NASCAR Cup Series 2019 rookie preview: Ryan Preece

The 2019 Daytona 500 is one week away, and a new season brings new faces! Check out Ryan Preece, one of NASCAR’s new fan-favorites who is looking to steal the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award this season.

Ryan Preece began making his name in racing in the mid-2000s. In addition to racing for the Northeastern Midget Association early in his career, he also got his feet wet in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Preece’s career path was relatively quick, with the Whelen Modified Tour serving as the groundwork for a NASCAR career in the making. In his second season racing the open-wheeled race cars, he earned his first career victory in the 2008 Made in America Whelen 300 at Martinsville Speedway after leading 265 of the race’s 300 laps.

In the 2008 season, which was his second full-time season in the Whelen Modified Tour, Preece finished in 10th in place in the championship standings after recording four top five finishes and seven top 10 finishes in 16 starts.

The next season, Preece emerged as a championship favorite by recording two wins, 10 top five finishes and 11 top tens in 13 starts. His average finish of 6.2 resulted in a second place finish in the championship standings.

Over the next two seasons, Preece’s performance took a step back. In the 2010 season, he competed full-time but went winless. After finishing in sixth place in the championship standings that year, he only competed part-time in the 2011 season.

Just when things looked to be simmering down for the Whelen Modified Tour veteran, Preece went on a four-year tear, which put him where he is now.

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It all began in 2012. Preece joined a new team owned by Eric Sanderson, which added the spark to the fire that he needed to make a name for himself in racing. During the 2012 season, he made 14 starts and earned two victories, eight top five finishes and 10 top 10 finishes. In addition, he took six pole positions and finished in second place in the championship standings.

In the 2013 season, Preece had a career-best season by recording four wins in 14 starts and ultimately winning his first Whelen Modified Tour championship. Over the next two seasons, he won six more races, but he finished in second place in the championship standings both times.

During Preece’s four-year run, he recorded 12 victories, 31 top five finishes and 44 top 10 finishes in a combined 56 starts. He won one championship and finished in second place in the championships standings three times.

Outside of the Whelen Modified Tour, Preece also made his NASCAR national debut during this time span. In 2013, he made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and finished in 24th place.

The next season, Preece returned to Tommy Baldwin Racing, finishing 14th place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and 28th at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The following year, he continued to race in the Whelen Modified Tour and made his NASCAR Cup Series debut.

In five Cup Series starts driving for Curb Motorsports this season, Preece recorded an average finish of 37.0 with a career-high finish of 32nd place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Things changed for Preece in the 2016 season, as he landed his first career full-time Xfinity Series ride driving for JD Motorsports. Over the 33-race season, he recorded an average finish of 23.0 with a top finish of 10th place at Darlington Raceway.

In addition to his full-time Xfinity Series schedule, Preece also made some one-off starts in the K&N Pro Series East, and he made eight starts in the Whelen Modified Tour. He went winless, but he quietly set the framework for his racing career behind the scenes.

Preece later announced that he would make four starts driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2017 Xfinity Series season. This move pleased fans who were waiting for the Whelen Modified Tour veteran to get a true opportunity in the higher ranks of the sport.

In his four starts, Preece shocked the racing world, as he finished in the top five in all four of them and earned his first career Xfinity Series victory at Iowa Speedway. He recorded an average finish of 3.0.

The 2017 season also brought success for Preece in the Whelen Modified Tour side, as he won a whopping five races in 14 starts. However, the Berlin, Connecticut native missed two races on the schedule, miring him to a sixth place finish in the championship standings.

In the 2018 season, Preece once again made a variety of Whelen Modified Tour starts and even recorded his 21st and 22nd career victories. Typically, this would be a successful season for him, but this was just a drop in the bucket, as he had an expanded Xfinity Series schedule driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

During the 2018 season, Preece made 15 Xfinity Series starts driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and he once again took advantage of the opportunity. He earned his second career victory at Bristol Motor Speedway, and he finished with seven top five finishes and 10 top 10 finishes. He recorded an average finish of 12.3 and made enough noise in the NASCAR garages to set up big changes for the 2019 season.

In September of 2018, it was announced that Preece would become the full-time driver of the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet. This is his first full-time NASCAR ride since the 2016 season and his first at the Cup Series level.

As for my expectations, I believe that Preece has a lot of potential, but he landed with a team that have a lot to prove. Every time fans have been ready to give JTG Daugherty Racing a fighting chance, the team have continued to let them down. The 2019 season is set to be the team’s second season with a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, which could open a lot of doors for them for the future.

Regarding how the 2019 season goes for this team, I predict that Preece will have a tough learning curve and have to face the struggles that JTG Daugherty Racing have always faced. I just don’t see this team doing anything more than they’ve ever done.

Chris Buescher, Preece’s teammate, has shown flashes of speed, but he continues to face the reality of driving for a mid-tier team. I think Preece was a great hire, but I think that he will ultimately will land anywhere from 23rd to 28th place in the final championship standings. He is good enough to bring home his equipment in one piece, but he won’t have the car under him to shock the field.

I look forward to seeing Preece’s progress through the 2019 season, but I don’t think that JTG Daughtery will catapult either of their drivers to another level just yet.

Thanks for reading! I hope you are gearing up for a great Daytona 500. The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season is sure to be a great one across the board. Tune in next week for my preview of up-and-coming star Daniel Hemric. See you next time!