During the 2024 Coca-Cola 600, Ryan Preece faced a tough challenge as he found himself struggling at the back of the field, far from the winning form expected with Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 41 car. Once seen as a driver poised to benefit from a championship-caliber team, he instead experienced the harsh reality of a team in decline, forcing him to take on multiple leadership roles beyond driving, including motivating his crew chief and helping make in-race decisions.
Preece recalled a moment during the race when tensions on strategy were high. After a caution, he told his crew chief,
“I’m gonna go with that did not wake the front up, and it didn’t do what we need to,”
He added,
“So, I don’t care how much track position we lose right now, I can’t even maintain what I have.”
His crew chief expressed uncertainty, saying,
“OK, but everything that I do that is the direction that I think is wrong,”
“So, I can pick a direction on the front, but I don’t know that it’s gonna be right because everything else that I’ve done is wrong.”
Preece responded with urgency,
“Well, you need to be right now the leader — like I know you can be — and let’s figure it the f–k out,”
“Because we’ve got 600 miles, 220 laps to pull this together. Let’s make a direction and figure it out.”
This difficult period with Stewart-Haas Racing ended when the team sold its assets and closed operations after 2024. Preece then joined RFK Racing as the driver of the No. 60 Ford, a move that marked a major turning point in his career. With RFK Racing, Preece is in the midst of his strongest NASCAR Cup season, boasting a career-best six top-10 finishes in 16 races and positioning himself firmly in the battle for the playoffs.
The Role of Trust and an Open Mind in Preece’s Resurgence
Beyond the change of teams, Preece attributes much of his recent progress to adopting an open attitude and learning to trust the process alongside his crew and team. Speaking to CBS Sports, he emphasized the importance of listening more and setting aside preconceived notions about his race cars. Rather than relying solely on his own setup instincts, Preece aims to regain the pure driving instincts that helped him succeed earlier in his racing career.
“I went in with an open mind of ‘I’m gonna work on me, I’m gonna trust the process and I’m gonna continue to push myself.’ And that comes with doing more listening than I do talking, having a different perspective going into the weekends, and really just having a big, open mind when it comes to a lot of things,”
He added that sometimes knowing too much about car setups could cloud judgment, saying,
“There’s definitely times where I almost know too much for my own good when it comes to race cars, and you can come up with preconceived notions. So, I’m trying to definitely get back to the Ryan Preece that just drove race cars instead of just ones that I set up.”
Preece also spoke about refining his focus on smaller areas that can improve his performance and capitalizing on his strengths during race weekends.
“There’s certainly times where you can help find the direction of what you need to make the car better, but right now it’s just trying to focus on the little areas that I need to be better at, and then maximizing and using the strengths that I have in the right opportunity.”
Climbing Back Up After Years of Ups and Downs
Preece’s gradual rise to NASCAR’s premier division has been a journey defined by persistence through challenges and steady improvement. His progression from short track Modified racing to stepping up through Xfinity cars with varying competitiveness has given him thorough knowledge of car setups, including nuances like spring splits, wedge, nose weight, and aerodynamics. This technical expertise, combined with a renewed mindset at RFK Racing under Brad Keselowski’s leadership as car owner, has helped Preece unlock a stronger performance on track and become a more effective team leader.
He nearly secured his first Cup Series victory at Talladega, finishing second in a photo finish before being disqualified due to a rear spoiler infraction detected in post-race inspection. Despite losing that opportunity, the fact that Preece was so close to the win highlighted his rising potential and renewed competitiveness.
However, to remain a serious championship contender heading into the fall playoffs, Preece likely needs to convert such close calls into wins.
Playoff Battle Tightens Ahead of Pocono Weekend
Heading into the recent race in Mexico City, Preece was tied with Kyle Busch for the last spot above the playoff cutoff. After Preece won a stage and finished 15th while Busch crashed early, it looked like Preece would secure a solid position. However, Shane van Gisbergen’s unexpected win, as a road course expert who started 33rd in points, pushed the cutoff line lower and dropped Preece 19 points below it entering the upcoming race at Pocono.
Preece is undeterred by the added pressure. He credits his breakthrough moment in NASCAR to taking bold chances, like when he brought his sponsor to a two-race Xfinity opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing, knowing he needed to win to progress, and then actually doing so.
“I thrive off pressure. I enjoy it,”
“There’s people that when it comes time for the Championship 4 or whatever — I haven’t been in that situation in the Cup Series, so I can’t speak on that. But what I can speak on is life-changing moments that I’ve had, and in those moments I’ve succeeded. And that’s because when someone’s back is against the wall, I’m not somebody that’s gonna curl up in a corner and just take what I get. I’m gonna fight.”
He approaches each race weekend with a sense of urgency and determination,
“For me it’s approaching every weekend like it’s my last and trying to win. And not doing something stupid — I feel like I’m always pretty smart about the decisions that I make behind the wheel. I definitely have a checklist of things that we’re continuing to work on, I’m continuing to work on. When we nail it all down, I’m ready to go to war.”
Shared Playoff Drive Within RFK Racing
Currently, Preece finds himself in a competitive battle within his own team, especially with teammate Chris Buescher. In a recent conversation with CBS Sports, Buescher described taking a must-win approach to the second half of the regular season, despite holding a comfortable points position. Preece agrees with this approach to a degree but stresses the need to balance risk and reward carefully.
“If you’re in our situation or anybody below us, I think you’re at that point where you need to think about winning,”
“Now, you can’t do it at the sacrifice of ‘Am I gonna take this risk and finish third, but at the same time I have the potential to finish 30th?’ Because you kind of have gotta do both. You need to put yourself in position to have great days, but take the opportunities to win the race when you can.”
He expanded on how one win early in the season or at a marquee track could change the entire outlook of a season, even if some other races don’t go well.
“Because you’ve seen it, there’s some people that run 28th and then Daytona or a road course, if things go your way, you don’t even think about the other 17 or however many races that you may have not ran very well, but had one win and it changes your entire season or outlook on that season. Our goal is to win and win multiple times.”
New Partnerships and Broader Opportunities Off the Track
Beyond racing, Preece has been part of exciting marketing ventures this season. Notably, he teamed up with Colgate for a new advertising campaign aired during NASCAR races on Prime Video, promoting their “Smile First” initiative. Colgate is a co-primary sponsor on Preece’s car along with Kroger, reflecting a return to consumer brand visibility in NASCAR, a contrast to the predominance of business-to-business sponsors in recent years.
Preece highlighted the personal connection he feels with these brands and the benefits of promoting products that he genuinely uses daily.
“I brush my teeth every day, I use mouthwash every day,”
“And obviously having a partner like Colgate, being able to do some of the commercials we do along with the other brands that Kroger and (BAM Marketing and Tad Geschickter) bring to the table, it’s a lot of fun for us. Because we not only are easily able to promote those things outside of just driving the race car, we’re also able to relate and push all the different ones that we use every day, and get our race fans that are loyal to us to go buy them too.”
Looking Ahead: Win Aspirations and Playoff Hopes
Ryan Preece’s season with RFK Racing represents both a personal and professional breakthrough, combining improved race results with a supportive team environment and trusted leadership from Brad Keselowski. With several top-10 finishes and close calls for victories, the pressure to close the gap and secure a first career Cup win ramps up, especially as the playoffs approach.
His ability to handle pressure and embrace the process while maintaining composure on and off the track will be crucial as the regular season nears its conclusion and the fight for playoff positioning intensifies. A win before the playoffs would not only bolster his confidence but also affirm his transformation into a contender within NASCAR’s elite ranks.
