at New Smyrna since Monday for Preece, who was the only repeat winner of the week. Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Mass. won on opening night Monday. Preece won Tuesday. Hirschman won the John Blewett III Memorial 76 on Wednesday. Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. won Thursday’s event.
It was the third time in four years that Preece has won the Richie Evans/Ted Christopher Memorial event at New Smyrna.
Preece took the lead from Hirschman on a lap 65 restart and never trailed again.
“I was a little nervous with about 10 [laps] to go,” Preece said. “The car really started to free up, had a twitch. But apparently [Hirschman] must have been loosening up or tightening up too.”
Hirschman, who also won Saturday’s Tour Type Modified event at Bronson Speedway in Archer, Fla, clinched his first Tour Type Modified division championship at the World Series.
Hirschman was fourth on Monday, second on Tuesday and fourth on Thursday. Hirschman came into the final night of racing leading Emerling by one point in the standings. Emerling’s night was plagued by two wrecks.
“We had a good week and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Hirschman said. “All the times we’ve come down here I’ve never really left here satisfied with the week we’ve had and I’m still a little disappointed in what we had. We had a good solid week. We won a couple. We did some things that we never did before. Checked some things off the list. … It would have been a lot more fun to race with Ryan for the win. I need to do better. I didn’t have the focus on the things I needed to have I think to get it done and stay on top of it all week. I always say that the Turkey Derby is the hardest day of the year for racing. … But this is by far the hardest thing to do, the week-long racing here at New Smyrna. It’s an experience for sure.”
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February 13th, 2018
Redemption Night: Ryan Preece Bounces Back For Tour Type Modified Victory At New Smyrna
A www.racedayct.com article
Florida in February for those from Connecticut is supposed to be about happy moments and good times.
But there’s been little sunny about the Sunshine State the past few days for Berlin’s Ryan Preece.
But Tuesday night at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Preece righted all the wrongs.
Preece led from lap 14 on and pulled away from Matt Hirschman over the closing stages to win the 35-lap Tour Type Modified feature Tuesday at New Smyrna Speedway.
“When you beat that guy right there … that’s saying something,” Preece said of Hirschman, who won Saturday’s Tour Type Modified event at Bronson Speedway. “All these guys behind me, they’ve been working their butts off all week. We haven’t made it easy on them. … It’s just awesome. This is definitely the way I wanted to start [Monday]. But to be able to do it the next day, that’s a little bit more sweeter.”
Preece’s Florida week began with a wild wreck in practice at Bronson Speedway on Saturday. Monday, in the first night of Tour Type Modified action at New Smyrna, Preece led most of the way in the 50-lap feature before a mechanical failure ended his night late.
“We’ve done our homework,” Preece said. “… I don’t want any luck. I want to make my own way to victory lane and ultimately we started fourth, we got holes, we got some breaks, but we earned our way here. That crew right there is the one who earned our way here.”
Hirschman, of Northampton, Pa., was second and Jimmy Blewett of Howell, N.J. third.
Preece went by Hirschman for the lead on lap 14 and never trailed again.
“I knew I had a really good car,” Preece said. “[Hirschman] was better than me in some places but I was better than him in a few places. Ultimately, the hole opened up, I got a good enough run, got under him and once I got in front we were just kind of there even and then we were just able to inch away, inch away, inch away. We had a good enough car for 35 laps.”
Said Hirschman: “I just need to get a little bit better. … Bottom line is we just need to be better. The car is not quite to me liking. We still were the class of the field with Ryan and I, but we’ve got room to improve for sure.”
Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Mass., scored victory on the opening night of Modified racing at the World Series on Monday.
Redemption Night: Ryan Preece Bounces Back For Tour Type Modified Victory At New Smyrna
A www.racedayct.com article
Florida in February for those from Connecticut is supposed to be about happy moments and good times.
But there’s been little sunny about the Sunshine State the past few days for Berlin’s Ryan Preece.
But Tuesday night at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Preece righted all the wrongs.
Preece led from lap 14 on and pulled away from Matt Hirschman over the closing stages to win the 35-lap Tour Type Modified feature Tuesday at New Smyrna Speedway.
“When you beat that guy right there … that’s saying something,” Preece said of Hirschman, who won Saturday’s Tour Type Modified event at Bronson Speedway. “All these guys behind me, they’ve been working their butts off all week. We haven’t made it easy on them. … It’s just awesome. This is definitely the way I wanted to start [Monday]. But to be able to do it the next day, that’s a little bit more sweeter.”
Preece’s Florida week began with a wild wreck in practice at Bronson Speedway on Saturday. Monday, in the first night of Tour Type Modified action at New Smyrna, Preece led most of the way in the 50-lap feature before a mechanical failure ended his night late.
“We’ve done our homework,” Preece said. “… I don’t want any luck. I want to make my own way to victory lane and ultimately we started fourth, we got holes, we got some breaks, but we earned our way here. That crew right there is the one who earned our way here.”
Hirschman, of Northampton, Pa., was second and Jimmy Blewett of Howell, N.J. third.
Preece went by Hirschman for the lead on lap 14 and never trailed again.
“I knew I had a really good car,” Preece said. “[Hirschman] was better than me in some places but I was better than him in a few places. Ultimately, the hole opened up, I got a good enough run, got under him and once I got in front we were just kind of there even and then we were just able to inch away, inch away, inch away. We had a good enough car for 35 laps.”
Said Hirschman: “I just need to get a little bit better. … Bottom line is we just need to be better. The car is not quite to me liking. We still were the class of the field with Ryan and I, but we’ve got room to improve for sure.”
Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Mass., scored victory on the opening night of Modified racing at the World Series on Monday.
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October 17th, 2017
Coby Adds To His Legacy With Fifth Title;
Ryan Preece Earns 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Owners Championship For Ed & Connie Partridge
By Kyle Souza, NASCARHomeTracks.com
THOMPSON, Conn. -- Back in April, Doug Coby walked away from a wrecked race car without even completing one lap in the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Six months later, Coby capped the season at Thompson by completing an unthinkable comeback to win his fifth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.
Sunday's fifth-place finish in the Sunoco World Series 150 was enough to completely erase his disastrous start to the season and wrap up his fourth straight title.
The Milford, Conn. driver becomes the first driver since the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour began in 1984 to accomplish the feat and only the third in the history of NASCAR modifieds, joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Richie Evans and Jerry Cook.
"We just kind of tugged away this year," Coby said. "We won one race in 2014 when we won the championship and we only won once this year. We were just so consistent."
Timmy Solomito, who entered the race third in the championship standings and one of six drivers still in contention for the crown, used a pass with just two laps remaining to capture the victory the race that was pushed to 155 laps because of a late caution.
The victory was the fifth of the season for the Islip, New York, driver but it wasn't enough to get him the title.
Coby finished with 604 points, six ahead of Solomito. Justin Bonsignore finished third, 10 points back of Solomito, while Rowan Pennink and Eric Goodale rounded out the top five in the championship standings.
Coby was determined to control his own destiny. The points leader entering the finale, he started on the front row with polesitter Chase Dowling and immediately jumped to the front to lead the first 82 laps to clinch the bonus points for most laps led.
After his first pit stop, he restarted outside the top 10 and wasn't able to get all the way back to the front. But it didn't matter. A late charge was enough to hand him the championship behind the wheel of his No. 2 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet.
"We were good all year and we were kind of under the radar. This was a different championship because we to crawl all summer because we had to get back in it," Coby said. "We had to chip away this year. The common denominator in all of these titles was a team that never quit."
Dowling finished second -- crossing the finish line .043 seconds behind Solomito -- while Ron Silk was third and Pennink fourth.
Andrew Krause finished sixth, followed by Woody Pitkat, Dave Sapienza, Jamie Tomaino and Bonsignore.
Ryan Preece finished 26th in the race and fell to sixth in points. However, he was able to wrap up the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner's championship for Ed Partridge. Preece missed two races -- one for his wedding and one to run the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Kentucky Speedway -- and combined with George Brunnhoelzl III and Jon McKennedy to win the title for Partridge's No. 6 TS Hauler Chevrolet team.
Coby and Partridge will be honored as champion of the unified Whelen Modified Tour as part of the champions celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina in December.
Coby Adds To His Legacy With Fifth Title;
Ryan Preece Earns 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Owners Championship For Ed & Connie Partridge
By Kyle Souza, NASCARHomeTracks.com
THOMPSON, Conn. -- Back in April, Doug Coby walked away from a wrecked race car without even completing one lap in the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Six months later, Coby capped the season at Thompson by completing an unthinkable comeback to win his fifth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.
Sunday's fifth-place finish in the Sunoco World Series 150 was enough to completely erase his disastrous start to the season and wrap up his fourth straight title.
The Milford, Conn. driver becomes the first driver since the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour began in 1984 to accomplish the feat and only the third in the history of NASCAR modifieds, joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Richie Evans and Jerry Cook.
"We just kind of tugged away this year," Coby said. "We won one race in 2014 when we won the championship and we only won once this year. We were just so consistent."
Timmy Solomito, who entered the race third in the championship standings and one of six drivers still in contention for the crown, used a pass with just two laps remaining to capture the victory the race that was pushed to 155 laps because of a late caution.
The victory was the fifth of the season for the Islip, New York, driver but it wasn't enough to get him the title.
Coby finished with 604 points, six ahead of Solomito. Justin Bonsignore finished third, 10 points back of Solomito, while Rowan Pennink and Eric Goodale rounded out the top five in the championship standings.
Coby was determined to control his own destiny. The points leader entering the finale, he started on the front row with polesitter Chase Dowling and immediately jumped to the front to lead the first 82 laps to clinch the bonus points for most laps led.
After his first pit stop, he restarted outside the top 10 and wasn't able to get all the way back to the front. But it didn't matter. A late charge was enough to hand him the championship behind the wheel of his No. 2 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet.
"We were good all year and we were kind of under the radar. This was a different championship because we to crawl all summer because we had to get back in it," Coby said. "We had to chip away this year. The common denominator in all of these titles was a team that never quit."
Dowling finished second -- crossing the finish line .043 seconds behind Solomito -- while Ron Silk was third and Pennink fourth.
Andrew Krause finished sixth, followed by Woody Pitkat, Dave Sapienza, Jamie Tomaino and Bonsignore.
Ryan Preece finished 26th in the race and fell to sixth in points. However, he was able to wrap up the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner's championship for Ed Partridge. Preece missed two races -- one for his wedding and one to run the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Kentucky Speedway -- and combined with George Brunnhoelzl III and Jon McKennedy to win the title for Partridge's No. 6 TS Hauler Chevrolet team.
Coby and Partridge will be honored as champion of the unified Whelen Modified Tour as part of the champions celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina in December.
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September 3rd, 2017
Preece Keeps Up His Winning Ways
Passes Hirschman Late To Claim Whelen Modified Win At Oswego
A NASCARHomeTracks.com release
OSWEGO, N.Y. -- A spectacular summer for Ryan Preece continued Saturday night at Oswego Speedway in the Toyota Mod Classic 150 presented by McDonald’s.
The Berlin, Connecticut, native took his fifth checkered flag of the season. Preece took the lead from Matt Hirschman on Lap 114 and never looked back.
“We came in and made a little bit of an adjustment because I felt he [Hirschman] was better in the first half,” said Preece of the halftime stop. "We were good. Just kind of tried to make him go hard the whole time.”
The victory was the 20th of Preece’s Whelen Modified Tour career and the first at Oswego. Preece ran up front all race long. After qualifying fourth, Preece quickly made his way up to second. On Lap 114, Preece dove underneath Hirschman in turn three. After taking the lead, Preece pulled away, with no one able to challenge the 25-year-old.
Preece took the checkers 2.849 seconds ahead of Hirschman. Earlier in the day, Hirschman won his second straight Coors Light Pole Award and went to lead a race-high 117 laps.
Preece also extended his point lead to nine over Doug Coby. Rowan Pennink is third, 16 points behind Preece and one ahead of Timmy Solomito.
Justin Bonsignore was sixth at Oswego and is six points behind Solomito. Craig Lutz, Max Zachem, Dave Sapienza and Pennink rounded out the top 10 at Oswego.
The Toyota Mod Classic 150 will air on NBCSN Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track Saturday, Sept. 16, at Riverhead Raceway in New York.
Preece Keeps Up His Winning Ways
Passes Hirschman Late To Claim Whelen Modified Win At Oswego
A NASCARHomeTracks.com release
OSWEGO, N.Y. -- A spectacular summer for Ryan Preece continued Saturday night at Oswego Speedway in the Toyota Mod Classic 150 presented by McDonald’s.
The Berlin, Connecticut, native took his fifth checkered flag of the season. Preece took the lead from Matt Hirschman on Lap 114 and never looked back.
“We came in and made a little bit of an adjustment because I felt he [Hirschman] was better in the first half,” said Preece of the halftime stop. "We were good. Just kind of tried to make him go hard the whole time.”
The victory was the 20th of Preece’s Whelen Modified Tour career and the first at Oswego. Preece ran up front all race long. After qualifying fourth, Preece quickly made his way up to second. On Lap 114, Preece dove underneath Hirschman in turn three. After taking the lead, Preece pulled away, with no one able to challenge the 25-year-old.
Preece took the checkers 2.849 seconds ahead of Hirschman. Earlier in the day, Hirschman won his second straight Coors Light Pole Award and went to lead a race-high 117 laps.
Preece also extended his point lead to nine over Doug Coby. Rowan Pennink is third, 16 points behind Preece and one ahead of Timmy Solomito.
Justin Bonsignore was sixth at Oswego and is six points behind Solomito. Craig Lutz, Max Zachem, Dave Sapienza and Pennink rounded out the top 10 at Oswego.
The Toyota Mod Classic 150 will air on NBCSN Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track Saturday, Sept. 16, at Riverhead Raceway in New York.
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August 11th, 2017
Preece Charges Late at Thompson
Posts Second Straight Whelen Modified Win & Fourth of Season
A NASCARHomeTracks.com press release
THOMPSON, Conn. -- The wave of momentum for Ryan Preece continued on Wednesday night at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
Preece charged to the front of the 28th Annual Bud "King of Beers" 150 for his second straight NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory and fourth of the season.
The Berlin, Connecticut, driver passed defending champion Doug Coby with just 16 laps remaining en route to the win. In his last six Whelen Modified Tour starts, he has four wins, a second and a fourth. It was his 19th career tour victory.
"Doug put a lot more pressure on me at the end then I thought he was going too," Preece said following his win. "I have to keep winning races. My career depends on that. We had a really good car tonight."
Wednesday's drive was filled with plenty of drama. While some of the top challengers pitted before the haflway point, Preece decided to wait things out and make a late pit stop for fresh rubber. However, on Lap 114, his No. 6 TS Haulers/Hoosier Tire of Calverton Chevrolet went spinning in Turn 2. Preece fired the car before going a lap down and pitted for tires two laps later.
From there, it was a hard charge to the front.
Preece worked his way into the top five and then passed leader Coby with just 16 laps remaining. While Preece showed the way for the final laps, Coby was not about to let him get away. However, on the final lap, Coby made contact with the Turn 1 wall. Coby was able to continue on and was scored as the runner-up as the race ended under caution. The yellow flag froze the field on the final lap, and NASCAR officials ruled Coby maintained a reasonable speed under caution given the track conditions.
Ted Christopher finished third, followed by Timmy Solomito and Bobby Santos.
Andrew Krause was sixth, followed by Rowan Pennink, Eric Goodale, Jon McKennedy and Woody Pitkat.
Solomito increased his championship points lead to 10 over Pennink, while Preece moved up to third -- 19 back of Solomito -- despite missing a race earlier in the season to get married. Coby and Goodale are each 11 points back of Preece.
The Bud "King of Beers" 150 will air on NBCSN on Thursday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track next Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway with the running of the Bush's Beans 150.
Preece Charges Late at Thompson
Posts Second Straight Whelen Modified Win & Fourth of Season
A NASCARHomeTracks.com press release
THOMPSON, Conn. -- The wave of momentum for Ryan Preece continued on Wednesday night at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
Preece charged to the front of the 28th Annual Bud "King of Beers" 150 for his second straight NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory and fourth of the season.
The Berlin, Connecticut, driver passed defending champion Doug Coby with just 16 laps remaining en route to the win. In his last six Whelen Modified Tour starts, he has four wins, a second and a fourth. It was his 19th career tour victory.
"Doug put a lot more pressure on me at the end then I thought he was going too," Preece said following his win. "I have to keep winning races. My career depends on that. We had a really good car tonight."
Wednesday's drive was filled with plenty of drama. While some of the top challengers pitted before the haflway point, Preece decided to wait things out and make a late pit stop for fresh rubber. However, on Lap 114, his No. 6 TS Haulers/Hoosier Tire of Calverton Chevrolet went spinning in Turn 2. Preece fired the car before going a lap down and pitted for tires two laps later.
From there, it was a hard charge to the front.
Preece worked his way into the top five and then passed leader Coby with just 16 laps remaining. While Preece showed the way for the final laps, Coby was not about to let him get away. However, on the final lap, Coby made contact with the Turn 1 wall. Coby was able to continue on and was scored as the runner-up as the race ended under caution. The yellow flag froze the field on the final lap, and NASCAR officials ruled Coby maintained a reasonable speed under caution given the track conditions.
Ted Christopher finished third, followed by Timmy Solomito and Bobby Santos.
Andrew Krause was sixth, followed by Rowan Pennink, Eric Goodale, Jon McKennedy and Woody Pitkat.
Solomito increased his championship points lead to 10 over Pennink, while Preece moved up to third -- 19 back of Solomito -- despite missing a race earlier in the season to get married. Coby and Goodale are each 11 points back of Preece.
The Bud "King of Beers" 150 will air on NBCSN on Thursday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track next Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway with the running of the Bush's Beans 150.
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August 4, 2017
Happy Returns: Ryan Preece Outduels Doug Coby For Whelen Mod Tour Win At Stafford Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – Ryan Preece returned home to Stafford Motor Speedway Friday afternoon as the celebrated local hero of racing who spent the week as the biggest national story in the world of NASCAR.
Preece shocked many at the national level last Saturday in winning in the Xfinity Series US Cellular 250 in his second series start this year with Joe Gibbs Racing.
And while fans celebrated his return home Friday, when the night was over it was Preece keeping the celebration going hard.
Preece, of Berlin, used a lap 149 restart to go by Doug Coby for the lead and won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Stafford 150 Friday at Stafford Speedway.
“I’m just riding this wave,” Preece said. “I’ve known because I’ve been racing for years, you can have a high and go and dominate everything and next week I could be running 15th and holding on for dear life and everybody would be like ‘Man, Ryan is off his game.’”
It was the third Whelen Modified Tour victory of the season for Preece, who won the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 at Stafford on April 30. He also won at Thompson Speedway on June 14.
Coby, of Milford, was second and Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, N.Y. third.
Preece, who ran the Xfinity Series full-time in 2016, was making his second start for Joe Gibbs Racing at Iowa. He finished second to Monster Energy Series star Kyle Busch in the Overton’s 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15. He was originally slated to run two events for Joe Gibbs Racing. It was announced earlier this week that he will run again for the team in the Xfinity Series event at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 23.
Friday at Stafford Preece reveled in his return home.
“Racing here in the Connecticut based short tracks is what’s made me who I am,” Preece said. “One thing I will say is that basically this is the best racing in the country. Here at Stafford, Thompson [Speedway], Riverhead [Raceway], Seekonk [Speedway], all these Northeast race tracks, I hope people realize what great racing we have. I’ve been to a lot of short tracks and watched a lot and nothing compares to Modifeds.”
