It’s been the worst kept secret in local racing since the end of the 2013 season. But finally Ryan Preece is ready to talk about what so many around the Connecticut racing scene already knew.
Ryan Preece (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Preece will run for Steve Greer’s Gunsmoke Stables Racing team in an SK Modified at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2014. Preece had run at Stafford for car owners Bob Hitchcock and Kelly Iverson.
“Steve is a good guy and it’s going to be exiting to start a new chapter and see where it goes,” Preece said. “I can’t thank Bob and Kelly enough for everything they’ve done. It started out that it was supposed to be a test car and it ended up being something much greater than that.”
Preece won the 2011 SK Modified championship at Stafford driving for the Hitchcock/Iverson team. He won eight of the 18 SK Modified events at Stafford in 2013 for the team and has 16 SK Modified victories overall dating back to the 2010 season.
Preece replaces Woody Pitkat in the Gunsmoke Stables car. Pitkat edged Preece by two points in the standings in 2013 to win his first SK Modified championship at Stafford.
Preece said Mike Paquette will join the Gunsmoke Stables team as his crew chief. He said Earl Pelletier, who was the crew chief for Pitkat’s championship run in 2013, will stay on with the team. Jean-Guy and Brigitte Poulin will provide the motor for Preece’s efforts with the team.
“Obviously Earl did a great job for Woody last year and him and Mike Paquette together is going to be a great thing for everybody,” Preece said. “Mike is going to be the crew chief and Earl is going to continue to work with the team. Earl is going to maintain and be the car chief. He’s obviously a smart guy. We all just want to win races.”
Preece said he will also run selected SK Modified events at the Waterford Speedbowl in a Greer-owned ride and will also continue to run a Bill Park owned car part-time in the Tour Type Modified division at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway.
Preece also will return to his Flamingo Racing full-time ride on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour next year in defense of his 2013 series championship.
Where’s Woody Pikat going?Good Luck to all.
Racing for the Skowyra Family owned SK Modified team at Stafford.
Woody Pitkat To Defend Championship At Stafford Speedway With Skowyra Family SK Mod Team In 2014
I ve Known mike paquette since CD was on Woodtick Road in the 80s i grew up in that garage Went to a few Stafford Races with Mike He is a Great Person in general and is The Best SK and Modified car Builder hands Down good luck Ryan&Mike