Ryan Preece posts first Top-5 of 2024
Other driver’s misfortunes proved to be Ryan Preece’s gain in the Ally 400, as the Stewart-Haas Racing driver posted his first top-5 finish of the NASCAR Cup Series season Sunday.
Fuel was a concern for everyone going into overtime. But Preece’s team pitted before the first overtime restart and quickly quelled that concern.
Others gambled. As they ran out of fuel and carnage ensued, including right in front of Preece during the second overtime restart, he worked his way from 20th to fourth by the fifth overtime restart. Preece held strong, finishing fourth for his best finish with Stewart-Haas Racing since joining their Cup team in 2023.
“It wasn’t very pretty, but another chaotic 10 or 15 laps there at the end and we salvaged a good day,” Preece said. “So thank you to Stewart-Haas, Ford Performance and all of my supporters – Morton Buildings, Haas Tooling, United Rentals, RaceChoice.com, just everybody and Al Hankey Mohawk Northeast, just everybody.”
“A day like today certainly helps a lot.”
Preece is still looking for a ride in 2025. While Joe Gibbs Racing signed his teammate, Chase Briscoe, to a deal, and teammates Noah Gragson and Josh Berry have popped up in rumored discussions about open rides for next year, the rumor mill has remained largely quiet on Preece.
Preece now has four Top-5 finishes to his name in the NASCAR Cup Series, including two with SHR. Prior to Nashville, Preece’s best finish of 2024 came at Martinsville Speedway in April when he finished ninth.
After Nashville, Preece picked up three spots and is now 25th in points. The problem is, he’s 191 points away from the playoff cutline. With eight races left until the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start, Preece is mathematically over three races behind the cutline.
The most points a driver can make up in one race is 59 points. The SHR driver, who has never made the playoffs, is likely in a must-win situation to secure a playoff spot.
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.