Preece qualified third Friday but was forced to start at the back of the field after his car was found to be too low after qualifying.
He made quick work of getting to the front Friday, but Coby proved the dominant force for most of the event. Coby went by Craig Lutz for the lead on the first lap and stayed there for the bulk of the event. Coby looked to be cruising away from the field late. But on lap 141 Bobby Santos III spun in turn two just after Preece passed him for second place.
The race restarted on lap 145, but immediately went back to caution for a wreck on the frontstretch.
The race then restarted on lap 149 with Preece, rolling on fresher tires than Coby, on his outside. On the restart Preece used the outside lane to get the advantage on Coby through turn one and cleared him for the lead through turn two.
Coby, who is looking for his fourth consecutive series title and fifth title overall in the last six seasons, remained winless in 2017.
“I got beat,” Coby said. “It happens. Ryan had a great car. I knew he was coming even when we were out front. The red flags and the restarts just don’t help. We spun the tires a little bit on both restarts. I thought I got a better restart the second time but he just had massive drive and he did a good job. We got beat tonight and didn’t get our first win of the season. But it’s coming. We’ve been really fast.”
Said Preece: “Man that race was an up and down race. I don’t know how many times I went to the back. I’ve got thank [spotter] Shawn Waddell for doing a great job. I think he’s more excited than I am. … I’ve got a great team here. They had a great pit stop. … These guys work really hard so the win’s for them. I’m just really excited to get this thing back in victory lane.”
Happy Returns: Ryan Preece Outduels Doug Coby For Whelen Mod Tour Win At Stafford Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – Ryan Preece returned home to Stafford Motor Speedway Friday afternoon as the celebrated local hero of racing who spent the week as the biggest national story in the world of NASCAR.
Preece shocked many at the national level last Saturday in winning in the Xfinity Series US Cellular 250 in his second series start this year with Joe Gibbs Racing.
And while fans celebrated his return home Friday, when the night was over it was Preece keeping the celebration going hard.
Preece, of Berlin, used a lap 149 restart to go by Doug Coby for the lead and won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Stafford 150 Friday at Stafford Speedway.
“I’m just riding this wave,” Preece said. “I’ve known because I’ve been racing for years, you can have a high and go and dominate everything and next week I could be running 15th and holding on for dear life and everybody would be like ‘Man, Ryan is off his game.’”
It was the third Whelen Modified Tour victory of the season for Preece, who won the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 at Stafford on April 30. He also won at Thompson Speedway on June 14.
Coby, of Milford, was second and Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, N.Y. third.
Preece, who ran the Xfinity Series full-time in 2016, was making his second start for Joe Gibbs Racing at Iowa. He finished second to Monster Energy Series star Kyle Busch in the Overton’s 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15. He was originally slated to run two events for Joe Gibbs Racing. It was announced earlier this week that he will run again for the team in the Xfinity Series event at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 23.
Friday at Stafford Preece reveled in his return home.
“Racing here in the Connecticut based short tracks is what’s made me who I am,” Preece said. “One thing I will say is that basically this is the best racing in the country. Here at Stafford, Thompson [Speedway], Riverhead [Raceway], Seekonk [Speedway], all these Northeast race tracks, I hope people realize what great racing we have. I’ve been to a lot of short tracks and watched a lot and nothing compares to Modifeds.”
Preece qualified third Friday but was forced to start at the back of the field after his car was found to be too low after qualifying.
He made quick work of getting to the front Friday, but Coby proved the dominant force for most of the event. Coby went by Craig Lutz for the lead on the first lap and stayed there for the bulk of the event. Coby looked to be cruising away from the field late. But on lap 141 Bobby Santos III spun in turn two just after Preece passed him for second place.
The race restarted on lap 145, but immediately went back to caution for a wreck on the frontstretch.
The race then restarted on lap 149 with Preece, rolling on fresher tires than Coby, on his outside. On the restart Preece used the outside lane to get the advantage on Coby through turn one and cleared him for the lead through turn two.
Coby, who is looking for his fourth consecutive series title and fifth title overall in the last six seasons, remained winless in 2017.
“I got beat,” Coby said. “It happens. Ryan had a great car. I knew he was coming even when we were out front. The red flags and the restarts just don’t help. We spun the tires a little bit on both restarts. I thought I got a better restart the second time but he just had massive drive and he did a good job. We got beat tonight and didn’t get our first win of the season. But it’s coming. We’ve been really fast.”
Said Preece: “Man that race was an up and down race. I don’t know how many times I went to the back. I’ve got thank [spotter] Shawn Waddell for doing a great job. I think he’s more excited than I am. … I’ve got a great team here. They had a great pit stop. … These guys work really hard so the win’s for them. I’m just really excited to get this thing back in victory lane.”
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August 3, 2017
Ryan Preece set for third NASCAR Xfinity start with Joe Gibbs at Kentucky
The 2013 Modified Tour champion won his first race last weekend at Iowa
A www.autoweek.com article
Ryan Preece will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series on September 23 at Kentucky Speedway.
His victory last weekend at Iowa Speedway was supposed to be the final of his two planned starts in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Instead, his victory appears to have netted him additional funding for at least one more appearance on NASCAR's second largest stage. Preece also finished second in his Gibbs debut last month at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
He made the announcement on NBCSN's NASCAR America television show.
"Since our win came, there’s been partners that have come on to help us do another race," Preece said. "I’m really looking forward to that and running strong and just trying to keep this thing going."
The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion had a full-time ride with JD Motorsports in 2016 but quit at the end of the season stating a desire to be with a team that could provide winning equipment. At the time, it was viewed skeptically, that Preece would choose to return to full-time NWMT competition than race in the Xfinity Series.
But he has validated that decision over the past month.
"I’m confident because I feel like I have to be," Preece said. "In order to sell myself I have to be show people I can win races. Anything short of that, other than finishing second to Kyle Busch or a Cup guy, is almost a disappointment."
Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/nascar/ryan-preece-set-third-nascar-xfinity-start-joe-gibbs-kentucky#ixzz4otdycmHP
Ryan Preece set for third NASCAR Xfinity start with Joe Gibbs at Kentucky
The 2013 Modified Tour champion won his first race last weekend at Iowa
A www.autoweek.com article
Ryan Preece will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series on September 23 at Kentucky Speedway.
His victory last weekend at Iowa Speedway was supposed to be the final of his two planned starts in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Instead, his victory appears to have netted him additional funding for at least one more appearance on NASCAR's second largest stage. Preece also finished second in his Gibbs debut last month at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
He made the announcement on NBCSN's NASCAR America television show.
"Since our win came, there’s been partners that have come on to help us do another race," Preece said. "I’m really looking forward to that and running strong and just trying to keep this thing going."
The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion had a full-time ride with JD Motorsports in 2016 but quit at the end of the season stating a desire to be with a team that could provide winning equipment. At the time, it was viewed skeptically, that Preece would choose to return to full-time NWMT competition than race in the Xfinity Series.
But he has validated that decision over the past month.
"I’m confident because I feel like I have to be," Preece said. "In order to sell myself I have to be show people I can win races. Anything short of that, other than finishing second to Kyle Busch or a Cup guy, is almost a disappointment."
Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/nascar/ryan-preece-set-third-nascar-xfinity-start-joe-gibbs-kentucky#ixzz4otdycmHP
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July 30th, 2017
Taking It Home: Short Tracker Attitude Helps Ryan Preece To First Xfinity Series Victory
A www.racedayct.com article
Facing the biggest moment of his racing career Saturday, Ryan Preece’s head took him home.
In preparing for a green-white-checkered finish in the Xfinity Series US Cellular 250 Saturday at Iowa Speedway, the short track racer competing at Thompson Speedway took over for the Berlin racer.
Preece used the high line to hold off a charging effort from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Benjamin over the green-white-checkered overtime finish to win the Xfinity Series US Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Ia.
“I knew [Benjamin] was actually better at the end,” Preece told RaceDayCT by phone Saturday after the win. “I was struggling to get off the corner and struggling to get going on those restarts. I knew what happened was the outside became the preferred lane. I just did exactly what I would do at Thompson [Speedway]. I made sure I got a good launch and kept it in that preferred lane and kept my momentum going. That’s really what was able to get me to victory lane.”
It was the first career XFinity Series victory for the 26-year old Modified racing veteran Preece, who is a regular on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and was the 2013 series champion. He is also a former SK Modified division champion at Thompson and Stafford Motor Speedway.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Preece said. “I’ve got to thank everybody. …I’m so lost for words right now. I don’t even know what to say. This is what emotion is. I thought this race would never end, that’s for sure. But man, nothing’s going to beat today.”
It was the second event Preece has run this year for Joe Gibbs Racing. He finished second to NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series star Kyle Busch in the Overton’s 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15.
Preece started the day by winning the pole for the event, his first career pole with the series.
Preece led every lap of the first stage. He spent most of the second stage battling Justin Allgaier for the top spot, with Allgaier winning the second stage. Allgaier stayed out during a caution on lap 169 while Preece and the rest of the leaders pitted for tires. Preece went to the lead following the lap 178 restart and Allgaier faded. Allgaier was forced to pit under green for tires and finished 20th, two laps down.
On the decisive final restart, Benjamin was able to stay in the low lane under Preece and fight for the lead during the two-lap overtime shootout. The two came to the checkered flag side-by-side.
“To do this at NASCAR’s second highest level in my second start [with Joe Gibbs Racing], it’s just a lot,” Preece said. “It reassures me that I can do it, that I can go out and win races and do it at NASCAR’s highest level.
“I take a lot of pride in [being a short track racing regular],” Preece said. “To be honest with you, I know a lot of race car drivers out there that are really good and I’m sure those last few restart they could have done the same thing. It comes down to being aggressive and what racing is built on. … I am a short tracker. I race week in and week out, wherever I can go race. You don’t see a lot of guys in the top three series that really do that. I’m really excited and really happy for my family and all my supporters. It’s just awesome.”
Preece has 17 career Whelen Modified Tour victories in 137 series starts dating back to 2007. He was the 2011 SK Modified champion at Stafford Speedway and won SK Modified championships at Thompson Speedway in 2012 and 2014.
Preece was making his 38th career Xfinity Series start Saturday. He had support in putting the deal from local companies Falmouth Ready Mix of East Falmouth, Mass., Mowhawk Northeast of Plantsville and Mizzy Construction of Plainville.
He ran full-time in the Xfinity Series last year for the underfunded Johnny Davis Motorsports team. He opted not to run a second season with the team and instead focused on finding selected rides with an upper level organization.
At this point he’s unsure what the gamble to run the two events with Joe Gibbs Racing will bring him.
“Right now there’s nothing more than what I’ve got,” Preece said. “This could have been my last race in an Xfinity car. But I told [my wife Heather], I have nothing to hang my head about. I finished second at New Hampshire, I got the pole here today and I won the race. If nothing comes of it, I’m not going to say I’m not going to be disappointed, but I did everything I could as a race car driver to get myself into the position to succeed. Now it’s just up to fate and up to hopefully sponsors and people are watching and we’ll see.”
Preece qualified sixth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15, which marked his best qualifying effort in the series to that point. In his 33 events with the series in 2016 his best starting spot was 12th, which came in the division’s lone visit to NHMS. His best finish in 2016 was a 10th place at Darlington (S.C.) Speedway.
Taking It Home: Short Tracker Attitude Helps Ryan Preece To First Xfinity Series Victory
A www.racedayct.com article
Facing the biggest moment of his racing career Saturday, Ryan Preece’s head took him home.
In preparing for a green-white-checkered finish in the Xfinity Series US Cellular 250 Saturday at Iowa Speedway, the short track racer competing at Thompson Speedway took over for the Berlin racer.
Preece used the high line to hold off a charging effort from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Benjamin over the green-white-checkered overtime finish to win the Xfinity Series US Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Ia.
“I knew [Benjamin] was actually better at the end,” Preece told RaceDayCT by phone Saturday after the win. “I was struggling to get off the corner and struggling to get going on those restarts. I knew what happened was the outside became the preferred lane. I just did exactly what I would do at Thompson [Speedway]. I made sure I got a good launch and kept it in that preferred lane and kept my momentum going. That’s really what was able to get me to victory lane.”
It was the first career XFinity Series victory for the 26-year old Modified racing veteran Preece, who is a regular on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and was the 2013 series champion. He is also a former SK Modified division champion at Thompson and Stafford Motor Speedway.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Preece said. “I’ve got to thank everybody. …I’m so lost for words right now. I don’t even know what to say. This is what emotion is. I thought this race would never end, that’s for sure. But man, nothing’s going to beat today.”
It was the second event Preece has run this year for Joe Gibbs Racing. He finished second to NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series star Kyle Busch in the Overton’s 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15.
Preece started the day by winning the pole for the event, his first career pole with the series.
Preece led every lap of the first stage. He spent most of the second stage battling Justin Allgaier for the top spot, with Allgaier winning the second stage. Allgaier stayed out during a caution on lap 169 while Preece and the rest of the leaders pitted for tires. Preece went to the lead following the lap 178 restart and Allgaier faded. Allgaier was forced to pit under green for tires and finished 20th, two laps down.
On the decisive final restart, Benjamin was able to stay in the low lane under Preece and fight for the lead during the two-lap overtime shootout. The two came to the checkered flag side-by-side.
“To do this at NASCAR’s second highest level in my second start [with Joe Gibbs Racing], it’s just a lot,” Preece said. “It reassures me that I can do it, that I can go out and win races and do it at NASCAR’s highest level.
“I take a lot of pride in [being a short track racing regular],” Preece said. “To be honest with you, I know a lot of race car drivers out there that are really good and I’m sure those last few restart they could have done the same thing. It comes down to being aggressive and what racing is built on. … I am a short tracker. I race week in and week out, wherever I can go race. You don’t see a lot of guys in the top three series that really do that. I’m really excited and really happy for my family and all my supporters. It’s just awesome.”
Preece has 17 career Whelen Modified Tour victories in 137 series starts dating back to 2007. He was the 2011 SK Modified champion at Stafford Speedway and won SK Modified championships at Thompson Speedway in 2012 and 2014.
Preece was making his 38th career Xfinity Series start Saturday. He had support in putting the deal from local companies Falmouth Ready Mix of East Falmouth, Mass., Mowhawk Northeast of Plantsville and Mizzy Construction of Plainville.
He ran full-time in the Xfinity Series last year for the underfunded Johnny Davis Motorsports team. He opted not to run a second season with the team and instead focused on finding selected rides with an upper level organization.
At this point he’s unsure what the gamble to run the two events with Joe Gibbs Racing will bring him.
“Right now there’s nothing more than what I’ve got,” Preece said. “This could have been my last race in an Xfinity car. But I told [my wife Heather], I have nothing to hang my head about. I finished second at New Hampshire, I got the pole here today and I won the race. If nothing comes of it, I’m not going to say I’m not going to be disappointed, but I did everything I could as a race car driver to get myself into the position to succeed. Now it’s just up to fate and up to hopefully sponsors and people are watching and we’ll see.”
Preece qualified sixth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15, which marked his best qualifying effort in the series to that point. In his 33 events with the series in 2016 his best starting spot was 12th, which came in the division’s lone visit to NHMS. His best finish in 2016 was a 10th place at Darlington (S.C.) Speedway.
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July 30th, 2017
Ryan Preece earns Xfinity Series win at Iowa Speedway
Los Angeles Times article; Associaited Press
Ryan Preece had waited his whole career for a chance to race in a car as strong as the No. 20 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing.
Preece then went out and proved what he could do with top-notch equipment.
The 26-year-old Preece survived a green-white-checkered finish to win the NASCAR Xfinity race Saturday at Iowa Speedway for his first career victory.
Preece, running the second of a two-race deal with the powerhouse JGR team, started from the pole and held off Kyle Benjamin on three restarts in the final 17 laps.
Preece, the Connecticut driver who is a regular in the lower-division NASCAR Whelen Modified series, crossed the start-finish line less than a car-length ahead of Benjamin.
“To be honest with you, I believed in myself enough to do it,” Preece said of using his Xfinity budget for just two races. “It is very risky. I had multiple people in the business tell me that it was a little (riskier) than they would do.”
The 19-year-old Benjamin was a career-best second, followed by Brian Scott, Brennan Poole and rookie Cole Custer.
William Byron, who began a streak of three wins in five races at Iowa last month, finished ninth and Justin Allgaier was 20th after leading 106 laps.
Preece finished 17th in the series a year ago, with only one top-10 in 33 starts.
For this season, Preece went back to the Modified series — where he won a title four years ago — while striking a deal with JGR to run twice in one of the best cars in the series.
Preece was second to Cup star Kyle Busch in New Hampshire in his first shot with the No. 20 car.
On Saturday, he held off Benjamin to make his season-long gamble pay off.
“I knew what I felt like I had to do to get attention, to make noise, and I felt like these two races were my shot,” Preece said.
It was an encouraging finish for Benjamin, who started on the front row for the fourth time in as many races but finished above 16th for the first time.
“I'm really happy to finish second — I really needed that,” Benjamin said. “But to be as close as we were to winning, it kind of hurts. It makes you think about what you could have done better.
It was another gamble, by Allgaier earlier in the race, which helped put Preece and Benjamin in position for their thrilling finish.
Allgaier won the second stage and was leading when he decided to stay out on a caution about 75 laps from the finish.
The rest of the contenders went in for fresh tires and Allgaier's No. 7 car, on old tires, quickly fell back while Preece grabbed the lead.
The hope for Allgaier was that a caution would allow him to put on a new set of tires, and thus have the advantage for the finish.
The yellow flag came too late though, as Allgaier was forced to pit for fuel just a few laps before Sam Hornish Jr. drew a caution.
Preece, who spent much of the race battling Allgaier for first, led 141 laps.
Power takes IndyCar pole
Will Power won his fifth pole of the season and fellow Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden qualified second for Sunday's Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sport Car Course.
Power won the Fast 6 qualifier with a lap of 126.672 mph compared to 126.407 for Newgarden as Chevrolet took the top two spots.
For Power, it was his third pole at Mid-Ohio and the 49th of his career to tie Bobby Unser for fourth all-time among IndyCar drivers.
Team Penske earned both of the spots on the front row for the fifth time in 13 races this season. Takuma Sato of Andretti Autosport drove his Honda to the third position. Local favorite Graham Rahal (Honda) of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was fourth.
Ryan Preece earns Xfinity Series win at Iowa Speedway
Los Angeles Times article; Associaited Press
Ryan Preece had waited his whole career for a chance to race in a car as strong as the No. 20 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing.
Preece then went out and proved what he could do with top-notch equipment.
The 26-year-old Preece survived a green-white-checkered finish to win the NASCAR Xfinity race Saturday at Iowa Speedway for his first career victory.
Preece, running the second of a two-race deal with the powerhouse JGR team, started from the pole and held off Kyle Benjamin on three restarts in the final 17 laps.
Preece, the Connecticut driver who is a regular in the lower-division NASCAR Whelen Modified series, crossed the start-finish line less than a car-length ahead of Benjamin.
“To be honest with you, I believed in myself enough to do it,” Preece said of using his Xfinity budget for just two races. “It is very risky. I had multiple people in the business tell me that it was a little (riskier) than they would do.”
The 19-year-old Benjamin was a career-best second, followed by Brian Scott, Brennan Poole and rookie Cole Custer.
William Byron, who began a streak of three wins in five races at Iowa last month, finished ninth and Justin Allgaier was 20th after leading 106 laps.
