Ryan Preece Out Front Of Contentious Battle For SK Modified Victory At Stafford

STAFFORD – Ryan Preece stood in victory lane, but the anger painted across his face was hardly something commonly seen from the usually mild mannered driver.

Ryan Preece celebrates his SK Modified victory Friday at Stafford Speedway (Photo: Stephanie Kimball/Stafford Speedway)

Preece celebrated the win in the 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway, but the celebration proved muted for the winner, who was left upset after his race winning car was hit on the frontstretch after the race.

Preece was hit on the frontstretch during the cool down lap by fifth place finisher Dan Avery of Somers. It was Avery that Preece wrestled the lead from on lap 38 of the event.

“You know you try to race people clean and he turns …, I don’t know, whatever,” Preece said. “This car was awesome, we came from the back.”

Eric Berndt of Rocky Hill was second and Doug Coby of Milford third. It was the third SK Modified victory of the season for Preece at Stafford.

Preece rallied from the rear of the field after an early spin and took over second from Berndt on lap 29. From there, Preece stuck to the rear bumper of Avery trying moves to the outside and inside lap after lap to go to the front, with no success.

But on lap 38, Preece used a cross over move going into turn one to go under Avery and take over the lead. Avery fought back on the outside, but in turn three contact sent Avery up the track and falling back through the top five.

“This car was on rails,” Preece said. “You try to go by everybody as clean as you can but when they don’t give you much room there’s no much else you can do.”

Avery said he hit Preece after the race for driving him up into the corner in turn three after the pass for the lead.

“When he did the crossover move and got under me, that was fine, that was a clean move,” Avery said. “What I was upset with is when we went down into [turn] three, I was racing him hard on the outside and he just bumped me right out of the groove and I lost three more spots. That’s just uncalled for. I didn’t bump him to try and block or hold a spot. That’s why I was pissed off. Had he just drove off he probably would have [cleared] me coming out of [turn] four anyway, I don’t know why he had to bump me out of the groove. I don’t drive him that way, I don’t know why he did that to me.”

Preece dismissed Avery’s assessment of the contact in turn three and said he’d buy Avery a copy of the video to show him what happened.

“Going into turn one he did exactly what he had previously done every lap before,” Preece saie. “He sent it in right on the bottom and slipped up, washed up, and I timed it right, I got under him and I didn’t touch him. So going through [turns] three and four, I’m holding my car down, clearly, once I’m past you, I’m going to beat you, why would I knock you to get by you? So all I felt was him turning down into me. And then all of the sudden I look in my mirror and he’s gone. I didn’t wiggle and I didn’t come up on him. I raced for the win. I don’t know what his problem is as far as coming after me.”

Coby said he was surprised watching the show in front of him between the leaders.

“I was watching [Avery] and [Preece] battle, I don’t know what the heck [Avery] was so pissed off about,” Coby said. “Ryan tried everything possible to try and get by him clean and I thought he did a great move on him. Then he had to rough him up to get rid of him and that’s SK’s here at Stafford.”

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Comments

  1. Jerry Fascio says

    That’s just the Preece races he claime to race everybody clean yet people seem to crash when they race with him…..it must be tghe other drivers fault mr nationwide 🙂

  2. Max attax says

    Preece made an all-star move for the lead. Avery drove him up, down, up, down ever turn and chance he got. It was only a matter of time before Preece got around him. As for sportsmanship, watching what Avery pulled shows his true character.

  3. Ryan Preece is my second cousin, and unfortunately Mods don’t get the TV time they so deserve…SO, I can’t give a comment about the race. But, from what I gather….it’s becoming a jealousy issue with other drivers. Geez, common guys…face it, when was the last time any of you were offered a ride with the big guys. If Ryan is winning and going places that your not…..grow the f up and let the kid do the job he was cut out to do, and be happy with that. After all, in part, he is where he is by learning from all of you!

  4. Typical ryan stuff. No doubt Avery was mirror driving, but if you’re that much faster you should get by without an issue right? Same crap he pulled last year in the MRS thompson race, wrecking cars, then isn’t man enough to apologize. And as far as that nationwide ride, it isn’t going anywhere so don’t get your hopes up. Matt Hirshman had the same opportunity a few years ago, did very well in the race, and that was then end of it.

  5. RaceyQueen says

    Avery was just pissed off he lost the lead !! U aint gonna win against Preece dude… Just get over yourself, also he is so freakin rude… and anybody hit under the caution especially on cool down lap, should be penalized his position and possibly suspended. Not right.

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