Ryan Preece Gets First Valenti Modified Racing Series Victory At Stafford Motor Speedway

STAFFORD – On Thursday Ryan Preece was at Chicagoland Speedway being celebrated as one of NASCAR’s stars of the future, hanging with the likes of five-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and the rest of the division’s biggest stars.

Ryan Preece in victory lane after Friday’s Valenti Modified Racing Series Lincoln Tech 80 at Stafford Speedway (Photo: Stephanie Kimball/Stafford Speedway)

Preece was making an appearance at the Chase for the Championship representing the NASCAR Next program that he is a part of .

But on Friday night Preece was playing in a different sandbox and doing it quite well.

Preece, of Berlin, picked up his first career Valenti Modified Racing Series victory in the Lincoln Tech 80 Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.

“A racecar’s a racecar,” Preece said.

Chris Pasteryak of Lisbon was second and Richard Savary of Canton, Mass. third.

“I’m definitely happy for Mike [Paquette] from Chassis Dynamics, nothing against Troyer cars because I race them on the [Whelen Modified Tour], but it just goes to show you that if it has four wheels and it’s capable of turning left it can win,” Preece said. “I think Mike showed that tonight.”

Preece, who was making his 11th career Valenti Modified Racing Series start, started second and went by pole sitter Dan Meservey Jr. at the start and never trailed again.

“We definitely had a good saving tire method,” Preece said. “It worked out. I was just hoping there wasn’t going to be caution with less than five [laps] to go.”