Ryan Preece was looking to move back home before RFK deal came together

RFK Racing and Ryan Preece have turned heads already with several strong showings this year. Sitting inside the playoffs on points at the moment, this team didn’t even exist last year and hadn’t named a crew chief to head its efforts until January of this year. And yet, Preece and the No. 60 RFK Ford are sitting 14th in the regular season standings, right behind teammate Chris Buescher.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, the Celsius-backed Preece revealed how it all came together and how — at one point — he was preparing himself to face 2025 without a job in NASCAR.

“I think there’s always doubt, or a moment of uncertainty,” explained Preece. “I remember in August, September, I was looking at properties in Connecticut to go and possibly move back there and do that, so it was just…I didn’t really know. I’m thankful that it all did come together because it does take a lot of things. And really, I feel like it made me a better person, being here. A better driver, a better teammate. It’s been a lot of great life lessons I’ve learned in a short period of time.”

Taking risks and never settling

Preece, a champion in NASCAR’s Modified division, said it was a call Brad Keselowski that first gave him hope, but he still wasn’t entirely sure he would be on the grid this year. And despite how long it took for RFK to officially announce an expansion to three cars, leasing a charter from Rick Ware Racing — Preece never thought to settle for something else just to ensure employment for the season.

“There was an opportunity to kind of go and solidify that I had a job and I’d be out there, but I’m not okay as a race car driver or as a person just being out there,” revealed Preece. “That’s settling. I could have done that a long time ago and I probably wouldn’t have had the career that I have. I’m a big risk taker. I’m going to bet on myself and hope people bet on me as well. It all worked out.”

Preece has three top tens and a best finish of third so far this year, as well a stage win. As for how well things are going at the moment, the majority of people watching may be surprised, but Preece, who is always ready to bet on himself, is not.

“I’m not surprised,” said Preece. “And I’m not surprised because as a race car driver and the things that I’ve done in my past – for anybody that has really known me, I’m extremely competitive and pretty much everything I’ve raced, I’ve won in. I think in the NASCAR Cup Series, it’s extremely competitive, but you also need a lot of pieces of the puzzle to make it all work. You can only do so much. It’s been really nice. What I will say that I’m more than happy about is how quickly the #60 team has gelled and come together.

“Going into the season, a lot of our team really didn’t get hired or put into the positions that they were in until January. When you think about that, you got The Clash at the beginning of February and then that leads into the 500. So that’s not a lot of time and then there’s three or four core veterans in our group and the rest of them are all new. They’ve either been doing this for two years and for some of them, it’s their first time in the Cup Series, doing this. It’s been a nice change, certainly for me. I’ve been working really hard to get this type of opportunity and I feel like RFK has been a breath of fresh air and something that has kind of opened my eyes in a different perspective – working with somebody like Brad [Keselowski], as well as being teammates with Chris [Buescher] again. It’s been nice.

Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Reaching Victory Lane

The one thing Preece doesn’t have yet, is a Cup Series win. It’s a glaring goose egg on his stat page, which features wins in the Xfinity and Truck Series, and over two dozen victories as a Whelen Modified driver. But after nearly 200 starts at the Cup level without a win, can he finally knock on the door of Victory Lane with this No. 60 team?

“I think there’s always work to be done, but what I like is that there’s a solid foundation,” commented Preece. “There’s been a lot of prep for Talladega and a lot of us – whether you’re a fan, a crew member or a driver – you know going to superspeedways is kind of like you almost look at it like you need a lot of luck. But there’s a lot of prep, there’s a lot of things you can do as a team or a driver to help your chances or odds.

“I feel really good about this weekend, as well as the stretch we’re going into. I know I get labelled as the guy who’s more about the short track style of racing. You know, your Martinsvilles and your Bristols, New Hampshires. But I’ve really grown to like superspeedways. I’ve grown to really like road courses, as well as mile-and-a-halfs. So, I feel like these next few months are going to suit our team. So, we feel like we’re getting there. We have a really fast pit crew. Derrick [Finley, crew chief] has been doing a really good job with the team and making great calls. We just gotta put it all together.”

Ryan Preece, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Getty Images

As for where that win would come, Preece notes how he tries to live his life “one week at a time,” but he’s certainly excited about the next stretch of races coming up. Rattling off track names such as Talladega, Texas, Kansas, North Wilkesboro (exhibition race), Charlotte and Nashville, he said: “Those are all places I really like. My Cup career, if you kind of look at it statistically, they’re kind of all over the place. But I really feel going into this that we’re going to have a really good month of building and momentum, and hopefully, opportunities to capitalize.”

