Ryan Preece To Run Final Four Sprint Cup Series Events On 2015 Schedule

Ryan Preece celebrates victory in an SK Modified feature at Thompson Speedway this year

Ryan Preece celebrates victory in an SK Modified feature at Thompson Speedway this year

Ryan Preece will close out his 2015 racing schedule with a four-week run of Sprint Cup Series events.

The Berlin driver confirmed Thursday morning that in addition to running Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event at Martinsville and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 22, he will also run Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 8 and Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 15.

Preece is a regular on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and also in the SK Modified divisions at Thompson Speedway and Stafford Motor Speedway.

“I guess it all came together the Friday before [the Whelen Modified Tour season final at Thompson on Oct. 18]. I got a text message from [Tommy Baldwin Jr.] saying I needed to be down here for the Monday after [the Bemers Super Bowl weekend at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl] to get ready for Homestead and then it’s just gone from there.”

Preece will run for the Jay Robinson owned Premium Motorsports team.

“Premium and Tommy, they’ve both really come together to give me an awesome opportunity and I’m pretty excited for it,” Preece said.

XYIENCE Energy Drink will serve as the primary sponsor for Preece’s efforts at Texas and Phoenix. 

“We look forward to sponsoring a young talented driver such as Ryan,” Gary Smith, CEO of Big Red Inc., which owns XYIENCE, said in a release. “The XYIENCE team is excited for the opportunity to showcase our brand in NASCAR with a talented young driver who is a perfect fit. We have cool things planned for these races and will have a group of guests at each of them to root on Ryan and the No. 98 team.”

Preece made his Sprint Cup Series debut driving for Premium Motorsports with the support of Tommy Baldwin Racing in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 27.

Preece started 37th and finished 32nd in the 43 car field at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Preece announced the week after that start that he would also make another start for the team in the Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Preece finished second to Doug Coby in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings this year. The Whelen Modified Tour completed its 2015 season on Oct. 18 at Thompson Speedway. Preece was the Whelen Modified Tour series champion in 2013 and was also second in the series standings to Coby in both 2012 and 2014.

Because of the commitment to run at Texas Motor Speedway, Preece will have to back out of the John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout scheduled for Nov. 7 at Concord (N.C.) Speedway. He had been planning to run for Whelen Modified Tour owner Ed Partridge in the event in North Carolina.

Comments

  1. All good stuff but he needs an Xfinity or truck ride that can win so he can showcase his talant. Good for him though.

  2. Looks like the inevitable will happen sooner than later.He is a great young driver who will make a good living in motorsports.That doesn’t make it any better for the modified shows that many of us love watching him race in.Good luck and godspeed to him and his team.I wonder where this leaves Ed Partridge and his tour team?

  3. Riverhead Raceway says

    Congratulations to Ryan for getting a chance to drive at the last 4 Sprint Cup races. That’s pretty amazing in itself. Sounds like he has a great opportunity to drive for a couple of good teams and sponsors. Wishing him the best of luck.
    As far as the 6 team goes, we had a good year, almost won the championship and had a lot of fun. Ryan and his family are great people to be around. But after what happened at Loudon, being taken out by the 2 car and NASCAR officials said the 2 never touched the 6, I really don’t want to be involved anymore. Naturally if Ryan wants to go to New Smyrna or back on the tour I will provide a team as much as I don’t care to do so.

  4. And you thought going to martinsville was a waste of someone’s cash ,try Times 4 ,the one making out is Mike Curb, its a business big business

  5. Crazy in NY says

    Riverhead Raceway is Ed Partridge I assume.

    Hey NASCAR!!! you might want to listen to this guy.
    All is not well in Tour land.

  6. probably no pennik, possibly no preece, most likely no rocco, eddie whelan out , bob garbarino sick of it, ed partridge, hillbilly racing, chris our, the pasteryaks, etc etc etc… when will NASCAR give a crap? The tour by far has the strongest following of the all the modified tours out there but with the horrible decision making, expensive rule changes and just the lack of respect the owners get is despicable. ANYONE who saw the replay from loudon could see the 2 hit the 6 and him spin out. Yet he is allowed to take the win. Any other track and he would have been dq’ed or scored last on the lead lap. But because the big shots at NASCAR were in charge that weekend they go by the “top” tier rules. Bumping and banging is not uncommon for that or any other division but The 2 might as well been sponsored by Caterpillar because he was a wrecking ball this year.

    Good luck Ryan.

  7. Fred, you forgot the Boehler’s and Art Barry. This goes deeper than just the recent departure’s from the series!

  8. I don’t know if this is the right move for Preece. I know the kid is good and a natural race car driver however, I really would like to see him work his way up the ladder from the trucks to the Infinity then to Nextel. The experience and exposure is what is need today to be successful. I have no doubt he can make it but lets crawl before we run.

  9. Humphry, I don’t know about the working their up the ladder deal by winning is really working for many people anymore. Regan Smith won a Cup race and lost that ride. Then won 5 races in the last 3 season in Nationwide\Xfinity,, but essentially just got that ride bought out from under him for next year. Jeb Burton won a truck and was fast. But that team fell apart and he could not get sponsor to run full time so he is regulated to a back of the field non-competitive Cup team to stay in racing. Bubba Wallace won a bunch of Truck races, but he could not even move up within the same association he did so with. JGR racing gave the Xfinity ride to someone who has the big check so Wallace had to leave for Roush. Eric Jones is the only person it might work for, but there is really no Cup ride for him to go to with his own team. (don’t mention Chase Elliot,he was “groomed” and was supported by Hendrick when he was still Super Late Models. He was getting the 24 ride unless he really screwed up somewhere)

  10. I thought it was cool to see a guy like Steve Park work up the ladder after watching him race the local tracks. But with Preece running a basically slow car, I’m just not interesting. Maybe it’s because Parks story was so much more interesting with the phone call from Dale Sr. and all. I don’t really think Preece will ever get a competitive ride at this rate.

  11. Coby turned down Sprint Cup offers.

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