Ryan Preece pulled off an impressive win Saturday night in the Islip 300 modified race at Riverhead Raceway. The NASCAR Cup Series driver, who competed in his second season with JTG Daugherty Racing in 2020, collected a $7,000 prize for his efforts.
Preece, who drives No. 6 in his modified escapades, was in the mix at the front of the field for more than the first half of the event, but then on lap 195 he pitted for fresh tires under caution and relinquished tons of track position.
However, over the final few circuits of the race, Preece was able to charge to the lead and he would finish ahead of Craig Lutz for the victory.
In video that was captured by Kyle Souza, Preece is seen climbing from his car in exuberance following the win.
Winner. @RyanPreece_ gets the job done in the Islip 300 at @RiverheadRacewy!
The @JTGRacing beat Craig Lutz & @JBonsignore in the final laps. pic.twitter.com/6dyaimCUNU
— Kyle Souza (@ksouza261) November 14, 2020
On Twitter, Preece — who had a rough 2020 campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series — responded to the video by saying, “2020 ended.”
Preece wound up 29th in the final NASCAR Cup Series point standings in 2020 and through the first 26 races of the season, Preece suffered through an abysmal stretch. He recorded eight DNFs during that time and scored no top-10 finishes.
Just as all hope looked lost, Preece rallied in the final 10 races of the season, scoring two top-10 finishes and eight top-20 efforts over the last stretch of the season.
Preece is expected to return to JTG Daugherty Racing for the 2021 season, but an official announcement has not been made as of yet.