As Preece already indicated, he is among those who are eager to get to ‘Dega, while others are likely dreading it. That may confound some people as Preece has an unfortunate history of big hits and unplanned flights at superspeedways, but still, he sees the opportunity to win and that’s all the motivation he needs.

“Yeah. For me, and I know there’s a lot of memes about all four tires going off the ground and flipping, but I look at it as a great opportunity to lock yourself in (for the playoffs),” explained Preece. “It would be nice to do that. Right now, we’re solidly 13th in points. We’re about 40 (points) out of seventh when I last looked. And there’s a great opportunity to at least chase after pointing your way in but let’s be honest, I think it’s going to take winning so that’s the goal. At the same time, we’re going to try and run our races and have great points days when those are available, but at the same time, we need to go win.”

Determined to succeed 

Unlike several drivers on the grid, Preece never had huge backing behind him and needed to claw for every chance he’s gotten behind the wheel. There are other drivers out there like him who have turned heads by showcasing their talent in flashes of greatness, helping to propel themselves forward into the Cup Series. Preece has had those moments as well, like when he dominated a NASCAR Xfinity race at Iowa, or when he won at Nashville in back-to-back years in the Truck Series.

But Preece won’t allow himself to feel content in his place on the grid, always fighting to go the extra mile on the track and off.

“The reality of it is that this sport rewards – hopefully – hard work,” said Preece. “There’s a lot of guys that you can think about how established they were and then one year they’re gone and you don’t even think about them. So, that’s just kind of the nature of the beast. I would say there were key moments that helped to keep me in this sport, like when I won Iowa. That got me another opportunity. And when I won Bristol, that got me my opportunity with JTG and kind of started some conversations and when that charter was going away and I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen next – when I won that race at Nashville – that helped create conversations.

“So those are key moments and then relationships and just trying to be the best racer, the best person I can be. The best person for my sponsors…all those things add up. There are so many different roles you play as a race car driver and I feel like I’ve worn a lot of different hats. When I didn’t really know what I was going to be doing, I was maintaining, crew chiefing, doing all that with the Modified stuff. So, I got my hands dirty. I worked really hard to be where I am. And I’m not going to be satisfied until I go out and accomplish those goals I have as a person.”

Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

For those trying to follow Preece on the track this year, it’s been a colorful adventure and not just because of the impressive finishes and airborne excursions. His paint schemes change constantly and this weekend, he will carry Celsius branding on his No. 60 Ford. 

Speaking more about sponsor relationships and how he integrates it into his ever day life, Preece said of the Celsius deal: “What’s nice about this is there’s times when you represent different sponsors and then you start using them in your everyday life or having them. Like I had United Rentals so I started renting their equipment, but for me, when I’m in the shop, caffeine is kind of that thing that helps me focus or organize thoughts. I like to go into my shop and dig through those late hours.

“I’m typically a guy who gets up at 5 in the morning and I get a lot of stuff done and then I’m into bed by 8. I also do a lot of my best work in my shop from 7 (am) to 10-11 (am), so it’s nice to have that little pick-me-up and get out there and not necessarily thrash, but feel I’m being productive. I feel like I’m more productive when I drink my favorite flavors, which has been watermelon here. We’ve had it in the hauler and I’ve liked it a lot.”

Ryan Preece, Celsius paint scheme for Talladega

All the pieces are fitting together for Preece to have a real run at the playoffs. The No. 60 are meshing together well, the sponsors are happy, and Preece is is loving working with teammates Buescher and Keselowski. He wanted to wait for the right opportunity for him and it seems like he has finallyfound that with RFK Racing.

“Chris and I just have very similar interests,” said Preece. “They’re very similar, but they’re very different at the same time. He likes off-roading and lifted trucks and things of that nature while I like lowered, fast, street cars. Anything with a motor. I’m an adrenaline guy. I think we both kind of have our own ways of getting our fix – other than racing in NASCAR. So, that’s been nice just to be around him and be lighthearted and joke around.

“You know, as well as Brad. He’s our team owner (and) he’s our teammate. He’s got a lot of different hats. What I’ve liked being teammates with him is the perspective and knowledge and the experience that he has. I feel like when I was teammates with Chris and he spent three years with Brad, you can just see the experience and knowledge that he’s taken from Brad as well. So that’s been really nice to be a part of and really how open Brad has been. As a race car driver, we’re all teammates but it’s easy to say you’re gonna be a good teammate but theres other times as a race car driver you need to be selfish. Brad is not selfish. He’s been super and it’s been great to be a part of this team and working with him and all those things. He’s helped me be a better teammate within my team, be a better teammate to each of them, and those things translate to decisions we make on the race track.”