Quietly putting together a remarkable season, Ryan Preece netted his fourth top 10 of 2025 in this past Sunday’s Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, and he did so by being the only driver to have top-10 rankings across the board, per NASCAR Insights.
After his seventh-place finish, the No. 60 RFK Racing driver jumped two spots in the regular-season points standings and currently sits as the first driver out of the Cup Series Playoff picture through 12 races, eyeing to continue his career-best year.
MORE: Kansas results | NASCAR Insights analysis explained
After 400 miles in Kansas City, Preece had the second-best passing and pit crew ratings, fourth-best rating on restarts, eighth-best defensive rating and ninth-fastest car, per NASCAR Insights. To boot, he ranked better than race winner Kyle Larson in passing, restarts and on pit road, which showcases that Preece and Co. are operating on a level capable of contending for wins. The performance is also just one of several flashes the No. 60 driver has shown this season with his new team, as it marks their third top 10 on 1.5-mile tracks, with one of those finishes being third at Las Vegas.
In the grand scheme of things, Preece is on pace to have his best season at NASCAR’s highest level as he’s one race off from matching his season-most five top-10 finishes and on track to finish top 20 in points. His season averages, according to NASCAR Insights, show that he’s been nothing but steady by having the fifth-best Passer Rating and ranking in the top 15 in the other four categories this year.
The important thing Kansas did for Preece was break a run of four finishes of 20th or worse since Martinsville. With a few more intermediate tracks lined up after All-Star Weekend (Charlotte and Nashville), it allows the Berlin, Connecticut, native to build up momentum on more similar style tracks where he’s already had success this season. Plus, he will need more solid points days in the second half of the regular season to get to the plus side of the playoff bubble.
Other notables from Sunday:
— Kyle Larson now has top-five rankings in all five categories after his win and takes over the points lead for the first time this year.
— Chase Briscoe finished fourth after not ranking top 10 in any category across the board.
— The three fastest cars, according to NASCAR Insights, all finished top three.
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