Preston Pardus Bio
Preston Joseph Pardus (born February 15, 1997) is an American professional racing driver. He has competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Pardus Racing Inc., and he is also a long-time competitor in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). In SCCA competition, Pardus has won the Spec Miata class at the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs and earned the 2020 Super Sweep award in Spec Miata. He is the son of former NASCAR driver Dan Pardus.
Early Life and Background
Preston Joseph Pardus was born on February 15, 1997, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Growing up in a household with a racing background, he was introduced to motorsports at a young age through his father, Dan Pardus, a former NASCAR competitor. He attended Spruce Creek High School, graduating in 2015.
Coming from a region with deep ties to grassroots racing, Pardus found his early footing in the Spec Miata class, a popular entry-level category in the Sports Car Club of America. The combination of family encouragement and Florida’s active club-racing scene helped shape his development as a versatile driver comfortable in both road-course and stock-car machinery.
Path to NASCAR
Pardus built his racing resume primarily through SCCA competition, racing Spec Miatas against deep fields of club drivers. In 2017, he won the Spec Miata class at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs with a last-lap pass, an early sign of his race craft. That same year, he was selected by Mazda Motorsports as a finalist for the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout.
He continued to sharpen his road-racing skills in 2019, opening the SCCA Super Tour with a win at Sebring International Raceway and later capturing the SCCA Majors Southeast Conference Championship. With his road-course credentials established, Pardus made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in August 2019 at Road America, driving the No. 50 for his family’s Pardus Racing Inc. team, using an old Chip Ganassi Racing chassis powered by an Earnhardt Childress Engines engine, with Tony Furr serving as crew chief.
Preston Pardus Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Preston Pardus emerged as a top Spec Miata talent in the Sports Car Club of America. In 2017, he captured the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Spec Miata title with a dramatic last-lap pass, one of the most prestigious victories in American club racing. The result put him on the radar of Mazda Motorsports, which named him a finalist for the 2017 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout.
In 2019, Pardus expanded his schedule across both SCCA and NASCAR. He won the season-opening SCCA Super Tour race at Sebring International Raceway in the Central Florida region and then earned the SCCA Majors Southeast Conference Championship in a series with more than 150 entrants. Later that summer, he made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the CTECH Manufacturing 180 at Road America, fielding his own car with Tony Furr as crew chief.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2019–2021)
Pardus’s first taste of NASCAR national-series competition came in 2019 at Road America, where he ran the No. 50 for his family team. He returned to the Xfinity Series in 2020, this time with DGM Racing, starting the Pennzoil 150 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. After rolling off nineteenth, he brought the car home in tenth, recording his first top-ten finish in NASCAR.
In 2021, Pardus stuck with DGM Racing for another season of road-course events. He battled through an entry-list issue at the Daytona Road Course, where the team’s No. 91 initially missed the field, and was then moved to the No. 90 for that weekend. He later returned to the No. 91 for the Pit Boss 250 and posted his best Xfinity finish of seventh at the Charlotte Roval, a strong result that highlighted his road-course strengths.
Pardus Racing Era (2023–Present)
In 2023, Preston Pardus returned to running his own family team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, fielding the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro SS. The number paid tribute to his father Dan, who had used No. 50 in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1999 with Midwest Transit Racing. The team’s 2023 schedule began at Circuit of the Americas and included additional starts at the Chicago Street Course and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. He also made select starts with SS-Green Light Racing during the season.
Operating out of the Pardus Racing Inc. shop and supported by the family business, Pardus has continued to balance his NASCAR program with his SCCA commitments. The arrangement allows him to race close to home while keeping the team’s road-course focus intact.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pardus is best known for his road-course skills, an area where his Spec Miata background translates directly to NASCAR’s growing slate of permanent and temporary road courses. He has shown a knack for late-race passes, including his last-lap moves to win SCCA Runoffs titles, and he has built solid relationships with crew chiefs such as Tony Furr.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among his signature moments are the 2017 and 2020 SCCA National Championship Runoffs Spec Miata victories, both sealed on the final lap, and a top-ten Xfinity Series debut-style run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2020. His seventh-place finish at the Charlotte Roval in 2021 remains one of his strongest national-series results.
Preston Pardus Career Wins
Preston Pardus has built the core of his win collection in the Sports Car Club of America, with road-course and road-racing stock-car appearances adding to his resume. He is a multiple-time SCCA National Champion and a part-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor.
SCCA National Championship Runoffs Highlights
Pardus is a multi-time winner of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Spec Miata class, with titles in 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2023. His 2017 and 2020 wins were both decided on the final lap, demonstrating his comfort in wheel-to-wheel endurance-style racing. In 2020, he added the SCCA Super Sweep award in Spec Miata by combining a Runoffs victory, a major conference championship, and a divisional point title in the same season.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Runoffs, Pardus opened the 2019 SCCA Super Tour with a win at Sebring International Raceway in the Central Florida region and captured the SCCA Majors Southeast Conference Championship the same year. In NASCAR, he has notched top-ten Xfinity Series finishes, including tenth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2020 and seventh at the Charlotte Roval in 2021.
Preston Pardus Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Preston Pardus is the son of Dan Pardus, a former NASCAR competitor who raced in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and ARCA Re/Max Series. Dan also ran the No. 50 in the Cup Series in 1999 with Midwest Transit Racing, a number that Preston has carried in his own Xfinity Series program.
Personal Life
Preston Pardus graduated from Spruce Creek High School in 2015 and is based in the New Smyrna Beach, Florida, area. His family owns Danus Utilities, Inc., an underground utility company that also sponsors his race cars, and he works for the business when he is not behind the wheel.
2025 Season Performance
Preston Pardus has not been confirmed as a full-time entrant in the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series. Based on his recent activity, his 2025 program is expected to focus on a part-time road-course schedule with Pardus Racing Inc. in the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro SS, combined with continued SCCA competition in the Spec Miata class.
