Ryan Preece Lands Ride For Denny Hamlin All-Star Late Model Event At South Boston Speedway

When the big stars from all levels of NASCAR racing show up to support NASCAR Sprint Cup Star Denny Hamlin’s charitable efforts later this month at South Boston (Va) Speedway, reigning NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece of Berlin will be there to represent Modified racing.

Ryan Preece celebrates his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship last October at Thompson Speedway (Photo: Darren McCollester/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Preece, of Berlin, confirmed Saturday that he had found a ride for the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown on April 24 at South Boston Speedway.

The events brings together some of the top stars across the landscape of NASCAR racing to compete in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models.

Preece will drive a car owned by Tommy Lemons Jr., a well known contender across the ranks of Southeastern Late Model event racing.

“I was texting with a few people who could help me find a ride, from [NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spotter and longtime Preece manager] Mike Herman, Jr. to Brannon Earnest of JRi Shocks,” Preece told the website Speed51.com on Saturday. “Brannon asked a few people for me. He led me over to Tommy. That got the ball rolling and I was lucky to have Dunleavy Truck and Trailer and East-West Marine help out and make it all possible.”

Preece begins defense of his Whelen Modified Tour championship at next weekend’s season opening Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway. In addition to running full-time on the Whelen Modified Tour, Preece’s plans for 2014 will see him competing full-time in the Whelen All-American Series SK Modified divisions at Thompson Speedway and Stafford Motor Speedway. He will also compete part-time in an SK Modified at the Waterford Speedbowl and part-time in the Tour Type Modified division at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway. His ever-growing schedule will also see him making two NASCAR Nationwide Series starts for Tommy Baldwin Racing in addition to making spot starts with the Valenti Modified Racing Series and Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

Preece’s fourth place finish in the 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings earned him an automatic invite to the Hamlin event.

“I think it’s going to be a pretty cool deal,” Lemons told Speed51. “We’re excited having Ryan coming on board for the Denny Hamlin race. I think it’s going to be good for both parties. It will help Ryan get his name out there a little bit more and help get our development program going a little bit more.”