Preece finished 17th in the series a year ago, with only one top-10 in 33 starts.
For this season, Preece went back to the Modified series — where he won a title four years ago — while striking a deal with JGR to run twice in one of the best cars in the series.
Preece was second to Cup star Kyle Busch in New Hampshire in his first shot with the No. 20 car.
On Saturday, he held off Benjamin to make his season-long gamble pay off.
“I knew what I felt like I had to do to get attention, to make noise, and I felt like these two races were my shot,” Preece said.
It was an encouraging finish for Benjamin, who started on the front row for the fourth time in as many races but finished above 16th for the first time.
“I'm really happy to finish second — I really needed that,” Benjamin said. “But to be as close as we were to winning, it kind of hurts. It makes you think about what you could have done better.
It was another gamble, by Allgaier earlier in the race, which helped put Preece and Benjamin in position for their thrilling finish.
Allgaier won the second stage and was leading when he decided to stay out on a caution about 75 laps from the finish.
The rest of the contenders went in for fresh tires and Allgaier's No. 7 car, on old tires, quickly fell back while Preece grabbed the lead.
The hope for Allgaier was that a caution would allow him to put on a new set of tires, and thus have the advantage for the finish.
The yellow flag came too late though, as Allgaier was forced to pit for fuel just a few laps before Sam Hornish Jr. drew a caution.
Preece, who spent much of the race battling Allgaier for first, led 141 laps.
Power takes IndyCar pole
Will Power won his fifth pole of the season and fellow Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden qualified second for Sunday's Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sport Car Course.
Power won the Fast 6 qualifier with a lap of 126.672 mph compared to 126.407 for Newgarden as Chevrolet took the top two spots.
For Power, it was his third pole at Mid-Ohio and the 49th of his career to tie Bobby Unser for fourth all-time among IndyCar drivers.
Team Penske earned both of the spots on the front row for the fifth time in 13 races this season. Takuma Sato of Andretti Autosport drove his Honda to the third position. Local favorite Graham Rahal (Honda) of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was fourth.
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July 30th, 2017
Ryan Preece prevails at Iowa for first career Xfinity victory
A Chad Leistikow, USA TODAY article
NEWTON, Iowa — From scrounging up sponsorships to making a crucial phone call to — on Saturday — surviving three harrowing final restarts in the most important race of his career, Ryan Preece certainly earned every bit of his first win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Preece, 26, held off Kyle Benjamin and Brian Scott in an overtime finish to reach victory lane at the U.S. Cellular 250 presented by American Ethanol at Iowa Speedway.
Deflated after spending the entire 2016 season with an underfunded team in the Xfinity Series, Preece re-calibrated his career with a unique approach.
Rather than just getting by with a less-funded team, he decided to pool what sponsorships he could find and try to work his way into a seat in the car of a big-time team.
He was confident in his talent, having won multiple races and series championships in modifieds and late models in the Northeast.
“I believed in myself enough to do it,” Preece said. ”It is very risky. I had multiple people within the business tell me that they thought it was a little more risky than they would do.”
He placed a phone call to Joe Gibbs Racing’s top Xfinity Series executive, Steve deSouza, who didn’t answer. Preece left a message.
Thankfully, deSouza called him back.
They worked out a two-race deal, where Preece would drive at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Iowa in a span of three weekends.
He took the No. 20 Toyota to second (behind only Cup star Kyle Busch) two weeks ago; he rode to first Saturday.
A 1.5 average finish.
Not too bad, kid.
Not to mention Benjamin, also driving the Gibbs No. 18 on Saturday, finished second in just his fourth career Xfinity start.
“Joe just called,” deSouza said after Saturday’s race. “… He said, ‘What do we do now?’
“To be honest, we don’t really know the answers going forward, but we said, let’s go with them. Kyle, as well. And see what happens. If something opens up, that’s great. But these are the opportunities we all dream of.”
Preece had the car to beat this weekend, having won the pole position in Saturday morning’s qualifying.
He gained the lead in the final stage when leader Justin Allgaier chose not to pit under caution with 78 laps to go; a curious strategy.
A week ago at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Allgaier made a series of pit-road gaffes to take his car from the race lead to a 35th-place finish.
This week, Allgaier had another self-inflicted wound. When he opted to stay on the racetrack, everyone else behind him pitted, and he was a sitting duck on the restart.
He was hoping for another quick caution, but when one finally came with 18 to go, it was a few laps too late. Allgaier was already on pit road, two laps down, when Sam Hornish Jr.’s No. 22 Ford cut a tired and smashed the wall to bring out the fateful yellow.
Allgaier would finish 20th.
From there, Preece needed to deliver three successful restarts, and each time he showed the speed he needed to take the checkered flag.
Benjamin, 19, got to Preece’s door on the final lap but couldn’t make the pass.
“I would trade a lot of things to be in his position,” Benjamin said. “We were so close. It kind of hurts being that close.”
After Benjamin and Scott, Brennan Poole and Cole Custer rounded out the top five. William Byron, the winner of the June race here, finished ninth.
Preece, meanwhile, will be back at work Monday morning, at 8 a.m, getting ready for his next modified race.
The win doesn’t mean anything tangible for his future yet.
Except, of course, that he was right all along.
This was validation that walking away from a full-time ride at JD Motorsports was worth it, with a shot to make a name for himself.
Past winners at Iowa Speedway’s Xfinity races include Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney and Erik Jones.
This may be the first time you’ve heard of Ryan Preece; there’s a good chance it won’t be the last.
“I’m not a racer to just be out there. I’m a racer to be right here,” he said, pointing to the winner’s podium, “to get those trophies, and be accomplished. And (to) be remembered in this sport.”
Chad Leistikow writes for The Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network.
*****
FULL RESULTS (start position in parentheses):
1. (1) Ryan Preece, Toyota, 254.
2. (2) Kyle Benjamin, Toyota, 254.
3. (11) Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 254.
4. (8) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 254.
5. (5) Cole Custer, Ford, 254.
6. (28) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 254.
7. (3) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 254.
8. (7) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 254.
9. (17) William Byron, Chevrolet, 254.
10. (19) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 254.
11. (21) Brett Moffitt, Chevrolet, 254.
12. (6) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 254.
13. (16) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 254.
14. (25) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 254.
15. (26) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 254.
16. (9) Ty Majeski, Ford, 254.
17. (20) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 254.
18. (22) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 254.
19. (10) Matt Tifft, Toyota, 253.
20. (14) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 252.
21. (18) Ryan Reed, Ford, 252.
22. (31) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 252.
23. (13) Ben Kennedy, Chevrolet, 251.
24. (30) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 249.
25. (32) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 249.
26. (36) David Starr, Chevrolet, 249.
27. (35) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 249.
28. (27) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 249.
29. (38) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 248.
30. (37) Ray Black II, Chevrolet, 247.
31. (40) Mike Harmon, Dodge, 243.
32. (39) Stan Mullis, Chevrolet, 241.
33. (23) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 233.
34. (4) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, Accident, 229.
35. (34) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, Accident, 218.
36. (15) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 218.
37. (12) Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, Accident, 170.
38. (33) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Handling, 46.
39. (29) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Transmission, 9.
40. (24) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Vibration, 3.
RACE STATISTICS:
Average speed of winner: 96.9 mph.
Time of Race: 2 hours, 17 minutes, 37 seconds.
Margin of victory: 0.054 seconds.
Caution flags: 7 for 40 laps.
Lead changes: 4 among 4 drivers.
Lap leaders: R.Preece 1-63; K.Benjamin 64-68; E.Sadler 69-70; J.Allgaier 71-176; R.Preece 177-254.
Leaders summary (driver, times lead, laps led): R. Preece 2 times for 141 laps; J. Allgaier 1 time for 106 laps; K. Benjamin 1 time for 5 laps; E. Sadler 1 time for 2 laps.
Ryan Preece prevails at Iowa for first career Xfinity victory
A Chad Leistikow, USA TODAY article
NEWTON, Iowa — From scrounging up sponsorships to making a crucial phone call to — on Saturday — surviving three harrowing final restarts in the most important race of his career, Ryan Preece certainly earned every bit of his first win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Preece, 26, held off Kyle Benjamin and Brian Scott in an overtime finish to reach victory lane at the U.S. Cellular 250 presented by American Ethanol at Iowa Speedway.
Deflated after spending the entire 2016 season with an underfunded team in the Xfinity Series, Preece re-calibrated his career with a unique approach.
Rather than just getting by with a less-funded team, he decided to pool what sponsorships he could find and try to work his way into a seat in the car of a big-time team.
He was confident in his talent, having won multiple races and series championships in modifieds and late models in the Northeast.
“I believed in myself enough to do it,” Preece said. ”It is very risky. I had multiple people within the business tell me that they thought it was a little more risky than they would do.”
He placed a phone call to Joe Gibbs Racing’s top Xfinity Series executive, Steve deSouza, who didn’t answer. Preece left a message.
Thankfully, deSouza called him back.
They worked out a two-race deal, where Preece would drive at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Iowa in a span of three weekends.
He took the No. 20 Toyota to second (behind only Cup star Kyle Busch) two weeks ago; he rode to first Saturday.
A 1.5 average finish.
Not too bad, kid.
Not to mention Benjamin, also driving the Gibbs No. 18 on Saturday, finished second in just his fourth career Xfinity start.
“Joe just called,” deSouza said after Saturday’s race. “… He said, ‘What do we do now?’
“To be honest, we don’t really know the answers going forward, but we said, let’s go with them. Kyle, as well. And see what happens. If something opens up, that’s great. But these are the opportunities we all dream of.”
Preece had the car to beat this weekend, having won the pole position in Saturday morning’s qualifying.
He gained the lead in the final stage when leader Justin Allgaier chose not to pit under caution with 78 laps to go; a curious strategy.
A week ago at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Allgaier made a series of pit-road gaffes to take his car from the race lead to a 35th-place finish.
This week, Allgaier had another self-inflicted wound. When he opted to stay on the racetrack, everyone else behind him pitted, and he was a sitting duck on the restart.
He was hoping for another quick caution, but when one finally came with 18 to go, it was a few laps too late. Allgaier was already on pit road, two laps down, when Sam Hornish Jr.’s No. 22 Ford cut a tired and smashed the wall to bring out the fateful yellow.
Allgaier would finish 20th.
From there, Preece needed to deliver three successful restarts, and each time he showed the speed he needed to take the checkered flag.
Benjamin, 19, got to Preece’s door on the final lap but couldn’t make the pass.
“I would trade a lot of things to be in his position,” Benjamin said. “We were so close. It kind of hurts being that close.”
After Benjamin and Scott, Brennan Poole and Cole Custer rounded out the top five. William Byron, the winner of the June race here, finished ninth.
Preece, meanwhile, will be back at work Monday morning, at 8 a.m, getting ready for his next modified race.
The win doesn’t mean anything tangible for his future yet.
Except, of course, that he was right all along.
This was validation that walking away from a full-time ride at JD Motorsports was worth it, with a shot to make a name for himself.
Past winners at Iowa Speedway’s Xfinity races include Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney and Erik Jones.
This may be the first time you’ve heard of Ryan Preece; there’s a good chance it won’t be the last.
“I’m not a racer to just be out there. I’m a racer to be right here,” he said, pointing to the winner’s podium, “to get those trophies, and be accomplished. And (to) be remembered in this sport.”
Chad Leistikow writes for The Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network.
*****
FULL RESULTS (start position in parentheses):
1. (1) Ryan Preece, Toyota, 254.
2. (2) Kyle Benjamin, Toyota, 254.
3. (11) Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 254.
4. (8) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 254.
5. (5) Cole Custer, Ford, 254.
6. (28) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 254.
7. (3) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 254.
8. (7) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 254.
9. (17) William Byron, Chevrolet, 254.
10. (19) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 254.
11. (21) Brett Moffitt, Chevrolet, 254.
12. (6) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 254.
13. (16) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 254.
14. (25) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 254.
15. (26) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 254.
16. (9) Ty Majeski, Ford, 254.
17. (20) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 254.
18. (22) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 254.
19. (10) Matt Tifft, Toyota, 253.
20. (14) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 252.
21. (18) Ryan Reed, Ford, 252.
22. (31) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 252.
23. (13) Ben Kennedy, Chevrolet, 251.
24. (30) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 249.
25. (32) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 249.
26. (36) David Starr, Chevrolet, 249.
27. (35) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 249.
28. (27) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 249.
29. (38) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 248.
30. (37) Ray Black II, Chevrolet, 247.
31. (40) Mike Harmon, Dodge, 243.
32. (39) Stan Mullis, Chevrolet, 241.
33. (23) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 233.
34. (4) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, Accident, 229.
35. (34) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, Accident, 218.
36. (15) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 218.
37. (12) Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, Accident, 170.
38. (33) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Handling, 46.
39. (29) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Transmission, 9.
40. (24) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Vibration, 3.
RACE STATISTICS:
Average speed of winner: 96.9 mph.
Time of Race: 2 hours, 17 minutes, 37 seconds.
Margin of victory: 0.054 seconds.
Caution flags: 7 for 40 laps.
Lead changes: 4 among 4 drivers.
Lap leaders: R.Preece 1-63; K.Benjamin 64-68; E.Sadler 69-70; J.Allgaier 71-176; R.Preece 177-254.
Leaders summary (driver, times lead, laps led): R. Preece 2 times for 141 laps; J. Allgaier 1 time for 106 laps; K. Benjamin 1 time for 5 laps; E. Sadler 1 time for 2 laps.
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July 16th, 2017
Ryan Preece impresses in Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Xfinity debut
The 2013 Modified Tour champion finished second to Kyle Busch at New Hampshire
www.autoweek.com article
Kyle Busch may have won the Overton’s 200 on Saturday at New Hampshire, but it was Ryan Preece who stole the show.
The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion was widely impressive in his first race since last season and finished second to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. Preece spent all of last season with JD Motorsports but this was his first chance in a quality ride. He made the most of it too.
"This one’s for all the short track guys," said the 26-year-old Berlin, Connecticut native. "I work hard week in and out with that modified, so to be able to have this opportunity means a lot to me."
Preece left JD Racing in December and returned to the Modified Tour because he wanted to win. He believes he can do the same at the highest levels of the sport, but simply needed the right equipment to get there.
Enter Joe Gibbs.
Preece ran up front for the entirety of the 200-lap event. He even led for a couple laps at the start of the second stage. While a victory would have been outstanding, Preece understood the significance of a second-place finish.
"To win today, it was going to take beating Kyle Busch," he said. "I watch him win a lot of races in the Xfinity Series sitting on my couch at home. To be able to finish second to him today was a great accomplishment, and something to build on. But Iowa’s the next task, next goal. I gotta do as much as I can to prepare so we can have another solid finish."
Preece will get one more shot with Gibbs at Iowa in two weeks. Before then, he needs to figure out what he has to do differently to get everything he can out of such an opportunity.
"I don't know if I'm overdriving it and building the right front air pressure too quick," Preece said. "The car seems to be really neutral and then it tends to get on the snugger side. I'm going to get some feedback from Chris (Gabehart), my crew chief, and hopefully from Toyota and Joe Gibbs to see something that I can make better in the future."
There shouldn’t be any Cup drivers in Iowa to stop Preece next time. That could be what it takes for him to get what would be an emotional first victory.
By Paul Lambert
Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/nascar/ryan-preece-impresses-joe-gibbs-racing-nascar-xfinity-debut#ixzz4n605vknJ
Ryan Preece impresses in Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Xfinity debut
The 2013 Modified Tour champion finished second to Kyle Busch at New Hampshire
www.autoweek.com article
Kyle Busch may have won the Overton’s 200 on Saturday at New Hampshire, but it was Ryan Preece who stole the show.
The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion was widely impressive in his first race since last season and finished second to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. Preece spent all of last season with JD Motorsports but this was his first chance in a quality ride. He made the most of it too.
"This one’s for all the short track guys," said the 26-year-old Berlin, Connecticut native. "I work hard week in and out with that modified, so to be able to have this opportunity means a lot to me."
Preece left JD Racing in December and returned to the Modified Tour because he wanted to win. He believes he can do the same at the highest levels of the sport, but simply needed the right equipment to get there.
Enter Joe Gibbs.
Preece ran up front for the entirety of the 200-lap event. He even led for a couple laps at the start of the second stage. While a victory would have been outstanding, Preece understood the significance of a second-place finish.
"To win today, it was going to take beating Kyle Busch," he said. "I watch him win a lot of races in the Xfinity Series sitting on my couch at home. To be able to finish second to him today was a great accomplishment, and something to build on. But Iowa’s the next task, next goal. I gotta do as much as I can to prepare so we can have another solid finish."
Preece will get one more shot with Gibbs at Iowa in two weeks. Before then, he needs to figure out what he has to do differently to get everything he can out of such an opportunity.
"I don't know if I'm overdriving it and building the right front air pressure too quick," Preece said. "The car seems to be really neutral and then it tends to get on the snugger side. I'm going to get some feedback from Chris (Gabehart), my crew chief, and hopefully from Toyota and Joe Gibbs to see something that I can make better in the future."
There shouldn’t be any Cup drivers in Iowa to stop Preece next time. That could be what it takes for him to get what would be an emotional first victory.
By Paul Lambert
Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/nascar/ryan-preece-impresses-joe-gibbs-racing-nascar-xfinity-debut#ixzz4n605vknJ
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July 16th, 2017
Preece comes one spot short of victory in first Xfinity race with JGR
By: Lee Spencer, NASCAR Senior Writer www.motorsport.com
Ryan Preece’s path to his second-place finish in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race came via Kevin Manion.
Preece spent last year living in his fellow New Englander’s garage in North Carolina while running the NXS tour with Johnny Davis and working on his Modified program in his spare time.
A once in a lifetime opportunity
When Carl Edwards retired and Daniel Suarez was promoted to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Manion, who currently works as a crew chief for Kyle Busch Motorsports, suggested Preece call Joe Gibbs Racing’s Steve Desouza about potential opportunities in the Xfinity Series.
The advice paid off. Desouza, who oversees JGR's Xfinity program, returned Preece's call that night. In Preece's first start with JGR, he scored a career-best result at his home track — New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Only winner Kyle Busch finished ahead of him.
“I wish I could show everybody the emotion I feel right now, but I’m not going to,” Preece told Motorsport.com following the Overton’s 200 and finishing second in the 100-lap Whelen Modified race earlier on Saturday. “I work really hard on the modified, getting everything so I can win races and putting myself into a position so people know I can be a winner. My mother and father sacrificed so much for me growing up — and my wife.
“It was a really big moment, a really big moment for the modified team and one position short to Kyle Busch. So what are you going to do?”
The 26-year-old Berlin, Connecticut native is a former NASCAR Next driver who started in the Modified ranks a decade ago. Over the last four seasons, Preece has made 37 starts for a variety of teams. But this weekend, Preece finally received the break he had hoped for with top-tier JGR and crew chief Chris Gabehart.
NHMS experience
After winning the Modified All-Star race on Friday, Preece won the pole in the second Modified race and finished second on Saturday before the NXS event. He started sixth in the Xfinity race. A two-tire pit stop on his last round of service helped the driver of the No. 20 car maintain the necessary track position to stay with the front pack.
And Preece’s experience around the Magic Mile proved to be invaluable.
“I’m fortunate enough to have over 2,000 laps here,” Preece said. “It’s my home track. I’ve been pretty good at adapting from car to car — also iRacing some and watching some on-car videos.
