Ryan Preece celebrates victory Friday at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway (Photo: Jason Christley/NASCAR)
When Ryan Preece hits the 2.5-mile oval Saturday for his first XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway he will carry with him some sweet short track momentum of a job well done Friday.
Preece, of Berlin, closed out his second consecutive World Series of Asphalt Racing Tour Type Modified Division championship with a victory in Friday’s Richie Evans Memorial 100 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
“Winning a race with Richie Evans’ name on it, it really means a lot to me,” Preece told NASCAR Home Tracks of the Modified legend and NASCAR Hall of Famer. “That’s somebody, when you think Modifieds, you think Richie Evans. I’m a little young, so I wasn’t fortunate enough to race in Richie’s era. But you can type into YouTube and see some of the things he did. He really was an amazing driver. So to put my name on a trophy that has his name on it means a lot to me.”
Preece, driving for Ed Partridge’s TS Haulers team, finished the New Smyrna World Series week with runner-up finishes in the first two events of the week and victories in the second two events. The first night of the scheduled five night series was rained out Monday.
Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. finished second Friday and JR Bertuccio of Centereach, N.Y. was third.
Sad what’s become of the modifieds during speedweeks. A whole 5 cars showed up for that big money race at Bronson. Not many cars or fans at New Smyrna either.
Goodale was probably the best at the end but Preece and he owned the show down there.
Nice tribute to Joe Brady by Ben Dodge but listening to his nice speech about Richie to half empty
seats was sad to be sure. I was glad to read at least Ann Young wants to bring back the Mods next year to
have another go but really …..5 cars? On a track where the high dollar,high hp guys can’t run a way and hide?. You’d almost think they would have had the larger field. True enough rich sad it is.
Daytona is killing the World Series with all their night races. May have killed it already. Virtually zero racing during the day anymore at the speedway. Its too bad, I use to really enjoy going. Not worth it to go anymore though in my opinion. The tour season will be here soon enough.
I was there on Tuesday and listening to fans behind me saying that the Florida Mods will probably put on a better show that the tour mods. Almost more ROC mods that Tour cars, and very few Valenti or Souther Mod series cars. Would New Symrna be a good place for the first Tri Track Series race of the year? Really surprised how few southern cars were there.
I’d bet it’s not easy to find a few thousand dollars, time off work, and a volunteer crew to travel a couple thousand miles to race in Florida.
I will agree with fast, the average guy can’t afford the week and travel 22 hours one way and then back. Even though the made the 5 races Monday to Friday which helps with less time off and travel over the weekends (I thought this may help) still low car count. Richie race Friday against the trucks at the speedway, don’t make a lot of sense. You can’t even run it Thursday because of the duals.
Tri track, don’t think so, you will have the same cars that come every year to run the series because no one can afford the trip. Unfortunately the modifieds are slowly going away at New Smyrna and it is too bad.
Ditto Guys,It is hard to haul down there and spend the week but why no Koma cars or southern mods?
Nite races is killing the mods and other divisions . Twin 125 with truck race all at nite , to drive 24 hours from ny and ct to race against half dozen cars with no fans. Thanks nascar for their support. They make millions while others can’t stay a float …love short track racing it is where it all started , nascar seems to forget………
I was fortunate to go to New Smyrna, but I have also been going for the past 6 years. I have seen continuing growth in the grandstand, and now also on the track.
It was at a high it seemed back in 08 or 09. This was the first year where it seemed there were not any teams taking a car out to start and park, besides the 2 backup car.
I feel everyone thinks they have the answers, yet chooses to stay at home. Here’s what I will say though, if you all have the best interests in modified racing at heart, then why are you not at these races?
Instead you all go on the free broadcast and nitpick it apart, talk about the car counts and the purse when it seems that you don’t have a dog in the fight.
Every day I saw teams that had crew guys that worked hours in the pits and all smiling enjoying being at new Smyrna. I applaud them. They were there, supporting the events. I feel with time, Speedweeks will grow back to what it used to be.
Your getting beat by teams that have a good setup under the car, with a good combination motor/car/driver/crew chief and owner. I look forward to going back down next year with hopes of a few more cars to make the racing that more exciting.
“I feel everyone thinks they have the answers, yet chooses to stay at home. Here’s what I will say though, if you all have the best interests in modified racing at heart, then why are you not at these races”?
Positive not certain where you are heading. This I will tell you, I am a staunch supporter of the modifieds however, just because I support them does not mean I am going to take a week off of work and go to New Smyrna and watch 5 nights of racing. One, because of the cost, two, watching a field of only 12-15 cars is not what I want to see and three, I am not going to burn a weeks vacation time. I also believe that the attendance (both car and spectator) is economy driven and the teams from the North that have the money will go and the others will stay and save their money to run the series what ever it may be.
I don’t need to have a dog in the fight to understand that the cost out weighs the benefit of spending 5 nights at New Smyrna running for sub par purses never mind running against NASCAR two of the 5 nights.
Lets just agree to disagree!