Ryan Preece’s NASCAR Cup Series experience hasn’t been as successful as he’d like as he prepares for his sixth full-time season.
After two years with JTG Daugherty Racing, Preece entered a handful of races across NASCAR’s top three divisions before landing a full-time gig with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023.
However, two full seasons filled with turmoil and an average points finish of 24.5, combined with the closing of SHR and Preece wasn’t sure where his next job would be.
While there were plenty of unknowns as the season wound down, Preece found what he hopes will be his racing home for the next several years — RFK Racing, where he was announced as the team’s third full-time driver on Tuesday.
“There were some opportunities out there, but, at the same time, I wasn’t sure,” Preece said. “That makes me that much more grateful for Kroger, for BAM, for RFK and to have this because it seemed like in July or August both Heather and I were looking at properties back in Connecticut because that’s where I’m from.
“I moved to North Carolina back in 2018 chasing opportunities, chasing the dream to win at the Cup level, to perform at the Cup level, so if this didn’t happen, I was probably gonna end up moving back and wasn’t quite sure what it was all gonna be like, but obviously we’re extremely grateful to have this opportunity.”
With backing from Kroger, who Preece was paired with during his tenure at JTG, Preece has a solid foundation from a sponsorship standpoint.
Perhaps equally important is a team in RFK that’s trending upward with the leadership of co-owner/driver Brad Keselowski, who’s seen firsthand from a former teammate (Joey Logano) how drivers being placed in the right situation can make all the difference in their career trajectory.
“It’s fortuitous timing with Joey Logano winning the championship and I had this video pop up in one of my social media feeds, but Joey Logano’s career in 2012 and some pundits maybe saying that they didn’t think he deserved a Cup ride and now to see that it seems a little bit laughable now that he’s won his third championship,” Keselowski began.
“I think it’s a testament to not being in the right situation. I don’t care who you are as a driver, if you’re not in the right situation – you take the best driver in Cup and put him in a situation that’s not right, it’s not gonna work. So, for me, what I look for is people that have specific talent sets, whether that be their talent behind the wheel and combine that with some work ethic.
“I see Ryan, I see someone who has talent,” Keselowski continued. “He has work ethic and probably hasn’t been in the opportunities he needs to be in to be successful, so my commitment is to taking someone like Ryan and putting him in that spot where he can win 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.
“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 in order to be successful and I think we can do just that.”
Preece, who admitted his career has “been unorthodox,” believes he’s as motivated as ever to prove his worth.
“I’m a racer. I’m somebody that wants to win races,” Preece said. “I want to compete for championships. My entire career has certainly been unorthodox, but I have unfinished business and I want to win really bad, so, like you said to Brad, I’m sure it adds a lot more to his busy schedule.
“I know we talked on the phone quite a bit over the past few weeks and I’m eager and ready to get to the Clash and get to Daytona and finish out that goal.”