Search
Close this search box.

Partner

Ryan Preece Skillfully Avoids Disaster, Finishes Eighth in First Daytona 500

share it
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Ryan Preece, driver of the #47 Kroger.Com Camaro ZL1, races to a 10th place finish Thursday, February 14, 2019 in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Duel 1 race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. Preece will start on the 5th row for Sunday’s Daytona 500. (Photo by Harold Hinson/HHP for Chevy Racing)

By Toby Christie         

Ryan Preece May be a contender for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award, but he drove like a cagey veteran in his first-ever Daytona 500.

Preece, 28, rolled off the grid from the 21st-position and for the majority of the race he was feeling out how to put his car in a position to pounce for the final laps of the race.

On lap 196, Preece saw a vicious melee ensuing in front of him.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

When Ricky Stenhouse decided to make a bold three-wide maneuver on the backstretch, he ran out of room and started a chain reaction crash. Preece stood in the gas and gunned it right for the center of the accident. The No. 47 car cleared the smoke and came out the other side unscathed.

Others weren’t as fortunate.

This put Preece in a position to chase a win in the closing laps. Preece, a long time modified driver from the Northeast, hitched his ride to the front to a fellow Northeast-native Joey Logano.

“I got taken to school, to be honest with you,” Preece said after the race. “A lot of learning to be had, for sure. Today was a big learning day.”

With help from Preece, Logano began to knife through the field until the two were separated on the final lap.

Logano would finish fourth, while Preece would come home an impressive eighth in his first-ever Daytona 500.

“… a really good friend of mine told me a goal is to finish. And I did just that,” Preece stated. “So, my first finish at Daytona, a top 10 for JTG and Kroger and what more could you ask for?”

How did Preece feel about the wild pack racing throughout the day? It was a different experience for the young driver.

“It’s intense, man. It’s something I’ve never been a part of,” Preece explained. “So, I have a lot of learning to do, for sure. Today was the type of day that you just wanted to race around these guys and not be erratic and not do anything stupid and hopefully when we go to Talladega or come back to Daytona, I can get a little bit more help. But, all in all, it’s really great for this Kroger Camaro. I’m looking forward to Atlanta next week.”


Did you enjoy this story? If so, you can become_a_patron_button. Patrons get the opportunity to help this website grow as well as help mold the direction of what I cover in the future. You also will receive an awesome T-Shirt, a decal and you’ll be invited to an exclusive racing chat room on Discord.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Post

NASCAR is up against tiem constraints as far as any possible Playoff fomat tweaks for the 2026 season; Jeff Gluck says TV wants a Playoff format of some kind to remain
Gluck: TV Wants a Playoff Format; Timing May Force NASCAR to Keep Playoffs Same For 2026
Denny Hamlin feels Bubba Wallace's Brickyard 400 win is the "next step," for the 23XI Racing team and shows that the team belongs in NASCAR.
Hamlin: Brickyard 400 Win is 'Next Step' For 23XI Racing Team
Goodyear to bring new right and left side tire compounds to Iowa Speedway for NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350
Goodyear Utilizing New Left and Right-Side Tires for Iowa NASCAR Cup Series Race
2025-07-27 11-23-03
Todd Gilliland Scores Refreshing 6th Place Effort at Indianapolis
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Stewart Friesen Suffers Open-Book Pelvic Fracture in Violent Dirt Modified Wreck
NXS_entrylist_IOWA
Entry List: 2025 NXS Hy-Vee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway

Join Our Newsletter

Ready to have NASCAR news hand-delivered to your email daily?

Related Article