Ryan Preece's dramatic comeback at Daytona has catapulted him into the 16th seed of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Preece's win on the final lap, following a multicar accident that involved Shane Van Gisbergen, gave him the 20 points he needed to surpass Van Gisbergen and move into the top 16.
Preece's victory was a significant swing in points, going from a 31-point deficit to a 38-point advantage with three quarters of the race remaining. He had stayed in the gas after a mistake in the first stage, which saw him slide across the grass and finish eighth. Van Gisbergen had won the first stage, but Preece's determination paid off in the end.
Preece's win was a testament to his perseverance and hard work. He had overcome a 25-point penalty for an intentional crash at Texas Motor Speedway, and had also faced a 50-point deficit in just two races. "The job is just beginning," Preece said. "I feel like momentum is on our side. We're going to do our best to be a contender and be a part of the battle."
Preece's team owner, Brad Keselowski, was proud of his driver's clutch performance. "Ryan's worked really hard to put himself in position to have success," Keselowski said. "I feel like he won the Clash at the start of the year, but outside of that it hasn't been the season we really wanted for his car. He's kept his drive, kept his fire. He's putting the work in."
Preece's family was in attendance at Daytona, and he was happy to have them share in his moment of triumph. "It's a big deal for the Preece name," he said. "My grandfather, I come from a strong racing family in the Northeast, up in Connecticut, racing at Thompson, Riverside, Stafford. Didn't have a father or anybody in my family that raced in the national series. It was nice to kind of claim this and do this for our last name, have my family there to enjoy it, as well."
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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