“Joe Gibbs Racing definitely provided me with everything I needed to be as prepared as I could be.”
Still, Preece made the most of the opportunity. As the crew chief on his modified cars, he has a good handle on set up. Preece also used one of Gibbs' best resources — Kyle Busch — to get a handle on the Xfinity cars as he bounced between the NXS garage and his Modifieds and during the breaks in the race.
“I was talking to Kyle in practice and during the first and second session, I was shocked,” Preece said. “He’s a Cup guy, but he’s very in-tune with his car. If you want to be that next level driver, you have to get to that point. That’s what Richie Evans (a NASCAR Hall of Famer from the Modified ranks) and guys like that did back in the day.
“I want to work on these cars. I want to get myself better because if I know what we’re doing, it’s only going to help if I can dissect where it’s causing our issues. Somebody like me, I’ve just been waiting for this opportunity.”
Kyle Busch praises Preece
Preece’s next opportunity with JGR will come at Iowa Speedway in two weeks. Although he won’t have Busch at the track, the former Cup champ is only a phone call away. After racing with Preece at Loudon, Busch thought his teammate did an excellent job.
“He just ran a good, smart race,” Busch said. “He had a restart there before the rain came, right? No, after the rain and he got a few positions on us there and did a really good job getting through the traffic and then was ahead of us there before that break came and, you know, just from what I could see just ran a smooth race and did a good job and kept his car under him and once I got by him, I passed him for the lead. But he was keeping pace.
“I think what was more impressive was just him bouncing back and forth between as much track time as he had with the modified to deal with and then getting in the XFINITY car and back and forth, so a 15-minute scuff session and then being in XFINITY car qualifying and then something else with the modified and then back to the XFINITY car for the race – or the modified race – and then the XFINITY race, so he was all over.”
Preece comes one spot short of victory in first Xfinity race with JGR
By: Lee Spencer, NASCAR Senior Writer www.motorsport.com
Ryan Preece’s path to his second-place finish in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race came via Kevin Manion.
Preece spent last year living in his fellow New Englander’s garage in North Carolina while running the NXS tour with Johnny Davis and working on his Modified program in his spare time.
A once in a lifetime opportunity
When Carl Edwards retired and Daniel Suarez was promoted to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Manion, who currently works as a crew chief for Kyle Busch Motorsports, suggested Preece call Joe Gibbs Racing’s Steve Desouza about potential opportunities in the Xfinity Series.
The advice paid off. Desouza, who oversees JGR's Xfinity program, returned Preece's call that night. In Preece's first start with JGR, he scored a career-best result at his home track — New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Only winner Kyle Busch finished ahead of him.
“I wish I could show everybody the emotion I feel right now, but I’m not going to,” Preece told Motorsport.com following the Overton’s 200 and finishing second in the 100-lap Whelen Modified race earlier on Saturday. “I work really hard on the modified, getting everything so I can win races and putting myself into a position so people know I can be a winner. My mother and father sacrificed so much for me growing up — and my wife.
“It was a really big moment, a really big moment for the modified team and one position short to Kyle Busch. So what are you going to do?”
The 26-year-old Berlin, Connecticut native is a former NASCAR Next driver who started in the Modified ranks a decade ago. Over the last four seasons, Preece has made 37 starts for a variety of teams. But this weekend, Preece finally received the break he had hoped for with top-tier JGR and crew chief Chris Gabehart.
NHMS experience
After winning the Modified All-Star race on Friday, Preece won the pole in the second Modified race and finished second on Saturday before the NXS event. He started sixth in the Xfinity race. A two-tire pit stop on his last round of service helped the driver of the No. 20 car maintain the necessary track position to stay with the front pack.
And Preece’s experience around the Magic Mile proved to be invaluable.
“I’m fortunate enough to have over 2,000 laps here,” Preece said. “It’s my home track. I’ve been pretty good at adapting from car to car — also iRacing some and watching some on-car videos.
“Joe Gibbs Racing definitely provided me with everything I needed to be as prepared as I could be.”
Still, Preece made the most of the opportunity. As the crew chief on his modified cars, he has a good handle on set up. Preece also used one of Gibbs' best resources — Kyle Busch — to get a handle on the Xfinity cars as he bounced between the NXS garage and his Modifieds and during the breaks in the race.
“I was talking to Kyle in practice and during the first and second session, I was shocked,” Preece said. “He’s a Cup guy, but he’s very in-tune with his car. If you want to be that next level driver, you have to get to that point. That’s what Richie Evans (a NASCAR Hall of Famer from the Modified ranks) and guys like that did back in the day.
“I want to work on these cars. I want to get myself better because if I know what we’re doing, it’s only going to help if I can dissect where it’s causing our issues. Somebody like me, I’ve just been waiting for this opportunity.”
Kyle Busch praises Preece
Preece’s next opportunity with JGR will come at Iowa Speedway in two weeks. Although he won’t have Busch at the track, the former Cup champ is only a phone call away. After racing with Preece at Loudon, Busch thought his teammate did an excellent job.
“He just ran a good, smart race,” Busch said. “He had a restart there before the rain came, right? No, after the rain and he got a few positions on us there and did a really good job getting through the traffic and then was ahead of us there before that break came and, you know, just from what I could see just ran a smooth race and did a good job and kept his car under him and once I got by him, I passed him for the lead. But he was keeping pace.
“I think what was more impressive was just him bouncing back and forth between as much track time as he had with the modified to deal with and then getting in the XFINITY car and back and forth, so a 15-minute scuff session and then being in XFINITY car qualifying and then something else with the modified and then back to the XFINITY car for the race – or the modified race – and then the XFINITY race, so he was all over.”
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July 14, 2017
First Up: Ryan Preece Kicks Off Big Weekend With Whelen All-Star Mod Shootout Win At NHMS
A www.racedayct.com article
LOUDON, N.H. – The ultimate goal for Ryan Preece this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway revolves around what would be a massive first in his racing career.
Preece is hoping that his chance to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in Saturday’s Overton’s 200 at NHMS could afford him the chance to win his first NASCAR XFINITY Series event.
But Friday at NHMS Preece was busy checking another first off his list at the track.
Preece, of Berlin, passed NASCAR Monster Energy Cup regular Ryan Newman on the final lap to win the 35-lap exhibition Whelen All-Start Shootout for the Whelen Modified Tour.
It was Preece’s first career victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 24 career Whelen Modified Tour starts at the track dating back to 2007. He has made 20 career points starts and three starts before Saturday in the exhibition All-Star event.
Preece said the fact that he oversees maintenance and preparation of his Eddie Partridge owned Modified this season made his first victory on the 1.058-mile oval even sweeter.
“It’s something I’ve told a lot of people, when you’re doing it yourself it brings a whole different emotion to it when you get to victory lane,” Preece said.
Newman was second and Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. third.
Preece erased a big lead for Newman and got to his bumper by lap 27 and began preying all over him.
From lap 30 to 33 Preece pushed Newman down the frontstretch and backstretch, sizing up to the chance to make his move. On lap 34 Preece took a peek under Newman in turn one but backed out.
After taking the white flag Preece got under Newman into turn one. The two made contact in the corner with Newman jerking up to the high side of the track. Newman saved the car from wrecking, but Preece had checked out by the time Newman was straightened out.
“We had a really good car,” Preece said. “We chased him down from about seven or eight [car lengths] back. He seemed to be a little tight and I was a little tight. … I just tried to get that run down the frontstretch and clear him the first time with two [laps] to go and I couldn’t quite make it happen. Sent it in there and I thought I was going to clear him sliding up and then I felt [his] left front [on the right rear]. Ryan has been a great person. He’s always offered up plenty of information, so you never want controversy like that to win a race.”
Newman seemed hardly angered by the last lap contact in the battle for the lead.
“Preece was just in a better position, being able to draft and being able to catch my draft,” Newman said. “He had a good racecar. I don’t think he hit me on purpose by any means, but he had position. I stuck it down there on the outside of him trying to hold him down and he knocked me up into the marbles. I wish we could have raced to the checkered, but it was a heck of a race, at least from our standpoint. To try to figure out what he was going to do, because you never know if a guy is going to start racing with five [laps] to go or on the back straightaway [on the last lap].”
First Up: Ryan Preece Kicks Off Big Weekend With Whelen All-Star Mod Shootout Win At NHMS
A www.racedayct.com article
LOUDON, N.H. – The ultimate goal for Ryan Preece this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway revolves around what would be a massive first in his racing career.
Preece is hoping that his chance to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in Saturday’s Overton’s 200 at NHMS could afford him the chance to win his first NASCAR XFINITY Series event.
But Friday at NHMS Preece was busy checking another first off his list at the track.
Preece, of Berlin, passed NASCAR Monster Energy Cup regular Ryan Newman on the final lap to win the 35-lap exhibition Whelen All-Start Shootout for the Whelen Modified Tour.
It was Preece’s first career victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 24 career Whelen Modified Tour starts at the track dating back to 2007. He has made 20 career points starts and three starts before Saturday in the exhibition All-Star event.
Preece said the fact that he oversees maintenance and preparation of his Eddie Partridge owned Modified this season made his first victory on the 1.058-mile oval even sweeter.
“It’s something I’ve told a lot of people, when you’re doing it yourself it brings a whole different emotion to it when you get to victory lane,” Preece said.
Newman was second and Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. third.
Preece erased a big lead for Newman and got to his bumper by lap 27 and began preying all over him.
From lap 30 to 33 Preece pushed Newman down the frontstretch and backstretch, sizing up to the chance to make his move. On lap 34 Preece took a peek under Newman in turn one but backed out.
After taking the white flag Preece got under Newman into turn one. The two made contact in the corner with Newman jerking up to the high side of the track. Newman saved the car from wrecking, but Preece had checked out by the time Newman was straightened out.
“We had a really good car,” Preece said. “We chased him down from about seven or eight [car lengths] back. He seemed to be a little tight and I was a little tight. … I just tried to get that run down the frontstretch and clear him the first time with two [laps] to go and I couldn’t quite make it happen. Sent it in there and I thought I was going to clear him sliding up and then I felt [his] left front [on the right rear]. Ryan has been a great person. He’s always offered up plenty of information, so you never want controversy like that to win a race.”
Newman seemed hardly angered by the last lap contact in the battle for the lead.
“Preece was just in a better position, being able to draft and being able to catch my draft,” Newman said. “He had a good racecar. I don’t think he hit me on purpose by any means, but he had position. I stuck it down there on the outside of him trying to hold him down and he knocked me up into the marbles. I wish we could have raced to the checkered, but it was a heck of a race, at least from our standpoint. To try to figure out what he was going to do, because you never know if a guy is going to start racing with five [laps] to go or on the back straightaway [on the last lap].”
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July 5, 2017
JOE GIBBS RACING ANNOUNCES RYAN PREECE WILL DRIVE TWO NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RACES IN 2017
A Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 5, 2017) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that Berlin, Connecticut native, Ryan Preece will become the latest young star to become a member of the JGR stable of drivers to run in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) for the 2017 season.
The 26-year-old has currently gone back to his roots in the Northeast, returning to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) where he has enjoyed a lot of success. He is currently running full-time in the series and has started out 2017 on fire by winning two of his first four races. Preece is a very accomplished short track racer with 17 NWMT victories, 61 top-five and 87 top-10 finishes, and was crowned the 2013 season champion. In addition to the NWMT, he has three wins in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour (NWSMT).
Preece will make his NXS debut with JGR in the No. 20 Toyota Camry. Preece will make his JGR debut at his hometrack, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), in front of his home crowd, family and friends in the No. 20 Toyota Camry on July 15. His second race with JGR will be the July 29 race at Iowa Speedway.
“Ryan is the latest young driver to help us with our NASCAR XFINITY Series program. He has been on fire this year with the Modifieds and we have him starting at his home track in New Hampshire for us,” said Steve deSouza, Executive Vice President of XFINITY and Development for Joe Gibbs Racing. “He is very excited about the opportunity and we are looking forward to working with him.”
Preece started his racing career in Quarter Midgets in 1998. In 2008, he captured his first career win in the NWMT and won the championship in 2013. He made his debut in the NXS in 2013 at NHMS, and ran 36 races in the NXS from 2013-2016. In 2015, Preece made his NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series debut at Loudon, NH.
“I am really excited about the opportunity to race for Joe Gibbs Racing and my crew chief Chris Gabehart and the whole 20 team,” stated Preece. “It seems like a great group and they obviously have a great team. I am looking forward to being a part of the 20 team and having a winning car. Now I need to put in the time, the effort, the work and get it done. I’m very excited.”
JOE GIBBS RACING ANNOUNCES RYAN PREECE WILL DRIVE TWO NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RACES IN 2017
A Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 5, 2017) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that Berlin, Connecticut native, Ryan Preece will become the latest young star to become a member of the JGR stable of drivers to run in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) for the 2017 season.
The 26-year-old has currently gone back to his roots in the Northeast, returning to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) where he has enjoyed a lot of success. He is currently running full-time in the series and has started out 2017 on fire by winning two of his first four races. Preece is a very accomplished short track racer with 17 NWMT victories, 61 top-five and 87 top-10 finishes, and was crowned the 2013 season champion. In addition to the NWMT, he has three wins in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour (NWSMT).
Preece will make his NXS debut with JGR in the No. 20 Toyota Camry. Preece will make his JGR debut at his hometrack, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), in front of his home crowd, family and friends in the No. 20 Toyota Camry on July 15. His second race with JGR will be the July 29 race at Iowa Speedway.
“Ryan is the latest young driver to help us with our NASCAR XFINITY Series program. He has been on fire this year with the Modifieds and we have him starting at his home track in New Hampshire for us,” said Steve deSouza, Executive Vice President of XFINITY and Development for Joe Gibbs Racing. “He is very excited about the opportunity and we are looking forward to working with him.”
Preece started his racing career in Quarter Midgets in 1998. In 2008, he captured his first career win in the NWMT and won the championship in 2013. He made his debut in the NXS in 2013 at NHMS, and ran 36 races in the NXS from 2013-2016. In 2015, Preece made his NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series debut at Loudon, NH.
“I am really excited about the opportunity to race for Joe Gibbs Racing and my crew chief Chris Gabehart and the whole 20 team,” stated Preece. “It seems like a great group and they obviously have a great team. I am looking forward to being a part of the 20 team and having a winning car. Now I need to put in the time, the effort, the work and get it done. I’m very excited.”
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June 15th, 2017
Preece Rockets To Thompson Victory; Rolls To Second Whelen Modified Win After Late Pit Stop
A NASCARHomeTracks.com release
THOMPSON, Conn. -- Ryan Preece's pit stop strategy pushed him back in the field. But the Berlin, Connecticut, driver wasted no time in driving to the front en route to Wednesday night's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory in the Thompson 125 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
The win was the second of the season for Preece and 17th of his career.
Preece pitted with many of his lead challengers on lap 70. The No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet was forced to restart outside the top 10 behind a number of cars including Rowan Pennink and Bobby Santos, who pitted earlier. A late charge through the field by Preece culminated with a move to the inside of Pennink for the lead with just 18 laps to go.
From there, Preece pulled away from the field and clicked off some of the fastest laps he ran all night while out in front of the pack. He finished 2.106 seconds ahead of second-place Pennink.
"All of my guys work really hard," Preece said. "Our guys live in Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island, so it can be hard for them. As long as the car is good and I can drive forward, it's my job to get myself back there. I shouldn't have to depend on them."
Preece, who won the NAPA Spring Sizzler at Connecticut's Stafford Motor Speedway on April 30, missed the last tour race on May 13 to get married.
Back on the race track, he had an early hiccup when he missed the final minutes of the only practice session of the day because of a broken driveshaft. Once they got to the race, though, there was no issue.
Pennink followed up his Thompson win in April's Icebreaker 150 with another strong run on the .625-mile oval. He pitted under caution at Lap 50 and inherited the lead 20 laps later when the lead pack came down pit road.
Santos, who pitted for tires on lap 33 and stayed out for the remainder of the race, held on for third. Santos was the defending race winner.
"Our strategy definitely worked in his favor," Santos said. "We weren't spectacular to start the race but we made a good adjustment and put tires on and we had a good car overall tonight."
Four-time tour champion Doug Coby qualified second and finished in fourth spot, with Eric Goodale rounding out the top five.
Jon McKennedy, Ted Christopher, Timmy Solomito, Andrew Krause and Max Zachem completed the top 10. Donny Lia won the Coors Light Pole Award earlier in the day but got caught up in an early wreck and finished 23rd.
Pennink cut Solomito's lead to two points after five of 16 championship events, while Goodale is 17 points back of Pennink in third. Despite missing a race, Preece is 10th in points -- seven behind ninth-place Coby and 47 out of first.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track at Riverhead Raceway on Long Island on Saturday, June 24.
Preece Rockets To Thompson Victory; Rolls To Second Whelen Modified Win After Late Pit Stop
A NASCARHomeTracks.com release
THOMPSON, Conn. -- Ryan Preece's pit stop strategy pushed him back in the field. But the Berlin, Connecticut, driver wasted no time in driving to the front en route to Wednesday night's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory in the Thompson 125 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
The win was the second of the season for Preece and 17th of his career.
Preece pitted with many of his lead challengers on lap 70. The No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet was forced to restart outside the top 10 behind a number of cars including Rowan Pennink and Bobby Santos, who pitted earlier. A late charge through the field by Preece culminated with a move to the inside of Pennink for the lead with just 18 laps to go.
From there, Preece pulled away from the field and clicked off some of the fastest laps he ran all night while out in front of the pack. He finished 2.106 seconds ahead of second-place Pennink.
"All of my guys work really hard," Preece said. "Our guys live in Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island, so it can be hard for them. As long as the car is good and I can drive forward, it's my job to get myself back there. I shouldn't have to depend on them."
Preece, who won the NAPA Spring Sizzler at Connecticut's Stafford Motor Speedway on April 30, missed the last tour race on May 13 to get married.
Back on the race track, he had an early hiccup when he missed the final minutes of the only practice session of the day because of a broken driveshaft. Once they got to the race, though, there was no issue.
Pennink followed up his Thompson win in April's Icebreaker 150 with another strong run on the .625-mile oval. He pitted under caution at Lap 50 and inherited the lead 20 laps later when the lead pack came down pit road.
Santos, who pitted for tires on lap 33 and stayed out for the remainder of the race, held on for third. Santos was the defending race winner.
"Our strategy definitely worked in his favor," Santos said. "We weren't spectacular to start the race but we made a good adjustment and put tires on and we had a good car overall tonight."
Four-time tour champion Doug Coby qualified second and finished in fourth spot, with Eric Goodale rounding out the top five.
Jon McKennedy, Ted Christopher, Timmy Solomito, Andrew Krause and Max Zachem completed the top 10. Donny Lia won the Coors Light Pole Award earlier in the day but got caught up in an early wreck and finished 23rd.
Pennink cut Solomito's lead to two points after five of 16 championship events, while Goodale is 17 points back of Pennink in third. Despite missing a race, Preece is 10th in points -- seven behind ninth-place Coby and 47 out of first.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track at Riverhead Raceway on Long Island on Saturday, June 24.
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April 30, 2017
Hands On: Ryan Preece Scores First Whelen Mod Tour Spring Sizzler Win At Stafford
A www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – In a decade plus of racing on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Ryan Preece has developed a reputation as a driver who carries himself with a nature most would consider to be a recipe of cocksure swagger combined with cheery fun when it comes to celebrations.
Sunday at Stafford Motor Speedway though, a side of Preece never seen before after an event poured out as the exultation of victory set in.
