Ryan Preece finally secured his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at the Bowman Grey Stadium, and it couldn't have been any better.

In freezing-cold temperatures and with wet-weather tyres, Preece outlasted William Byron for the last 46 laps and beat him by 1.752 seconds in a historic win.

A visibly emotional Ryan fought back tears as he said, “I don’t even know what to say. To be honest with you, it’s been a long road. It’s the Clash. But man, it’s just been years and years of grinding. I’m just super thankful for Brad Keselowski, Kroger, Coca-Cola, all our partners, Bam, break open the pappy. Jack Roush, the Fenway Group. Two years ago, I didn’t think I was going to have a job. I thought I was going back to Connecticut. I’m just super, super emotional.”

Ryan Preece’s journey has been a rollercoaster. Having started in modified racing in Connecticut and has been on the national scene since 2013. He drove for three years with Hyak Motorsports before being on part-time deals in 2022. He got a big break when he spent the next two seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, but lost his seat when the company closed down in 2024. 

He even contemplated retirement at one point. He said, "I remember there were nights where I thought, is this going to come together, or am I just going to be another story where it falls apart in the last second?"

And it was worth it. In November 2024, RFK brought him to the team. Preece finished 18th last in his first year in the team, and now, he's become the first driver to win for the team since Mark Martin.

For Ryan, his perseverance through his long and difficult journey to the top has led to this emotional moment.

A Hard-Fought Win Under Snow and Fleet

Ryan Preece’s victory came in one of the coldest conditions in NASCAR history on the quarter-mile track.

In the 200-lap race, there were a record-breaking 17 cautions due to sleet and rain, forcing multiple resets. This led to a switch to wet-weather tyres at the halfway point.

Despite multiple interruptions, he took control by lap 156 by moving past Shane van Gisbergen after a restart four laps earlier. He held on to that lead till the end, beating William Byron and securing his spot at the Victory Lane.

Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar