There were two drivers who competed full-time during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season and failed to qualify for the playoffs but would have done so had the new "Chase" format been implemented one year sooner.
One of those drivers is RFK Racing's Ryan Preece, who finished the 2025 regular season 14th in the point standings, but was ultimately penalized for not winning a race.
His performance so far in 2026 has been largely similar to 2025; he sits in a 13th place tie in points. But this time, thanks to the elimination of "win and in", he's 33 points above the playoff cut line, and he's quietly racked up an average finish of 12th in the seven races that have been contested since the season-opening Daytona 500. He hasn't finished lower than 18th during that stretch.
"With the way the points are, they matter every race," Preece told Beyond the Flag. "You can’t afford to have a bad race. There are no mulligans. If you’re going to have a bad race, it’s probably going to be a superspeedway because that’s when most others have them."
Indeed, Preece's worst result of the year came at Daytona International Speedway in the form of a 25th place finish. Still, that result is the fifth-best worst finish among all drivers in the series.
In fact, based on race finishes alone, Preece would actually be tied for ninth in the point standings, rather than 13th. And it stands to reason, as he's 10th in average finish.
He and the No. 60 team have shown they know how to execute, but that discrepancy illustrates the value of stage points, a category in which Preece is only tied for 17th.
"Stage points reward those running up front, even if they don’t finish well," he said. "If you win two stages, you’re guaranteed 20 points, which is around a mid-pack [17th place] finish. It’s a challenging piece, but it does reward winning. The goal is to win, lead laps, and do those things. This system rewards that while still giving consistent teams a chance."
Is consistency really key?
Preece and the No. 60 team have certainly, even if quietly, been among the most consistent groups in the series for the second year in a row.
But they know that to be a serious contender over the long haul, it's about being consistently good. It's about being better throughout each race to collect more stage points, and it's about being more than just a consistent mid-pack finisher on a week-to-week basis.
Because being a playoff driver and a playoff contender are not necessarily one in the same.
"Top fives; that’s what it takes," he said. "If you’re going to win or contend, you need to consistently be finishing top 10, top five, and leading laps. That’s how you win races. You don’t just luck into it. If you want to be a championship contender, you need to be running top five week in and week out."
For as consistent as he's been, the 35-year-old Berlin, Connecticut native has yet to finish higher than eighth this season, and that's something only one other driver in the top 22 in the standings can say.
He knows that needs to change, and he'd like to change it this weekend at Kansas Speedway, where he placed seventh in the spring race a year ago.
"I feel like we’ve been building toward that [top five]," he continued. "We’ve been in that 12th to seventh range. On days when we’ve had more potential, like Darlington, it’s about correcting mistakes. The upcoming stretch of tracks fits our wheelhouse, and Darlington was a glimpse of our potential. All three cars were running 1-2-3, and that’s not easy."
Preece does have a win this year, but it came in the preseason Cook Out Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium. So officially, he is still on the short list of drivers seeking their first career Cup Series victories, a list from which Ty Gibbs removed himself this past weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, which only further placed a spotlight on those still trying to do the same.
But that narrative isn't one Preece particularly cares about listening to, because it doesn't factor in the obvious: he's already proven what he's capable of achieving.
"Winning’s winning," he said of his Clash triumph. "It doesn’t matter if it’s a points race or a non-points race. When you win, it’s the same emotion. Once we do that for a points-paying race, it’ll take away the 'he hasn’t won a points race' narrative. But to me, we still went out and beat all the other guys I race every week.
"It shows the potential in our No. 60 group at RFK. It was still a weight lifted off my back. Two years ago, I felt like we were going to do it and an issue stopped us. 2026 has been a year of consistency, and I feel like the sky is the limit. The communication and team chemistry are there, and we’re going to keep pushing."
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