Madhouse Man: Ryan Preece Wins First Career Whelen Southern Mod Tour Event At Bowman Gray Stadium

Ryan Preece shook off a rough Friday night at Stafford Motor Speedway in perfect style Saturday night.

Ryan Preece celebrates his first career Whelen Southern Modified Tour victory Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium (Photo: Matthew Thacker/pixelcrips for NASCAR)

Preece, of Berlin, led every lap on the way to victory in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Kevin Powell 199 Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

It was the first career Southern Modified Tour victory for Preece, of Berlin.

Burt Myers of Walnut Creek, N.C. was second and Cole Powell of Ontario, Can. was third.

Preece is the current Whelen Modified Tour points leader, but a flat tire late in Friday’s CarQuest 150 at Stafford dropped Preece from what looked to be a top-five finish to a 16th place. Before Friday’s event at Stafford Preece had won three of the first seven series events of 2013 and had a worst finish of fifth.

Preece drives for Flamingo Motorsports on the Whelen Modified Tour, but Saturday at Bowman Gray he was driving a family owned car.

“I don’t think anybody here in the stands knows how much this means to me, to my family,” Preece said after the race.

Preece joins Modified Racing legend Ed Flemke Sr. as the only Connecticut drivers to ever win a feature at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium.

“It’s just the history,” Preece said of the decision to race in the event. “Obviously, we’re not coming down here to make money; that’s just not going to happen. It’s cool that NASCAR has an event here at Bowman Gray with all the history.”