Ryan Preece collects third consecutive Top-10

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Ryan Preece collected his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Top-10 Sunday at Martinsville, finishing seventh in the Cook Out 400. 

Coming into 2025, the expectations for Preece to deliver were as high as ever, and those results have started to roll in. After a rocky start to 2025 at the superspeedway races, Preece has been very productive. 

Although he finished 33rd at COTA, he won a stage. Then, he led 34 laps en route to a 30-point day at Phoenix. What followed was a three-race stretch of third, ninth and seventh place finishes at Las Vegas, Homestead and Martinsville.

The three-race streak marks the first of its kind for Preece in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“I didn’t expect that one,” Preece said in a press release of his Martinsville race. “Honestly, it all started with me messing up in qualifying and putting us back there.

“Ultimately, we got some great stage points, some great calls, and great adjustments on the box, and we got this Fastenal Ford Mustang where it needed to be.” 

After seven races, Preece sits 15th in the standings at +15 to the playoff cutline. Chris Buescher is the only other RFK Racing car in the playoff field at the moment, sitting 12th in the standings at +27 to the cutline. 

As for Sunday at Martinsville, Preece for the most part did what he did in the last two races, lingered around the Top-10 and snuck his way into the Top-10 in the final stage. Preece did grab some stage points, finishing sixth in Stage 1 on strategy. 

For Preece, it’s his second Top-10 at Martinsville in three races, as he finished ninth at the paper clip last spring. 

The coming weeks have a chance to see Preece add to his 2025 resume. With Bristol in two weeks, he can get his second consecutive Top-10 at the half mile oval where he finished seventh in the fall, and he has three Top-10’s at Talladega which comes the following week. 

The Cup Series leaves Martinsville and heads to Darlington for next Sunday’s Goodyear 400, with the green flag set to fly at 3 P.M. ET.