The NAPA Spring Sizzler had the normally cheery-eyed and playful Preece breaking down in tears.
Preece, of Berlin, passed a dominant Doug Coby on lap 187 and then went on to victory in the Whelen Modified Tour NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 Sunday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
It was the first Spring Sizzler victory in ten starts in the event for the 26-year old Preece. His grandfather Bob Judkins won the event with driver Ed Flemke Sr. in 1973. Preece has been attending the event since he was child.
“It’s crazy,” Preece said, pausing to regain his composure as emotion took over. “This is about, like [winning the Whelen Modified Tour championship] back in [2013]. It’s crazy. A lot of hard work. This isn’t the normal Ryan Preece that’s usually up here. There’s just so many things I could say right now.”
Coby, of Milford, was second. Chase Dowling of Roxbury third.
For Preece the victory took on even more meaning for the fact that it was a truly hands on experience for him.
After the 2015 Whelen Modified Tour season Preece walked away from his full-time ride with team owner Eddie Partridge to take an opportunity running full-time with the NASCAR XFINITY Series, one step below the top-tier Monster Energy Cup Series.
He left the XFINTY Series ride at the end of the 2016 season looking for a way to get back to the Whelen Modified Tour full-time. The answer was to become the full-time mechanic on his own car for Partridge.
“Obviously everybody knows I left the XFINITY [Series] deal and to make that happen I needed a job,” Preece said. “During the offseason I talked to [Partridge] and I said to him ‘I’d really like to maintain the cars and keep them up and put them setups in them and that would be my job and that would make it easier for me to come home.’ And he believed in me.”
“I’ve been learning. … To be able to work on a racecar, put a setup in a racecar. Not me personally spending the money, but being able to go out and win races with my hard work, you know what, I don’t think anybody can really ever know. Winning this race, doing what I did, it means more to me than my first win in a Modified. It’s just so much hard work. I don’t think anybody really knows.”
Coby led a race-high 143 laps, but it was Preece that had the drive Coby was missing in the late stages.
Coby was second to Eric Goodale and Preece in fourth after the leaders pitted for the final time on lap 158. Coby went by Goodale for the lead on the ensuing lap 162 restart but Goodale grabbed the top spot back on lap 163. Coby then grabbed the lead back again on lap 167. Meanwhile, Preece was up to third by Justin Bonsignore by the time the caution flew again on lap 168.
On the next restart Preece got by Goodale for second. On lap 187 Preece was able to use a low move with a little contact in turn three to take the lead from Coby.
“As soon as I came out [of the pits] I said ‘This is going to be tough,” Preece said. “We got Justin [Bonsignore] and we got Eric [Goodale] and then I just had to kind of set up [Coby]. I had to help him move up a little bit. But that was the good old fashioned bump and run. I had a lot of fun doing that. Doug and I, we know we’re going to race each other hard and it’s going to be one of those seasons like it was in years past and I’m ready to have fun.”
Coby briefly took over the lead at the line on a lap 193 restat, Preece snared the top spot back almost immediately and then left Coby fighting for second over the closing laps.
It was the first time in three events that Coby, the three-time defending series champion, has finished and event.
“The right rear tire never came up on that second set so we were way shy on stagger,” Coby said. “The track had so much rubber on it, we were just never going to fight through that.
“Obviously a win would have been better, but the fact that we survived all those restarts at the end, that’s a plus. The series has proven in the first two races that late race restarts don’t really work too well with all of us.”
Hands On: Ryan Preece Scores First Whelen Mod Tour Spring Sizzler Win At Stafford
A www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – In a decade plus of racing on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Ryan Preece has developed a reputation as a driver who carries himself with a nature most would consider to be a recipe of cocksure swagger combined with cheery fun when it comes to celebrations.
Sunday at Stafford Motor Speedway though, a side of Preece never seen before after an event poured out as the exultation of victory set in.
The NAPA Spring Sizzler had the normally cheery-eyed and playful Preece breaking down in tears.
Preece, of Berlin, passed a dominant Doug Coby on lap 187 and then went on to victory in the Whelen Modified Tour NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 Sunday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
It was the first Spring Sizzler victory in ten starts in the event for the 26-year old Preece. His grandfather Bob Judkins won the event with driver Ed Flemke Sr. in 1973. Preece has been attending the event since he was child.
“It’s crazy,” Preece said, pausing to regain his composure as emotion took over. “This is about, like [winning the Whelen Modified Tour championship] back in [2013]. It’s crazy. A lot of hard work. This isn’t the normal Ryan Preece that’s usually up here. There’s just so many things I could say right now.”
Coby, of Milford, was second. Chase Dowling of Roxbury third.
For Preece the victory took on even more meaning for the fact that it was a truly hands on experience for him.
After the 2015 Whelen Modified Tour season Preece walked away from his full-time ride with team owner Eddie Partridge to take an opportunity running full-time with the NASCAR XFINITY Series, one step below the top-tier Monster Energy Cup Series.
He left the XFINTY Series ride at the end of the 2016 season looking for a way to get back to the Whelen Modified Tour full-time. The answer was to become the full-time mechanic on his own car for Partridge.
“Obviously everybody knows I left the XFINITY [Series] deal and to make that happen I needed a job,” Preece said. “During the offseason I talked to [Partridge] and I said to him ‘I’d really like to maintain the cars and keep them up and put them setups in them and that would be my job and that would make it easier for me to come home.’ And he believed in me.”
“I’ve been learning. … To be able to work on a racecar, put a setup in a racecar. Not me personally spending the money, but being able to go out and win races with my hard work, you know what, I don’t think anybody can really ever know. Winning this race, doing what I did, it means more to me than my first win in a Modified. It’s just so much hard work. I don’t think anybody really knows.”
Coby led a race-high 143 laps, but it was Preece that had the drive Coby was missing in the late stages.
Coby was second to Eric Goodale and Preece in fourth after the leaders pitted for the final time on lap 158. Coby went by Goodale for the lead on the ensuing lap 162 restart but Goodale grabbed the top spot back on lap 163. Coby then grabbed the lead back again on lap 167. Meanwhile, Preece was up to third by Justin Bonsignore by the time the caution flew again on lap 168.
On the next restart Preece got by Goodale for second. On lap 187 Preece was able to use a low move with a little contact in turn three to take the lead from Coby.
“As soon as I came out [of the pits] I said ‘This is going to be tough,” Preece said. “We got Justin [Bonsignore] and we got Eric [Goodale] and then I just had to kind of set up [Coby]. I had to help him move up a little bit. But that was the good old fashioned bump and run. I had a lot of fun doing that. Doug and I, we know we’re going to race each other hard and it’s going to be one of those seasons like it was in years past and I’m ready to have fun.”
Coby briefly took over the lead at the line on a lap 193 restat, Preece snared the top spot back almost immediately and then left Coby fighting for second over the closing laps.
It was the first time in three events that Coby, the three-time defending series champion, has finished and event.
“The right rear tire never came up on that second set so we were way shy on stagger,” Coby said. “The track had so much rubber on it, we were just never going to fight through that.
“Obviously a win would have been better, but the fact that we survived all those restarts at the end, that’s a plus. The series has proven in the first two races that late race restarts don’t really work too well with all of us.”
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April 23, 2017
Preece Lightning Strikes Again in MTS Opener at Monadnock
A www.speed51.com release
After nearly 18 months of work, the first ever points-paying race for the EXIT Realty Modified Touring Series took the green flag Saturday night at Monadnock Speedway (NH) with some of the best Modified drivers in the Northeast on hand. Throughout the night, it was two of the very best in the game who went at it in a caution-free 125-lap affair.
At the end of the night, it was “Preece Lightning” striking again with Ryan Preece besting 2016 Valenti Modified Racing Series champion Jon McKennedy for the victory.
McKennedy got the early edge, moving by polesitter Richard Savary in the opening laps after starting second. But Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, went on the attack, taking the lead from McKennedy by diving to the inside just around the lap-30 mark. From there, Preece would hold on for the win, but McKennedy put his full driving ability on display keeping pace and often pressuring the eventual race winner.
“Jon is no slouch; he had a really good car, but I felt we did too. I wanted to get out front and set my own pace, about lap 50 to 60 I could feel the right rear start to get a little hot, so I decided to back it off a little bit and started using some momentum,” Preece told Speed51.com powered by JEGS. “Sure enough we were lucky to have track position and keep that pace to where we’d have a good enough gap to stay in front of him and that’s what we did.”
McKennedy felt that Preece had the advantage on track, but it didn’t stop him from keeping pace.
“We had a good car most of the race, but those last 30 or 40 laps he was a little bit better and we were the best of the rest, second place. I knew going into the race he’d be tough like he is everywhere, he has that spec engine which helps a bit, the engine is aluminum which helps with handling and tire wear. Just have to work harder to overcome those differences next time.”
Naturally, many were surprised that racing on the tight quarter-mile yielded a race without a yellow flag. A handful of drivers, including Preece, were prepared to come down pit road to get the one fresh American Racer tire they were allowed to change.
“Right around lap 75, I told the guys to go to the pits and get ready for the tire change because I was ready to do it, even if the caution was at lap 90,” Preece explained.
One of the major topics of conversation throughout the event surrounded how the American Racer tires would perform over a long-distance event, but no one had counted on the caution-free event. In the end, the tires still had plenty left when the checkers fell, even for a hard-driving McKennedy.
“They are a good tire, they reheat really well, and really last. We ran 125 laps pretty much as hard as we could the whole run and there was still a lot of life left to them.”
The race also served as a successful full-season debut for the MTS which held its first race in May 2016 with the $15,000-to-win Winchester 200 exhibition at Monadnock, also won by Preece, who gave the series a thumbs up at the time, and gave another moving forward.
“I like their series. I like the format they have throughout the day, and their points structure how you can be a contender. That was cool.”
For more information from Saturday’s race, visit Speed51.com’s Speed Central coverage. The Speed51 Network powered by JEGS will have race highlights early next week.
-By Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com State Editor (CT, NY, MA)
Preece Lightning Strikes Again in MTS Opener at Monadnock
A www.speed51.com release
After nearly 18 months of work, the first ever points-paying race for the EXIT Realty Modified Touring Series took the green flag Saturday night at Monadnock Speedway (NH) with some of the best Modified drivers in the Northeast on hand. Throughout the night, it was two of the very best in the game who went at it in a caution-free 125-lap affair.
At the end of the night, it was “Preece Lightning” striking again with Ryan Preece besting 2016 Valenti Modified Racing Series champion Jon McKennedy for the victory.
McKennedy got the early edge, moving by polesitter Richard Savary in the opening laps after starting second. But Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, went on the attack, taking the lead from McKennedy by diving to the inside just around the lap-30 mark. From there, Preece would hold on for the win, but McKennedy put his full driving ability on display keeping pace and often pressuring the eventual race winner.
“Jon is no slouch; he had a really good car, but I felt we did too. I wanted to get out front and set my own pace, about lap 50 to 60 I could feel the right rear start to get a little hot, so I decided to back it off a little bit and started using some momentum,” Preece told Speed51.com powered by JEGS. “Sure enough we were lucky to have track position and keep that pace to where we’d have a good enough gap to stay in front of him and that’s what we did.”
McKennedy felt that Preece had the advantage on track, but it didn’t stop him from keeping pace.
“We had a good car most of the race, but those last 30 or 40 laps he was a little bit better and we were the best of the rest, second place. I knew going into the race he’d be tough like he is everywhere, he has that spec engine which helps a bit, the engine is aluminum which helps with handling and tire wear. Just have to work harder to overcome those differences next time.”
Naturally, many were surprised that racing on the tight quarter-mile yielded a race without a yellow flag. A handful of drivers, including Preece, were prepared to come down pit road to get the one fresh American Racer tire they were allowed to change.
“Right around lap 75, I told the guys to go to the pits and get ready for the tire change because I was ready to do it, even if the caution was at lap 90,” Preece explained.
One of the major topics of conversation throughout the event surrounded how the American Racer tires would perform over a long-distance event, but no one had counted on the caution-free event. In the end, the tires still had plenty left when the checkers fell, even for a hard-driving McKennedy.
“They are a good tire, they reheat really well, and really last. We ran 125 laps pretty much as hard as we could the whole run and there was still a lot of life left to them.”
The race also served as a successful full-season debut for the MTS which held its first race in May 2016 with the $15,000-to-win Winchester 200 exhibition at Monadnock, also won by Preece, who gave the series a thumbs up at the time, and gave another moving forward.
“I like their series. I like the format they have throughout the day, and their points structure how you can be a contender. That was cool.”
For more information from Saturday’s race, visit Speed51.com’s Speed Central coverage. The Speed51 Network powered by JEGS will have race highlights early next week.
-By Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com State Editor (CT, NY, MA)
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April 9, 2017
Ryan Preece Crashes Victory Lane In SK Modified Feature At Thompson Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – The positives for Ryan Preece were many following Sunday’s SK Modified feature at Thompson Speedway.
His car came home in one piece, he started the season in victory lane, he walked away without a broken leg. Preece outdid the competition Sunday at Thompson Speedway and then avoided the disaster of a celebration gone wrong.
Preece, of Berlin, drove away from Keith Rocco over the closing circuits to win the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Sunday at the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway.
After a seemingly flawless race though, Preece’s signature victory lane celebration brought a moment of levity – and luckily no injuries – as he slipped and fell while standing on the car’s NERF bar in victory lane while saluting fans.
“My legs were shaking,” Preece said. “I was really driving it hard there those last five laps and my legs were a little shaky I guess. They didn’t want to hold me up.
“Knock on wood, I’ve been pretty lucky. I guess that would have been interesting if I broke my ankle. But no one would have known anyways, I probably still would have run the [Whelen Modified Tour race].”
Rocco, of Wallingford, was second. Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. was third.
Preece went by Ted Christopher for the lead on lap four and never trailed again.
“Towards August last year we really found our stride,” Preece said. “We got the car to work a little better and it’s carried over to this year. I’m not saying that we’re going to go out and win every race, but I feel like we definitely have a car that can contend. Definitely the competition is getting a lot harder up here.”
Ryan Preece Crashes Victory Lane In SK Modified Feature At Thompson Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – The positives for Ryan Preece were many following Sunday’s SK Modified feature at Thompson Speedway.
His car came home in one piece, he started the season in victory lane, he walked away without a broken leg. Preece outdid the competition Sunday at Thompson Speedway and then avoided the disaster of a celebration gone wrong.
Preece, of Berlin, drove away from Keith Rocco over the closing circuits to win the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Sunday at the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway.
After a seemingly flawless race though, Preece’s signature victory lane celebration brought a moment of levity – and luckily no injuries – as he slipped and fell while standing on the car’s NERF bar in victory lane while saluting fans.
“My legs were shaking,” Preece said. “I was really driving it hard there those last five laps and my legs were a little shaky I guess. They didn’t want to hold me up.
“Knock on wood, I’ve been pretty lucky. I guess that would have been interesting if I broke my ankle. But no one would have known anyways, I probably still would have run the [Whelen Modified Tour race].”
Rocco, of Wallingford, was second. Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. was third.
Preece went by Ted Christopher for the lead on lap four and never trailed again.
“Towards August last year we really found our stride,” Preece said. “We got the car to work a little better and it’s carried over to this year. I’m not saying that we’re going to go out and win every race, but I feel like we definitely have a car that can contend. Definitely the competition is getting a lot harder up here.”
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April 5, 2017
Ryan Preece Overachieved in an Apathetic Industry
A www.motorsportsanalytics.com article
Note: This is a free article from MotorsportsAnalytics.com. For access to premium articles, subscribe here for just $4.99 a month.
Qualifying is over, his car impounded. Ryan Preece sits outside the New Smyrna Speedway’s fourth turn on a concrete stoop near his race hauler, his face fixed with a thousand-yard stare reserved mostly for deer rocked to their souls by the sight of a rapidly approaching F-150. Preece isn’t in shock, though; this isn’t anything he hasn’t experienced before. The stare is apparently how he processes what’s already happened and how he will expertly craft his reaction.
“I tried something. It didn’t work,” Preece resigned. “I’ll just wait until the fuel burns off and then see what we have.”
Preece would start 12th for the evening’s Richie Evans Memorial 100, the crown jewel event in February’s World Series of Asphalt. Considering the driver, the starting spot is not ideal. Just one night earlier, Preece became what is believed to be the youngest Modified driver to score 100 feature victories, according to Aaron Creed of Speed51.com, a popular short track racing news hub. For Preece, any running position not near the front is an uncivilized foreign land prompting the formulation of a sound exit strategy.
Not surprisingly, a lot happens during the 100-lap Modified race on the gritty, banked half-mile oval, but Preece deftly plays the long game. His sleek No. 6 car is a restrained rocket on this night, as the 26-year-old driver is content to let others eliminate themselves. Some do. It is an exciting race, but Preece picks his battles, finishing fourth to wrap up the weeklong points title, and collecting another championship trophy for his mantle.
This is what Preece wants to be doing, but there is a strong sense that it isn’t what he should be doing.
Tour the nation’s local racetracks, big or small, asphalt or dirt, and you’ll hear a shared assertion.
Just give him one shot to show what he can do, and he’ll get the job done. He just needs one shot.
There is no shortage of local track patrons who have, in their back pockets, the name of a driver who deserves one shot. The claim has practically become scripture, a belief stiff-arming what is mostly cold truth. The list of former local track studs fortunate enough to rev a NASCAR Cup Series motor on Sundays is deep, so much so that guys like Landon Cassill, Reed Sorenson, David Gilliland, David Stremme, Travis Kvapil, Ron Hornaday and the late Dick Trickle—proven winners and dreaded competitors during their short track racing prime—have combined for zero victories on Stock Car racing’s biggest stage.
The game isn’t easy. And sometimes, it just isn’t fair …
Click HERE to read more of this article
Ryan Preece Overachieved in an Apathetic Industry
A www.motorsportsanalytics.com article
Note: This is a free article from MotorsportsAnalytics.com. For access to premium articles, subscribe here for just $4.99 a month.
Qualifying is over, his car impounded. Ryan Preece sits outside the New Smyrna Speedway’s fourth turn on a concrete stoop near his race hauler, his face fixed with a thousand-yard stare reserved mostly for deer rocked to their souls by the sight of a rapidly approaching F-150. Preece isn’t in shock, though; this isn’t anything he hasn’t experienced before. The stare is apparently how he processes what’s already happened and how he will expertly craft his reaction.
“I tried something. It didn’t work,” Preece resigned. “I’ll just wait until the fuel burns off and then see what we have.”
Preece would start 12th for the evening’s Richie Evans Memorial 100, the crown jewel event in February’s World Series of Asphalt. Considering the driver, the starting spot is not ideal. Just one night earlier, Preece became what is believed to be the youngest Modified driver to score 100 feature victories, according to Aaron Creed of Speed51.com, a popular short track racing news hub. For Preece, any running position not near the front is an uncivilized foreign land prompting the formulation of a sound exit strategy.
Not surprisingly, a lot happens during the 100-lap Modified race on the gritty, banked half-mile oval, but Preece deftly plays the long game. His sleek No. 6 car is a restrained rocket on this night, as the 26-year-old driver is content to let others eliminate themselves. Some do. It is an exciting race, but Preece picks his battles, finishing fourth to wrap up the weeklong points title, and collecting another championship trophy for his mantle.
This is what Preece wants to be doing, but there is a strong sense that it isn’t what he should be doing.
Tour the nation’s local racetracks, big or small, asphalt or dirt, and you’ll hear a shared assertion.
Just give him one shot to show what he can do, and he’ll get the job done. He just needs one shot.
There is no shortage of local track patrons who have, in their back pockets, the name of a driver who deserves one shot. The claim has practically become scripture, a belief stiff-arming what is mostly cold truth. The list of former local track studs fortunate enough to rev a NASCAR Cup Series motor on Sundays is deep, so much so that guys like Landon Cassill, Reed Sorenson, David Gilliland, David Stremme, Travis Kvapil, Ron Hornaday and the late Dick Trickle—proven winners and dreaded competitors during their short track racing prime—have combined for zero victories on Stock Car racing’s biggest stage.
The game isn’t easy. And sometimes, it just isn’t fair …
Click HERE to read more of this article
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March 18, 2017
Solomito Charges Late For Myrtle Beach Win; Ryan Preece Earns Hard Fought Top 5 Finish In Season Opener
A NASCARHomeTracks.com release with Ryan Preece Racing headline addition
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – One year ago, Timmy Solomito captured his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory in the season-opening Icebreaker at Connecticut's Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Fast-forward a year later, the Islip, New York, driver was celebrating a victory in the season-opening race once again. This time, the win came in South Carolina.
Solomito captured the win in the Performance Plus 150 presented by Safety-Kleen on Saturday at another historic venue, the half-mile Myrtle Beach Speedway, and became the first winner on the newly formed unified Whelen Modified Tour.
Solomito's No. 16 Starrett Tools Ford took the lead for the final time following a late-race caution that setup the final restart and held off Rob Summers on a green-white-checkered finish to take down the victory. The win was Solomito’s fifth career on the tour after his breakout 2016.
“My team did a great job,” said Solomito. “We knew we had to ride and save our stuff as much as possible for the end of the race. I knew the last five laps we had to run as hard as possible and my team gave me a car good enough to do that.”
Rob Summers, who scored his first Coors Light Pole Award since 2001 earlier in the day, led a race-high 72 laps but came up just short of the victory with a second place finish behind the wheel of his No. 64 Fastrock Electric Chevrolet.
Andy Seuss made a late charge to finish third after spinning just after the halfway point. Ryan Preece was also able to climb to the front late and finish fourth, with Max Zachem rounding out the top five.
Justin Bonsignore was sixth, followed by Rowan Pennink – who led 38 laps – Woody Pitkat, Les Hinckley III and Burt Myers.
The race was slowed by eight cautions, with four coming in the final 30 laps, including one on Lap 145 and a subsequent one on Lap 148 that winnowed the field and took out several contenders. The final yellow pushed the race to 155 laps.
In the offseason, NASCAR unified the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour into one tour that stretches from New Hampshire to South Carolina.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track at Thompson for the Icebreaker 150 on Sunday, April 2.
Solomito Charges Late For Myrtle Beach Win; Ryan Preece Earns Hard Fought Top 5 Finish In Season Opener
A NASCARHomeTracks.com release with Ryan Preece Racing headline addition
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – One year ago, Timmy Solomito captured his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory in the season-opening Icebreaker at Connecticut's Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Fast-forward a year later, the Islip, New York, driver was celebrating a victory in the season-opening race once again. This time, the win came in South Carolina.
Solomito captured the win in the Performance Plus 150 presented by Safety-Kleen on Saturday at another historic venue, the half-mile Myrtle Beach Speedway, and became the first winner on the newly formed unified Whelen Modified Tour.
Solomito's No. 16 Starrett Tools Ford took the lead for the final time following a late-race caution that setup the final restart and held off Rob Summers on a green-white-checkered finish to take down the victory. The win was Solomito’s fifth career on the tour after his breakout 2016.
“My team did a great job,” said Solomito. “We knew we had to ride and save our stuff as much as possible for the end of the race. I knew the last five laps we had to run as hard as possible and my team gave me a car good enough to do that.”
Rob Summers, who scored his first Coors Light Pole Award since 2001 earlier in the day, led a race-high 72 laps but came up just short of the victory with a second place finish behind the wheel of his No. 64 Fastrock Electric Chevrolet.
Andy Seuss made a late charge to finish third after spinning just after the halfway point. Ryan Preece was also able to climb to the front late and finish fourth, with Max Zachem rounding out the top five.
Justin Bonsignore was sixth, followed by Rowan Pennink – who led 38 laps – Woody Pitkat, Les Hinckley III and Burt Myers.
The race was slowed by eight cautions, with four coming in the final 30 laps, including one on Lap 145 and a subsequent one on Lap 148 that winnowed the field and took out several contenders. The final yellow pushed the race to 155 laps.
In the offseason, NASCAR unified the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour into one tour that stretches from New Hampshire to South Carolina.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track at Thompson for the Icebreaker 150 on Sunday, April 2.
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February 25th, 2017
Ryan Preece Wins New Smyrna Modified Title; Matt Hirschman Closes Series With Victory
A www.racedayct.com article
For the third consecutive Ryan Preece will bring the champion’s hardware back to Connecticut from New Smyrna, Fla.
Preece, of Berlin, finished fourth in Friday’s Richie Evans Memorial 100 for the Tour Type Modified division at the World Series of Asphalt Racing at New Smyrna Speedway to capture his third consecutive championship in the division.
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. won Friday’s final event of the week for the Tour Type Modified division at New Smyrna.
The division ran four events from Monday to Friday. JR Bertuccio won the opener on Monday with Tyler Rypkema winning on Tuesday. Wednesday’s event was rained out. Preece won Thursday’s race.
Ron Silk of Norwalk was second Tuesday and Jon McKennedy of Marshfield, Mass. third.
Ryan Preece Wins New Smyrna Modified Title; Matt Hirschman Closes Series With Victory
A www.racedayct.com article
For the third consecutive Ryan Preece will bring the champion’s hardware back to Connecticut from New Smyrna, Fla.
Preece, of Berlin, finished fourth in Friday’s Richie Evans Memorial 100 for the Tour Type Modified division at the World Series of Asphalt Racing at New Smyrna Speedway to capture his third consecutive championship in the division.
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. won Friday’s final event of the week for the Tour Type Modified division at New Smyrna.
The division ran four events from Monday to Friday. JR Bertuccio won the opener on Monday with Tyler Rypkema winning on Tuesday. Wednesday’s event was rained out. Preece won Thursday’s race.
Ron Silk of Norwalk was second Tuesday and Jon McKennedy of Marshfield, Mass. third.
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February 24th, 2017
Preece Holds Off Hirschman for Blewett Memorial Win
A www.speed51.com article
Ron Silk led a majority of the 2017 running of the John Blewett III Memorial 76, but it was the Ryan Preece and Matt Hirschman show near the conclusion at New Smyrna Speedway (FL) Thursday night.
On the final restart with 13 laps remaining, Silk, a former winner of the annual event, was able to get the advantage. Nevertheless, Preece did not give up and drove his Tour-Type Modified in deep into turn three. The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion made it stick and led at the line and the rest of the way for his first win during the 51st Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
“I was definitely saving early on, probably around lap 35 or 40 when Ronnie was running hard and I was running hard, I started to go,” Preece told Speed51.com powered by JEGS. “I felt I was better on restarts. I’m still learning myself with adjustments I need to do with this race car, and I feel like I’m getting better with these long distances finding what I need in the race car.”
Preece was not in the clear just yet in his Ed and Connie Partridge-owned No. 6 ride, as Matt Hirschman was hot on his tail with Silk still ready to pounce behind them as well.
“I think everybody knows that Matt always has good forward drive there at the end,” Preece mentioned. “My thing was to try to roll the center the best that I could do and those laps were feeling pretty long. I felt like I was trying to keep the momentum going, trying not to stop in the center.”
Hirschman made every effort, a few nights after the two accomplished drivers collided at Bronson Speedway. The culprit for coming up one position short for the Northampton, Pennsylvania driver and the PeeDee Motorsports team could have partially been mechanical and something potentially critical.
“We were right there contending,” Hirschman said. “I don’t like to sound like I’m making excuses, but the right front tire was falling off the car. It was knocking the brake pads away from the rotor down the straightaway so when it got to the corner I didn’t have the brake I needed to have.”
“We were beating ourselves there and I’m not saying that was the difference of getting him or not, but you can’t make mistakes like that and expect to win races. It hurt our chances in the end.”
Silk held on for third over the closing laps, but the Danny Watts-owned No. 82 machine began to slightly fade when it came to having a car capable of winning once the caution came out when Jeremy Gerstner spun in front of the leaders.
“I think without that last yellow I would have been alright and easily just scoot away a little bit, but it just got too loose,” Silk admitted. “On the last restart I went into one and two and it drove in really good like it did all night, and I just started feeding it the throttle and it jumped loose sideways on me.”
“Didn’t have enough forward drive at the end, but it’s a new car for us and a new design and really just trying to figure it out. Made some big gains on it tonight and will try some more for tomorrow.”
Friday night will feature another marquee Modified event, the annual Richie Evans Memorial 100 for the impressive field of ground pounders on hand this week.
But tonight, it was all about the memory of a talented racer, which meant a great deal to the night’s winner.
“I have a pretty good relationship with Jimmy Blewett and John was somebody that I always idolized,” Preece said. “I didn’t get to talk to him much, but when you’re sitting back from a distance and you see how hard of a worker John really was and how good of a setup guy he was; when I was probably 17 years old I kind of idolized him. To win a name in his honor, we won a race in Richie Evans honor; I just want to keep on winning races and put my name in the history books. That’s really what I want to do.”
For on demand coverage of Thursday’s racing, visit Speed51.com’s Trackside Now coverage presented by Troyer Race Cars and AR Bodies.
Preece Holds Off Hirschman for Blewett Memorial Win
A www.speed51.com article
Ron Silk led a majority of the 2017 running of the John Blewett III Memorial 76, but it was the Ryan Preece and Matt Hirschman show near the conclusion at New Smyrna Speedway (FL) Thursday night.
On the final restart with 13 laps remaining, Silk, a former winner of the annual event, was able to get the advantage. Nevertheless, Preece did not give up and drove his Tour-Type Modified in deep into turn three. The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion made it stick and led at the line and the rest of the way for his first win during the 51st Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
“I was definitely saving early on, probably around lap 35 or 40 when Ronnie was running hard and I was running hard, I started to go,” Preece told Speed51.com powered by JEGS. “I felt I was better on restarts. I’m still learning myself with adjustments I need to do with this race car, and I feel like I’m getting better with these long distances finding what I need in the race car.”
Preece was not in the clear just yet in his Ed and Connie Partridge-owned No. 6 ride, as Matt Hirschman was hot on his tail with Silk still ready to pounce behind them as well.
“I think everybody knows that Matt always has good forward drive there at the end,” Preece mentioned. “My thing was to try to roll the center the best that I could do and those laps were feeling pretty long. I felt like I was trying to keep the momentum going, trying not to stop in the center.”
Hirschman made every effort, a few nights after the two accomplished drivers collided at Bronson Speedway. The culprit for coming up one position short for the Northampton, Pennsylvania driver and the PeeDee Motorsports team could have partially been mechanical and something potentially critical.
“We were right there contending,” Hirschman said. “I don’t like to sound like I’m making excuses, but the right front tire was falling off the car. It was knocking the brake pads away from the rotor down the straightaway so when it got to the corner I didn’t have the brake I needed to have.”
“We were beating ourselves there and I’m not saying that was the difference of getting him or not, but you can’t make mistakes like that and expect to win races. It hurt our chances in the end.”
Silk held on for third over the closing laps, but the Danny Watts-owned No. 82 machine began to slightly fade when it came to having a car capable of winning once the caution came out when Jeremy Gerstner spun in front of the leaders.
“I think without that last yellow I would have been alright and easily just scoot away a little bit, but it just got too loose,” Silk admitted. “On the last restart I went into one and two and it drove in really good like it did all night, and I just started feeding it the throttle and it jumped loose sideways on me.”
“Didn’t have enough forward drive at the end, but it’s a new car for us and a new design and really just trying to figure it out. Made some big gains on it tonight and will try some more for tomorrow.”
Friday night will feature another marquee Modified event, the annual Richie Evans Memorial 100 for the impressive field of ground pounders on hand this week.
But tonight, it was all about the memory of a talented racer, which meant a great deal to the night’s winner.
“I have a pretty good relationship with Jimmy Blewett and John was somebody that I always idolized,” Preece said. “I didn’t get to talk to him much, but when you’re sitting back from a distance and you see how hard of a worker John really was and how good of a setup guy he was; when I was probably 17 years old I kind of idolized him. To win a name in his honor, we won a race in Richie Evans honor; I just want to keep on winning races and put my name in the history books. That’s really what I want to do.”
For on demand coverage of Thursday’s racing, visit Speed51.com’s Trackside Now coverage presented by Troyer Race Cars and AR Bodies.
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January 28th, 2017
Preece Focused On Modified Return & Pursuit Of Second Title
A www.racechaseronline.com article
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Standing beside his No. 6 TS Haulers TQ-Midget in the pit area before the Gambler’s Classic at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on Friday, former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece was able to reflect on his recent opportunities in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Preece, from Berlin, Conn., has competed in 41 NASCAR national series events over the past three seasons, including five races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2015.
Most recently, Preece contested a full-time campaign with JD Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, recording a top-10 finish at Darlington Speedway but missing the postseason Chase Grid by a scant few points.
Despite a successful first season in the No. 01 Chevrolet for Johnny Davis, Preece announced a few weeks after the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway that he would be returning to his roots in the modifieds for this season and forgoing another NASCAR national series slate.
“I am definitely excited to be heading back to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this season,” Preece said. “We are working extremely hard this offseason to have a strong upcoming season in the modifieds. Hopefully, we can win a lot of races and eventually the championship.”
For this season, the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion will again be piloting a modified under Eddie and Connie Partridge. During his previous full-time stint with the team (in 2015), Preece recorded four victories en route to a second place finish in the championship standings.
Additionally, along with his commitments in the XFINITY Series, Preece competed in modified races with the Partridges last season — finishing as a runner-up twice in eight events.
However, this season will be quite different from Preece’s previous campaigns in the modified ranks.
He, like the other northern competitors, will be faced with new challenges at southern tracks after NASCAR announced the Southern Modified Tour would be combining with the northern Modified Tour to form one collective series.
With that change, there will now be the addition of four southern tracks to the schedule, something that Preece believes will impact the championship battle.
“I have raced with most of the southern drivers quite often,” Preece explained. “I sorta have an idea of how the southern races will play out, just because I have raced there a couple times. But, I definitely think it will be tougher for the northern drivers that have not competed on rough tracks, like the ones in the south.”
Preece, 26, does not have immediate plans to return to the NASCAR national ranks. For the moment, he is focused on delivering a championship to the Partridges and earning his second modified title.
“Right now, there is not much for me as far as racing in the NASCAR national series this season,” Preece expressed. “I am really focused on the modifieds and bringing home a championship. But we will see how it goes.”
Even though his NASCAR national career might be on hold, Preece is still eager to perform and flourish in different motorsports venues — starting with this weekend’s Gambler’s Classic in a three-quarter (TQ) midget.
“It is really cool to be here,” Preece said. “I love racing these midgets. This is a lot of fun racing. I think if you talk to a lot of guys that run higher series, we all agree it is always fun to come back to these midgets.”
Preece will kick off his championship chase during the season-opening NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on March 18 at South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Speedway.
Preece Focused On Modified Return & Pursuit Of Second Title
A www.racechaseronline.com article
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Standing beside his No. 6 TS Haulers TQ-Midget in the pit area before the Gambler’s Classic at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on Friday, former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece was able to reflect on his recent opportunities in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Preece, from Berlin, Conn., has competed in 41 NASCAR national series events over the past three seasons, including five races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2015.
Most recently, Preece contested a full-time campaign with JD Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, recording a top-10 finish at Darlington Speedway but missing the postseason Chase Grid by a scant few points.
Despite a successful first season in the No. 01 Chevrolet for Johnny Davis, Preece announced a few weeks after the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway that he would be returning to his roots in the modifieds for this season and forgoing another NASCAR national series slate.
“I am definitely excited to be heading back to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this season,” Preece said. “We are working extremely hard this offseason to have a strong upcoming season in the modifieds. Hopefully, we can win a lot of races and eventually the championship.”
For this season, the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion will again be piloting a modified under Eddie and Connie Partridge. During his previous full-time stint with the team (in 2015), Preece recorded four victories en route to a second place finish in the championship standings.
Additionally, along with his commitments in the XFINITY Series, Preece competed in modified races with the Partridges last season — finishing as a runner-up twice in eight events.
However, this season will be quite different from Preece’s previous campaigns in the modified ranks.
He, like the other northern competitors, will be faced with new challenges at southern tracks after NASCAR announced the Southern Modified Tour would be combining with the northern Modified Tour to form one collective series.
With that change, there will now be the addition of four southern tracks to the schedule, something that Preece believes will impact the championship battle.
“I have raced with most of the southern drivers quite often,” Preece explained. “I sorta have an idea of how the southern races will play out, just because I have raced there a couple times. But, I definitely think it will be tougher for the northern drivers that have not competed on rough tracks, like the ones in the south.”
Preece, 26, does not have immediate plans to return to the NASCAR national ranks. For the moment, he is focused on delivering a championship to the Partridges and earning his second modified title.
“Right now, there is not much for me as far as racing in the NASCAR national series this season,” Preece expressed. “I am really focused on the modifieds and bringing home a championship. But we will see how it goes.”
Even though his NASCAR national career might be on hold, Preece is still eager to perform and flourish in different motorsports venues — starting with this weekend’s Gambler’s Classic in a three-quarter (TQ) midget.
“It is really cool to be here,” Preece said. “I love racing these midgets. This is a lot of fun racing. I think if you talk to a lot of guys that run higher series, we all agree it is always fun to come back to these midgets.”
Preece will kick off his championship chase during the season-opening NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on March 18 at South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Speedway.
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December 20th, 2016
Preece Optimistic About New Look NASCAR Mod Tour
A Matt Weaver article, www.stscene.com
Unless something drastic happens, expect Ryan Preece to return to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2017 to chase a second championship.
The 26-year-old recently decided to step back from his pursuit of a full-time national touring career and opted not to return to JD Motorsports. In his debut Xfinity Series season, he finished 17th in the final standings and posted a single top-10 in 33 starts. It was a solid effort by the blue-collar JD standards but Preece felt he needed to be someplace where he could win, even if that meant returning home to race on the Tour for Eddie Partridge and the TS Haulers team.
“I feel like I may need to take a step back and look at what the future can hold for me,” Preece said. “I could have run another year with Johnny [Davis] but I feel like that wasn’t the best situation for me to be in long-term. Johnny is a great guy, stand-up, and honest so I don’t want this to come across the wrong way.
“I don’t regret racing with these guys at all. But after Homestead, I took a couple of weeks to see where I was in my career and decided that I just needed to be someplace where I could win.”
In short, he’s still open to racing at the highest level but only in a car capable of regularly contending for top-10s. He’s guy deeply driven to win and has achieved a cult status in the Northeast in open-wheel Modifieds.
If he does return to the TS Haulers No. 6, he expects to have a lot of fun. In eight starts for the team last year, he posted six finishes in the top-6. He knows he could be a championship contender over the course of a 17-race campaign.
He’s even more excited at the prospects of contending on the unified division that absorbed the former Southern NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
“I can’t wait to see how this plays out,” Preece said. “I’m curious to see exactly how many guys are going to go up and down the east coast for the full season. The opener at Myrtle Beach is going to be exciting. I’m not sure what the tire rule is yet, but surface is worn out and that’s going to make it a driver’s race.
“The underdogs could win a race like that.”
The season will begin at Myrtle Beach on March 18 and will go back to the Northeast on April 2 for the Thompson Icebreaker. The preliminary schedule still has one more yet-to-be-named southern event that needs to be added before the season starts.
“These races are going to pay a little bit more and it just feels like a bigger deal already. But at the end of the day, it’s the same old Modified Tour. It’s a great series even without the changes. But I do hope they draw more cars.
But more than anything else, Preece wants to renew his rivalry with four-time and defending champion Doug Coby.
“We have a lot of great drivers up there, but when I’ve been full-time in the past, the championship came down to me vs. Doug,” Preece said. “I really had fun racing for championships against him and it would be cool to compete for another one against him, Justin and Timmy next year if that’s how it plays out.”
Preece also intends to race full-time in a SK Modified at Thompson for Al and Cathy Moniz. This is all dependent on what NASCAR national touring opportunities present themselves over the next few months.
Preece Optimistic About New Look NASCAR Mod Tour
A Matt Weaver article, www.stscene.com
Unless something drastic happens, expect Ryan Preece to return to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2017 to chase a second championship.
The 26-year-old recently decided to step back from his pursuit of a full-time national touring career and opted not to return to JD Motorsports. In his debut Xfinity Series season, he finished 17th in the final standings and posted a single top-10 in 33 starts. It was a solid effort by the blue-collar JD standards but Preece felt he needed to be someplace where he could win, even if that meant returning home to race on the Tour for Eddie Partridge and the TS Haulers team.
“I feel like I may need to take a step back and look at what the future can hold for me,” Preece said. “I could have run another year with Johnny [Davis] but I feel like that wasn’t the best situation for me to be in long-term. Johnny is a great guy, stand-up, and honest so I don’t want this to come across the wrong way.
“I don’t regret racing with these guys at all. But after Homestead, I took a couple of weeks to see where I was in my career and decided that I just needed to be someplace where I could win.”
In short, he’s still open to racing at the highest level but only in a car capable of regularly contending for top-10s. He’s guy deeply driven to win and has achieved a cult status in the Northeast in open-wheel Modifieds.
If he does return to the TS Haulers No. 6, he expects to have a lot of fun. In eight starts for the team last year, he posted six finishes in the top-6. He knows he could be a championship contender over the course of a 17-race campaign.
He’s even more excited at the prospects of contending on the unified division that absorbed the former Southern NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
“I can’t wait to see how this plays out,” Preece said. “I’m curious to see exactly how many guys are going to go up and down the east coast for the full season. The opener at Myrtle Beach is going to be exciting. I’m not sure what the tire rule is yet, but surface is worn out and that’s going to make it a driver’s race.
“The underdogs could win a race like that.”
The season will begin at Myrtle Beach on March 18 and will go back to the Northeast on April 2 for the Thompson Icebreaker. The preliminary schedule still has one more yet-to-be-named southern event that needs to be added before the season starts.
“These races are going to pay a little bit more and it just feels like a bigger deal already. But at the end of the day, it’s the same old Modified Tour. It’s a great series even without the changes. But I do hope they draw more cars.
But more than anything else, Preece wants to renew his rivalry with four-time and defending champion Doug Coby.
“We have a lot of great drivers up there, but when I’ve been full-time in the past, the championship came down to me vs. Doug,” Preece said. “I really had fun racing for championships against him and it would be cool to compete for another one against him, Justin and Timmy next year if that’s how it plays out.”
Preece also intends to race full-time in a SK Modified at Thompson for Al and Cathy Moniz. This is all dependent on what NASCAR national touring opportunities present themselves over the next few months.
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October 25th, 2016
Ryan Preece Gets $5K SK Modified Victory
A www.racedayct.com article
Sunday night Ted Christopher joked about eight wheels being better than four in regards to his race winning pass of Ryan Preece in the SK Modified feature at the Bemers Big Show at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
In the end though Ryan Preece got the last laugh, and the $5,000 winner’s check.
New London-Waterford Speedbowl management has confirmed exclusively to RaceDayCT that Christopher, of Plainville, was disqualified from the victory in the shortened SK Modified feature for using illegal fuel.
Preece, of Berlin, who was second behind Christopher when the race was stopped with 14 laps remaining, has been declared the winner and will collect the $5,000 winner’s purse.
“Generally we wait until Tuesday because we’re holding NASCAR points and we’ve got our motions that we need to go through to make sure that we make the correct decisions,” New London-Waterford Speedbowl general manager Shawn Monahan told RaceDayCT Monday morning. “But the technical staff has made it extremely clear that there’s not a gray area and it’s 100 percent that Ted Christopher is [disqualified].”
Said Preece: “I’m just looking at the trophies, it’s a pretty big deal, especially with that car. We’ve finished second twice this year with it. It’s definitely had the speed. Either way, I wish we could have finished the race and not have finished like that. You win some, you lose some. It doesn’t really matter how you get it when it’s $5,000 in the end.”
Paul Kusheba IV, who finished fourth, was also disqualified for using illegal fuel.
“That’s a bunch of [expletive],” Christopher said. “How does [Kusheba] and us both have the same exact number, but both of us bought fuel, 10 gallons from one truck and 10 gallons from the other? They bought 20 gallons of fuel there. We both bought 10 and 10. Just for some reason the circumstances played that where one truck they bought it from and then bought it from another truck. And we both did that. How the [expletive] can you both have the same exact number? It’s pretty odd that two cars have the same number? Who knows? One truck has a little water, [expletive] condensation. You’re talking two numbers off on 700 numbers.”
Preece had taken the lead from Christopher with 30 laps remaining, but with 15 laps to go, Preece chose the outside lane on a restart and Christopher took advantage, driving him up the track into turn one to take over the lead. A lap later the car of Diego Monahan darted head-on into the track entrance gate in turn four. The damage to the gate forced track officials to red-checker the race with Christopher declared the winner.
“He picked the outside, I didn’t pick it,” Christopher said in victory lane of the restart. “Eight wheels are better than four.”
Monahan also confirmed that Steve Masse, who finished fifth in the original finish on the track, was penalized two positions for a weight infraction. After the penalties, it ended up that Ronnie Williams of Tolland was moved from third to second and Keith Rocco of Wallingford from sixth to third. With the two disqualifications in front of him, Masse ended up back to fifth after all the penalties were assessed.
The penalty drops Christopher from third to fifth in the final standings for the division. Rocco won the division championship with Dennis Perry finishing second. Joey Gada now moves to third behind Perry in the standings and Tyler Chadwick moves to fourth.
Ryan Preece Gets $5K SK Modified Victory
A www.racedayct.com article
Sunday night Ted Christopher joked about eight wheels being better than four in regards to his race winning pass of Ryan Preece in the SK Modified feature at the Bemers Big Show at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
In the end though Ryan Preece got the last laugh, and the $5,000 winner’s check.
New London-Waterford Speedbowl management has confirmed exclusively to RaceDayCT that Christopher, of Plainville, was disqualified from the victory in the shortened SK Modified feature for using illegal fuel.
Preece, of Berlin, who was second behind Christopher when the race was stopped with 14 laps remaining, has been declared the winner and will collect the $5,000 winner’s purse.
“Generally we wait until Tuesday because we’re holding NASCAR points and we’ve got our motions that we need to go through to make sure that we make the correct decisions,” New London-Waterford Speedbowl general manager Shawn Monahan told RaceDayCT Monday morning. “But the technical staff has made it extremely clear that there’s not a gray area and it’s 100 percent that Ted Christopher is [disqualified].”
Said Preece: “I’m just looking at the trophies, it’s a pretty big deal, especially with that car. We’ve finished second twice this year with it. It’s definitely had the speed. Either way, I wish we could have finished the race and not have finished like that. You win some, you lose some. It doesn’t really matter how you get it when it’s $5,000 in the end.”
Paul Kusheba IV, who finished fourth, was also disqualified for using illegal fuel.
“That’s a bunch of [expletive],” Christopher said. “How does [Kusheba] and us both have the same exact number, but both of us bought fuel, 10 gallons from one truck and 10 gallons from the other? They bought 20 gallons of fuel there. We both bought 10 and 10. Just for some reason the circumstances played that where one truck they bought it from and then bought it from another truck. And we both did that. How the [expletive] can you both have the same exact number? It’s pretty odd that two cars have the same number? Who knows? One truck has a little water, [expletive] condensation. You’re talking two numbers off on 700 numbers.”
Preece had taken the lead from Christopher with 30 laps remaining, but with 15 laps to go, Preece chose the outside lane on a restart and Christopher took advantage, driving him up the track into turn one to take over the lead. A lap later the car of Diego Monahan darted head-on into the track entrance gate in turn four. The damage to the gate forced track officials to red-checker the race with Christopher declared the winner.
“He picked the outside, I didn’t pick it,” Christopher said in victory lane of the restart. “Eight wheels are better than four.”
Monahan also confirmed that Steve Masse, who finished fifth in the original finish on the track, was penalized two positions for a weight infraction. After the penalties, it ended up that Ronnie Williams of Tolland was moved from third to second and Keith Rocco of Wallingford from sixth to third. With the two disqualifications in front of him, Masse ended up back to fifth after all the penalties were assessed.
The penalty drops Christopher from third to fifth in the final standings for the division. Rocco won the division championship with Dennis Perry finishing second. Joey Gada now moves to third behind Perry in the standings and Tyler Chadwick moves to fourth.
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October 17th, 2016
High Flyer: Ryan Preece Jets Late To SK Mod Win At Thompson Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Late was operative word for Ryan Preece this weekend at Thompson Speedway.
Late night traveling, late arriving to the line and late dramatics to get a win.
Preece used a last lap pass of Rowan Pennink to win the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at the Sunoco World Series at Thompson Speedway Sunday.
It was the fourth victory of the season for Preece, of Berlin.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. was second and Ronnie Williams of Tolland third. Keith Rocco won the championship with a fifth place finish.
After racing with the XFINITY Series at Kansas Speedway Saturday Preece arrived back in Charlotte late Saturday night and then took an early morning flight to Hartford.
Before the start of the feature he had to go to pit road.
“We almost didn’t make it out there,” Preece said. “That was interesting. I pulled out and it wouldn’t go into high gear. It was like stuck. I don’t know what happened. We jacked the car out and it got out.”
Preece started at the rear of the 24-car field and diced his way quickly up to the front runners. By lap eight he was running third behind Williams with Pennink leading.
Preece went by Williams for second on lap nine then began hounding Pennink’s back bumper.
On the final lap Preece got under Pennink in turn one, with Pennink going up the track in turn two. Preece came off turn two with the lead. Pennink gave him a hard shot in turn three, but it wasn’t enough to pry him from the lead.
“I was kind of riding there behind Rowan between lap 10 and 20, just kind of watching his car to see when it would start freeing up,” Preece said. “Right when his car started to free up I think I beat on it a little too early and I freed myself up. There was about four to go and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get him on the outside so I just started working the bottom. We kept getting closer and closer. With about one lap to go – if there was 10 more laps or five more laps you can keep on edging it up – but him and I both send it in there. We rubbed a little bit, I didn’t make him wreck or anything. We raced to the end so. It was a good race.”
Preece won the final three events of the year.
“We definitely hit something there in August with the car and I think it definitely showed,” Preece said. “Even today we definitely weren’t at our best, but we were just good enough.”
High Flyer: Ryan Preece Jets Late To SK Mod Win At Thompson Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Late was operative word for Ryan Preece this weekend at Thompson Speedway.
Late night traveling, late arriving to the line and late dramatics to get a win.
Preece used a last lap pass of Rowan Pennink to win the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at the Sunoco World Series at Thompson Speedway Sunday.
It was the fourth victory of the season for Preece, of Berlin.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. was second and Ronnie Williams of Tolland third. Keith Rocco won the championship with a fifth place finish.
After racing with the XFINITY Series at Kansas Speedway Saturday Preece arrived back in Charlotte late Saturday night and then took an early morning flight to Hartford.
Before the start of the feature he had to go to pit road.
“We almost didn’t make it out there,” Preece said. “That was interesting. I pulled out and it wouldn’t go into high gear. It was like stuck. I don’t know what happened. We jacked the car out and it got out.”
Preece started at the rear of the 24-car field and diced his way quickly up to the front runners. By lap eight he was running third behind Williams with Pennink leading.
Preece went by Williams for second on lap nine then began hounding Pennink’s back bumper.
On the final lap Preece got under Pennink in turn one, with Pennink going up the track in turn two. Preece came off turn two with the lead. Pennink gave him a hard shot in turn three, but it wasn’t enough to pry him from the lead.
“I was kind of riding there behind Rowan between lap 10 and 20, just kind of watching his car to see when it would start freeing up,” Preece said. “Right when his car started to free up I think I beat on it a little too early and I freed myself up. There was about four to go and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get him on the outside so I just started working the bottom. We kept getting closer and closer. With about one lap to go – if there was 10 more laps or five more laps you can keep on edging it up – but him and I both send it in there. We rubbed a little bit, I didn’t make him wreck or anything. We raced to the end so. It was a good race.”
Preece won the final three events of the year.
“We definitely hit something there in August with the car and I think it definitely showed,” Preece said. “Even today we definitely weren’t at our best, but we were just good enough.”
October 6th, 2016
Ryan Preece Wins NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Finale At Charlotte
A www.hometracks.nascar.com release
CONCORD, N.C. – Ryan Preece made an impressive pass by George Brunnhoelzl III and went on to win the Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 Thursday night on the quarter-mile track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for his third win on the southern tour.
While Preece celebrated the win, Burt Myers enjoyed winning his second NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship. Myers, also scored his first tour title in 2010 at CMS, won three times on the 2016 schedule and held the lead throughout the season.
The Walnut Cove, N.C. driver entered the season finale just needing to take the green flag to celebrate and deny Andy Seuss a third straight crown.
Brunnhoelzl held on to finish second in the race and also pass Seuss for second in the final standings.
James Civali finished third in the race with Danny Bohn and Bobby Measmer Jr. completing the top five.
Burt Myers was sixth followed by Seuss, Kyle Bonsignore, Jason Myers, and Trey Hutchens III completed the top 10.
Bonsignore also secured the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award competing in every race on the schedule.
The Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 will be televised on NBCSN on Friday, Oct. 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Burt Myers is the third champion to be crowned in the NASCAR Touring division and he’ll join the other six touring and weekly series champions from across the globe on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Charlotte for the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards celebration.
The event will be held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame at the Charlotte Convention Center for the seventh consecutive year.
Ryan Preece Wins NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Finale At Charlotte
A www.hometracks.nascar.com release
CONCORD, N.C. – Ryan Preece made an impressive pass by George Brunnhoelzl III and went on to win the Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 Thursday night on the quarter-mile track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for his third win on the southern tour.
While Preece celebrated the win, Burt Myers enjoyed winning his second NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship. Myers, also scored his first tour title in 2010 at CMS, won three times on the 2016 schedule and held the lead throughout the season.
The Walnut Cove, N.C. driver entered the season finale just needing to take the green flag to celebrate and deny Andy Seuss a third straight crown.
Brunnhoelzl held on to finish second in the race and also pass Seuss for second in the final standings.
James Civali finished third in the race with Danny Bohn and Bobby Measmer Jr. completing the top five.
Burt Myers was sixth followed by Seuss, Kyle Bonsignore, Jason Myers, and Trey Hutchens III completed the top 10.
Bonsignore also secured the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award competing in every race on the schedule.
The Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 will be televised on NBCSN on Friday, Oct. 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Burt Myers is the third champion to be crowned in the NASCAR Touring division and he’ll join the other six touring and weekly series champions from across the globe on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Charlotte for the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards celebration.
The event will be held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame at the Charlotte Convention Center for the seventh consecutive year.
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August 25th, 2016
Swept Up: Ryan Preece Completes SK Modified Twin Sweep At Thompson Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Wait, study, pounce.
That was the plan for Ryan Preece on the way to an evening sweep Wednesday at Thompson Speedway.
After watching Keith Rocco and Rowan Pennink in a feisty battle for the lead lap after lap, Preece went to the front on lap 21 and led the rest of the way to win the second 25-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Wednesday at Thompson Speedway.
“It was definitely intense,” Preece said. “I want to focus on how good this race car was. … We didn’t have tires to put on for this race and right there at the beginning we were kind of saving it. I expected Keith to go out and have a really good car and drive away. This car was just phenomenal once lap 10 took off. It was just consistent, had big forward drive. So I want to thank [crew chief] Mike Paquette.”
Rocco, of Wallingford, was second and Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. third.
Preece also won the first 25-lap event of the night.
Pennink went to the lead at the start with Rocco going by Woody Pitkat for second on lap seven.
On lap eight Rocco got under Pennink for the lead in turn three, but Pennink was able to cross him over in turn four and regain the top spot.
The pair pulled the same swapping on lap nine and then again on lap 11. All the while Preece paced behind in waiting.
On lap 13 Rocco made a move under Pennink in turn three, and Pennink wasn’t able to fight back off of turn four to grab the lead again. On the next lap Preece got by Pennink for second place and then went to setting up Rocco for the lap 21 winning pass.
“Sitting back there and I was watching [Rocco cross over] with [Pennink],’ Preece said. “I was kind of sitting there. I was kind of just watching where [Rocco] was doing it and how he was doing it. And I wasn’t going to screw [Pennink] up.
“Once the opportunity arose and I followed Keith through, it was just pretty much play the cat and mouse game. Just push him down the straightaways and kind of set up that inside-outside move. When the time came I got a really big run out of [turn] two and we made it happen.”
Swept Up: Ryan Preece Completes SK Modified Twin Sweep At Thompson Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Wait, study, pounce.
That was the plan for Ryan Preece on the way to an evening sweep Wednesday at Thompson Speedway.
After watching Keith Rocco and Rowan Pennink in a feisty battle for the lead lap after lap, Preece went to the front on lap 21 and led the rest of the way to win the second 25-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Wednesday at Thompson Speedway.
“It was definitely intense,” Preece said. “I want to focus on how good this race car was. … We didn’t have tires to put on for this race and right there at the beginning we were kind of saving it. I expected Keith to go out and have a really good car and drive away. This car was just phenomenal once lap 10 took off. It was just consistent, had big forward drive. So I want to thank [crew chief] Mike Paquette.”
Rocco, of Wallingford, was second and Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. third.
Preece also won the first 25-lap event of the night.
Pennink went to the lead at the start with Rocco going by Woody Pitkat for second on lap seven.
On lap eight Rocco got under Pennink for the lead in turn three, but Pennink was able to cross him over in turn four and regain the top spot.
The pair pulled the same swapping on lap nine and then again on lap 11. All the while Preece paced behind in waiting.
On lap 13 Rocco made a move under Pennink in turn three, and Pennink wasn’t able to fight back off of turn four to grab the lead again. On the next lap Preece got by Pennink for second place and then went to setting up Rocco for the lap 21 winning pass.
“Sitting back there and I was watching [Rocco cross over] with [Pennink],’ Preece said. “I was kind of sitting there. I was kind of just watching where [Rocco] was doing it and how he was doing it. And I wasn’t going to screw [Pennink] up.
“Once the opportunity arose and I followed Keith through, it was just pretty much play the cat and mouse game. Just push him down the straightaways and kind of set up that inside-outside move. When the time came I got a really big run out of [turn] two and we made it happen.”
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July 28th, 2016
Flight Plan: Ryan Preece Lands For Victorious Night In SK Modified At Thompson
A www.racedayct.com release
THOMPSON – The road to shaking off a season of doldrums in an SK Modified at Thompson Speedway began Wednesday morning at about 4:30 am in Charlotte, N.C. for Ryan Preece.
And about eighteen hours later the frustrations were in the rearview.
Preece, of Berlin, got his first victories of 2016 in style Wednesday at Thompson Speedway.
Preece won the first segment of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified 20/20 Sprint and scored victory in the last of three segments to also take the overall win for the event.
Preece is competing full-time in the SK Modified divison at Thompson this year for car owners Cathy and Al Moniz, despite running full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and living in North Carolina. He is also running part-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Keith Rocco had won the first four SK Modified events this season at Thompson.
“It’s pretty special,” Preece said. “This year, it’s been a rough year. … Tonight was the night we took the monkey off our back hopefully. … I’m looking forward, I’m not looking backward. I feel like that’s what’s going to turn this season around.”
Preece was quick to rattle off the timeline of his day.
“Wake up at 4:30, got on a flight, landed 9:30 in Boston, took an Uber here,” Preece said. “Ate at the clubhouse, slept on the bench over by the snack shack in the pits. … It’s a long day.”
Preece said he isn’t worried that his busy schedule of racing and travel this year is hindering him in any way.
“I feel like you hear that sometimes people will think he’s traveling everywhere, he’s got too much going on,” Preece said. “But I think any racecar driver will tell you the more you’re in a seat the better you are and the more confidence you’ll gain. I’m definitely not getting tired. I love it. I miss that weekly grind, but at the same time I love the XFINITY Series.”
The event saw SK Modified drivers run two 20-lap feature races followed by a 10-lap shootout that was not considered a track feature. The overall winner was determined by the driver with the best average finish overall.
Preece finished fourth in the second segment.
Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. finished second in all three segments tying Preece for the average finish in the standings for the overall winner, with Preece winning the tiebreaker with the victories.
Keith Rocco of Wallingford won the second segment and finished third overall for the event with an average finish of 2.6. Rocco finished fourth in the first segment and third in the final shootout.
Preece got his first SK Modified feature win of the season at Thompson in the first 20-lap SK Modified feature of the night. Ronnie Williams of Tolland was third.
Preece took the lead from Pennink on lap eight and never trailed again.
“It was pretty tough there,” Preece said. “… We’ve been struggling with the brakes with this car and it’s been making us so free [into the corners]. … My owners, Al and Cathy, they work, they put their heart into this car. To fly up here today and win with them, it’s a lot of fun for me.”
In the second 20-lap segment it was Rocco holding off Pennink for the victory with Woody Pitkat of Stafford finishing third.
Pennink took the lead from Rocco on lap six, but Rocco fought back to regain the top spot on the next lap.
“It’s just a game up front when the cars are that equal and you have talent up front,” Rocco said. “You can just swap the lead back and forth and put a show on for the fans.”
In the final segment, Preece held off charges from Pennink and Williams over the closing laps to score the victory.
Flight Plan: Ryan Preece Lands For Victorious Night In SK Modified At Thompson
A www.racedayct.com release
THOMPSON – The road to shaking off a season of doldrums in an SK Modified at Thompson Speedway began Wednesday morning at about 4:30 am in Charlotte, N.C. for Ryan Preece.
And about eighteen hours later the frustrations were in the rearview.
Preece, of Berlin, got his first victories of 2016 in style Wednesday at Thompson Speedway.
Preece won the first segment of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified 20/20 Sprint and scored victory in the last of three segments to also take the overall win for the event.
Preece is competing full-time in the SK Modified divison at Thompson this year for car owners Cathy and Al Moniz, despite running full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and living in North Carolina. He is also running part-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Keith Rocco had won the first four SK Modified events this season at Thompson.
“It’s pretty special,” Preece said. “This year, it’s been a rough year. … Tonight was the night we took the monkey off our back hopefully. … I’m looking forward, I’m not looking backward. I feel like that’s what’s going to turn this season around.”
Preece was quick to rattle off the timeline of his day.
“Wake up at 4:30, got on a flight, landed 9:30 in Boston, took an Uber here,” Preece said. “Ate at the clubhouse, slept on the bench over by the snack shack in the pits. … It’s a long day.”
Preece said he isn’t worried that his busy schedule of racing and travel this year is hindering him in any way.
“I feel like you hear that sometimes people will think he’s traveling everywhere, he’s got too much going on,” Preece said. “But I think any racecar driver will tell you the more you’re in a seat the better you are and the more confidence you’ll gain. I’m definitely not getting tired. I love it. I miss that weekly grind, but at the same time I love the XFINITY Series.”
The event saw SK Modified drivers run two 20-lap feature races followed by a 10-lap shootout that was not considered a track feature. The overall winner was determined by the driver with the best average finish overall.
Preece finished fourth in the second segment.
Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. finished second in all three segments tying Preece for the average finish in the standings for the overall winner, with Preece winning the tiebreaker with the victories.
Keith Rocco of Wallingford won the second segment and finished third overall for the event with an average finish of 2.6. Rocco finished fourth in the first segment and third in the final shootout.
Preece got his first SK Modified feature win of the season at Thompson in the first 20-lap SK Modified feature of the night. Ronnie Williams of Tolland was third.
Preece took the lead from Pennink on lap eight and never trailed again.
“It was pretty tough there,” Preece said. “… We’ve been struggling with the brakes with this car and it’s been making us so free [into the corners]. … My owners, Al and Cathy, they work, they put their heart into this car. To fly up here today and win with them, it’s a lot of fun for me.”
In the second 20-lap segment it was Rocco holding off Pennink for the victory with Woody Pitkat of Stafford finishing third.
Pennink took the lead from Rocco on lap six, but Rocco fought back to regain the top spot on the next lap.
“It’s just a game up front when the cars are that equal and you have talent up front,” Rocco said. “You can just swap the lead back and forth and put a show on for the fans.”
In the final segment, Preece held off charges from Pennink and Williams over the closing laps to score the victory.
February 19th, 2016
Ryan Preece Closes Out New Smyrna World Series With Modified Win And Championship
A www.racedayct.com article
When Ryan Preece hits the 2.5-mile oval Saturday for his first XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway he will carry with him some sweet short track momentum of a job well done Friday.
Preece, of Berlin, closed out his second consecutive World Series of Asphalt Racing Tour Type Modified Division championship with a victory in Friday’s Richie Evans Memorial 100 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
“Winning a race with Richie Evans’ name on it, it really means a lot to me,” Preece told NASCAR Home Tracks of the Modified legend and NASCAR Hall of Famer. “That’s somebody, when you think Modifieds, you think Richie Evans. I’m a little young, so I wasn’t fortunate enough to race in Richie’s era. But you can type into YouTube and see some of the things he did. He really was an amazing driver. So to put my name on a trophy that has his name on it means a lot to me.”
Preece, driving for Ed Partridge’s TS Haulers team, finished the New Smyrna World Series week with runner-up finishes in the first two events of the week and victories in the second two events. The first night of the scheduled five night series was rained out Monday.
Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. finished second Friday and JR Bertuccio of Centereach, N.Y. was third.
Ryan Preece Closes Out New Smyrna World Series With Modified Win And Championship
A www.racedayct.com article
When Ryan Preece hits the 2.5-mile oval Saturday for his first XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway he will carry with him some sweet short track momentum of a job well done Friday.
Preece, of Berlin, closed out his second consecutive World Series of Asphalt Racing Tour Type Modified Division championship with a victory in Friday’s Richie Evans Memorial 100 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
“Winning a race with Richie Evans’ name on it, it really means a lot to me,” Preece told NASCAR Home Tracks of the Modified legend and NASCAR Hall of Famer. “That’s somebody, when you think Modifieds, you think Richie Evans. I’m a little young, so I wasn’t fortunate enough to race in Richie’s era. But you can type into YouTube and see some of the things he did. He really was an amazing driver. So to put my name on a trophy that has his name on it means a lot to me.”
Preece, driving for Ed Partridge’s TS Haulers team, finished the New Smyrna World Series week with runner-up finishes in the first two events of the week and victories in the second two events. The first night of the scheduled five night series was rained out Monday.
Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. finished second Friday and JR Bertuccio of Centereach, N.Y. was third.
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February 18th, 2016
Preece Dominates At New Smyrna For First Speedweeks Win Of 2016
A Speed51.com article
Coming into the 2016 edition of Speedweeks at New Smyrna the overwhelming favorite had to be 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece, who dominated the Tour-type Modified portion of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing in 2015 and came in this season with a brand new racecar.
But Preece has come up short in the first two Modified events this week, getting beat on a late restart by Ron Silk on Tuesday night and only being able to march back for another runner-up finish after spinning early in Wednesday’s 76 lap event.
Preece (6) passes Eric Goodale for the lead and the win on Thursday at New Smyrna. (Speed51.com/Bruce Nuttleman photo)
On Thursday night, Preece reasserted his dominance, storming past Silk on lap eight to take the lead for good in the 35 lap feature. Preece was cautious in the second half of the race, but was happy as ever when it was all over.
“It’s been a lot of work; we’ve just been fine tuning the setup and really learning this car. I have a pretty good handle on it now. If anything we got tight there. I was actually a little nervous around lap 20 or 25 because it wasn’t freeing up.” Preece said after the race on FansChoice.tv. “I’m really excited to get to victory lane and I’m happy for Eddie and Connie Patridge and TS Haulers, my owners. It’s just awesome.”
Preece has a busy day on Friday as he heads north during the day to Daytona International Speedway to practice his Johnny Davis Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series car in advance of Saturday’s 300-mile race.
Despite him missing practice for Friday night’s Richie Evan’s Memorial 100, Preece has no problem leaving the car as is.
“I think we have a really good car for the 100-lapper tomorrow. I wish we didn’t have to change tires because we have a really good hold on this thing.”
Justin Bonsignore finished second to Preece on Thursday and believes he has something for Preece and the rest of the field Friday.
“I think we have a better package for the longer distance races, where maybe Ryan is not as strong in the longer ones, but you never know. Hopefully he gets stuck at Xfinity practice all day and we can race, but no hopefully he gets back in time so we can battle it out.”
Friday’s Richie Evans Memorial will be the final outing for the Tour-type Modifieds in 2016 at the World Series before the teams return home to prepare for the upcoming championship seasons.
-By Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com Mass, Conn, and Long Island Editor – Twitter: @Connor51CT
Preece Dominates At New Smyrna For First Speedweeks Win Of 2016
A Speed51.com article
Coming into the 2016 edition of Speedweeks at New Smyrna the overwhelming favorite had to be 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece, who dominated the Tour-type Modified portion of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing in 2015 and came in this season with a brand new racecar.
But Preece has come up short in the first two Modified events this week, getting beat on a late restart by Ron Silk on Tuesday night and only being able to march back for another runner-up finish after spinning early in Wednesday’s 76 lap event.
Preece (6) passes Eric Goodale for the lead and the win on Thursday at New Smyrna. (Speed51.com/Bruce Nuttleman photo)
On Thursday night, Preece reasserted his dominance, storming past Silk on lap eight to take the lead for good in the 35 lap feature. Preece was cautious in the second half of the race, but was happy as ever when it was all over.
“It’s been a lot of work; we’ve just been fine tuning the setup and really learning this car. I have a pretty good handle on it now. If anything we got tight there. I was actually a little nervous around lap 20 or 25 because it wasn’t freeing up.” Preece said after the race on FansChoice.tv. “I’m really excited to get to victory lane and I’m happy for Eddie and Connie Patridge and TS Haulers, my owners. It’s just awesome.”
Preece has a busy day on Friday as he heads north during the day to Daytona International Speedway to practice his Johnny Davis Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series car in advance of Saturday’s 300-mile race.
Despite him missing practice for Friday night’s Richie Evan’s Memorial 100, Preece has no problem leaving the car as is.
“I think we have a really good car for the 100-lapper tomorrow. I wish we didn’t have to change tires because we have a really good hold on this thing.”
Justin Bonsignore finished second to Preece on Thursday and believes he has something for Preece and the rest of the field Friday.
“I think we have a better package for the longer distance races, where maybe Ryan is not as strong in the longer ones, but you never know. Hopefully he gets stuck at Xfinity practice all day and we can race, but no hopefully he gets back in time so we can battle it out.”
Friday’s Richie Evans Memorial will be the final outing for the Tour-type Modifieds in 2016 at the World Series before the teams return home to prepare for the upcoming championship seasons.
-By Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com Mass, Conn, and Long Island Editor – Twitter: @Connor51CT
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January 25th, 2016
Ryan Preece To NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2016
'13 Mod Tour Champ Joins JD Motorsports
A JD Motorsports Press Release
GAFFNEY, S.C. – The 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series season will be brand new, and the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team is ready to shine in the new landscape.
NASCAR has changed the system that decides the championship in the Xfinity Series, adding a version of the Chase format that has been successful for several seasons in the Sprint Cup Series.
A victory in the first 26 races of the 33-race Xfinity season will all but guarantee a driver entry into the Xfinity Chase. Twelve drivers will make the Chase.
Drivers will race for the title through three rounds, with four being eligible for the championship in the season’s final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. The Final Four driver who finishes the highest at Homestead will win the title.
“We’re ready to race for it,” said JD Motorsports with Gary Keller owner Johnny Davis. “We have the drivers, the cars and the resources here to make a run for the championship. We can’t wait to get started.”
JDM plans to field three cars again this season in the Xfinity Series.
Ross Chastain, who turned in a superior performance in his rookie Xfinity season last year, returns to the team’s No. 4 Chevrolets with backing from the watermelon industry. Brian Berry will be the team’s crew chief, with Gary Cogswell also on board at JDM as a co-crew chief and key mechanic across all of the team’s operations.
Former NASCAR Whelen Modified champion Ryan Preece takes over JDM’s No. 01 Chevys. Zach McGowan, already familiar with Preece from working with him in both Sprint Cup and Xfinity races, will be the team’s crew chief. Preece, who won the Modified championship in 2013, has raced with support from Mohawk Northeast, Inc., Mizzy Construction and Falmouth Ready Mix.
Eric McClure joins JDM to drive the team’s No. 0 Chevrolet in the season-opener Feb. 20 at Daytona International Speedway. Todd Myers will be crew chief. Reynolds Wrap will be McClure’s sponsor.
JDM plans to field the No. 0 cars throughout the season and is actively pursuing driver/sponsor partnerships going forward.
G&K Services, a long-time JDM sponsor, returns in 2016 as one of the team’s key ingredients.
“Everything is lining up well,” Davis said. “We expect to have three strong teams when we get things started next month in Daytona. We should be astronomically better than last year. We’re better prepared, and we have more resources.”
Chastain, 23, scored four top 10s for JDM last season, including a ninth-place run in the season-opening race at Daytona.
“I feel like we really overachieved last year, especially since I hadn’t been to a lot of the tracks,” Chastain said. “Now we’re back and we’ve regrouped. The right people are in the right places, and the morale of the whole team is better.”
Chastain said he’s shooting for race wins, a finish in the points top 10 and a run into the Chase.
Preece, 25, brings a strong resume to JDM. He finished as runnerup in the tough Whelen Modified Series in 2009 and 2012 before winning the title in 2013. He has 15 career wins in that series.
Preece ran five Sprint Cup races last season.
“It’s a great opportunity to run with Johnny Davis Motorsports,” Preece said. “I’ve been bouncing around between Sprint Cup and Xfinity, and it’s good to have a chance to run Xfinity full-time. It’s a lot of good seat time.
“I love to race, and it’s cool that NASCAR has given us the opportunity to shoot for the Chase and to race for a championship.”
McClure has finished in the top 20 in points in the Xfinity Series in each of the past five seasons. Also a former Sprint Cup driver, he brings a wealth of experience to JDM.
McClure raced for Davis in 2007 in the Xfinity Series.
“Johnny’s organization has come a long way,” McClure said. “It’s fitting that at this stage of my career that I can come back and partner up with a guy who knows how to race and knows how to maximize his opportunities. My career has sort of come full circle.”
Ryan Preece To NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2016
'13 Mod Tour Champ Joins JD Motorsports
A JD Motorsports Press Release
GAFFNEY, S.C. – The 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series season will be brand new, and the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team is ready to shine in the new landscape.
NASCAR has changed the system that decides the championship in the Xfinity Series, adding a version of the Chase format that has been successful for several seasons in the Sprint Cup Series.
A victory in the first 26 races of the 33-race Xfinity season will all but guarantee a driver entry into the Xfinity Chase. Twelve drivers will make the Chase.
Drivers will race for the title through three rounds, with four being eligible for the championship in the season’s final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. The Final Four driver who finishes the highest at Homestead will win the title.
“We’re ready to race for it,” said JD Motorsports with Gary Keller owner Johnny Davis. “We have the drivers, the cars and the resources here to make a run for the championship. We can’t wait to get started.”
JDM plans to field three cars again this season in the Xfinity Series.
Ross Chastain, who turned in a superior performance in his rookie Xfinity season last year, returns to the team’s No. 4 Chevrolets with backing from the watermelon industry. Brian Berry will be the team’s crew chief, with Gary Cogswell also on board at JDM as a co-crew chief and key mechanic across all of the team’s operations.
Former NASCAR Whelen Modified champion Ryan Preece takes over JDM’s No. 01 Chevys. Zach McGowan, already familiar with Preece from working with him in both Sprint Cup and Xfinity races, will be the team’s crew chief. Preece, who won the Modified championship in 2013, has raced with support from Mohawk Northeast, Inc., Mizzy Construction and Falmouth Ready Mix.
Eric McClure joins JDM to drive the team’s No. 0 Chevrolet in the season-opener Feb. 20 at Daytona International Speedway. Todd Myers will be crew chief. Reynolds Wrap will be McClure’s sponsor.
JDM plans to field the No. 0 cars throughout the season and is actively pursuing driver/sponsor partnerships going forward.
G&K Services, a long-time JDM sponsor, returns in 2016 as one of the team’s key ingredients.
“Everything is lining up well,” Davis said. “We expect to have three strong teams when we get things started next month in Daytona. We should be astronomically better than last year. We’re better prepared, and we have more resources.”
Chastain, 23, scored four top 10s for JDM last season, including a ninth-place run in the season-opening race at Daytona.
“I feel like we really overachieved last year, especially since I hadn’t been to a lot of the tracks,” Chastain said. “Now we’re back and we’ve regrouped. The right people are in the right places, and the morale of the whole team is better.”
Chastain said he’s shooting for race wins, a finish in the points top 10 and a run into the Chase.
Preece, 25, brings a strong resume to JDM. He finished as runnerup in the tough Whelen Modified Series in 2009 and 2012 before winning the title in 2013. He has 15 career wins in that series.
Preece ran five Sprint Cup races last season.
“It’s a great opportunity to run with Johnny Davis Motorsports,” Preece said. “I’ve been bouncing around between Sprint Cup and Xfinity, and it’s good to have a chance to run Xfinity full-time. It’s a lot of good seat time.
“I love to race, and it’s cool that NASCAR has given us the opportunity to shoot for the Chase and to race for a championship.”
McClure has finished in the top 20 in points in the Xfinity Series in each of the past five seasons. Also a former Sprint Cup driver, he brings a wealth of experience to JDM.
McClure raced for Davis in 2007 in the Xfinity Series.
“Johnny’s organization has come a long way,” McClure said. “It’s fitting that at this stage of my career that I can come back and partner up with a guy who knows how to race and knows how to maximize his opportunities. My career has sort of come full circle.”
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