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Ryan Preece Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway when he was announced as the new driver of the JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Monster Energy Cup Series car for the 2019 season (Photo: Brenda Meserve)
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Ryan Preece (Photo: Jim DuPont/RaceDayCT)
The dream of landing a full-time opportunity racing at the top level of NASCAR is one that Ryan Preece has fought for over a decade to keep alive.
Today that dream is reality for the Berlin driver.
JTG Daugherty Racing announced today that they have signed Preece to a multi-year contract and he will drive full-time for the team in 2019 on the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series.
“It’s a dream come true,” Preece said Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway when he was announced as the driver for JTG Daugherty racing’s No. 47 Monster Energy Cup Series ride. “… A lot of you know the path that I’ve gone down and the sleepless nights that I’ve gone through to chase after trophies and win races. To finally get to this level and earn it, it’s really a short tracker’s dream to finally get here.”
Preece will make his first start for the team at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, 2019.
“They have the potential to be a powerhouse,” Preece told RaceDayCT. “From the outside looking in you don’t know much about the company. I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about them. I went to the shop and realized the operation that they’re building – that they’ve been building – the potential to really become a powerhouse is there. It’s just going to take the right moves and some good runs to start putting together something that can turn into what I feel is a future team that could be contending for wins and championships.”
It was announced earlier this week that A.J. Allmendinger would not return to the JTG Daugherty No. 47 ride in 2019. Preece will be a teammate to Chris Buescher in the two-car JTG Daugherty Monster Energy Cup Series stable.
The 27-year old Preece is the first former or current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour regular to land a full-time Monster Energy Cup Series ride since Steve Park in 1999.
“Tommy Lasorda says, ‘The difference between impossible and possible lies in a man’s determination,’ and I feel that JTG Daugherty Racing has just that,” Preece said. “It’s been many years of fighting for opportunities to compete and win races at NASCAR’s highest level, and it is nice to officially say that JTG Daugherty Racing is my new home for 2019. I look forward to not only racing, but working with the team as well to build speed and create a name for myself here. I can’t thank [team owners] Tad and Jodi Geschickter, Brad Daugherty and Gordon Smith enough for the opportunity.”
Preece will join Middletown native Joey Logano as the second Connecticut native running full-time in the Monster Energy Cup Series next year. Preece, and the 28-year old Logano, both began their racing careers at the Silver City Quarter Midget Club in Meriden.
It’s been an interesting journey to the top for Preece, who has seemingly bucked the trend of the youth movement into the Monster Energy Cup Series in recent years.
Preece has raced full-time with the Whelen Modified Tour since he was 16 years old. He won the 2013 series championship and has 22 victories in 155 starts since 2007.
He raced full-time in the second-tier NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2016 for the underfunded JD Motorsports team and finished 17th in the series standings.
In 2017, through the backing of local sponsors including Al and Cathy Moniz from Falmouth (Mass.) Ready Mix, Al Heinke from Mowhawk Northeast Inc. in Plantsville and Mizzy Construction in Bristol, Preece was able to secure the funding to get two starts in the XFINITY Series with the Joe Gibbs Racing.
In the first start he finished second to former Monster Energy Cup Series champion Kyle Busch at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15, 2017.
On July 29, 2017 at Iowa Speedway, in his second start with the team, he got his first XFINITY Series victory.
The win opened the door to two more starts with the team before the end of the 2017 season with Preece recording finishes of fourth in fifth at Kentucky Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway respectively.
In the offseason Preece was able to land a 10-race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2018 season, which eventually ballooned to 14 events.
In his third XFINITY Series race of the 2018 season Preece scored his second series win at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 14. The wins and consistent performances suddenly made him a hot commodity around the garage both with XFINITY Series teams and Monster Energy Cup Series teams.
“To get to that jump start [in 2017] with the people that helped me, I wouldn’t have even been thought of for that ride,” Preece said. “And now, it’s cool to get to this point now without having to bring money, just bringing driving talent and a hard work ethic. That’s what got me the ride, which is exciting.”
In 13 XFINITY Series starts for Joe Gibbs Racing over the last two seasons Preece has two wins, eight top-five’s and 11 top-10 finishes. He will finish out the 2018 season in the XFINITY Series with Joe Gibbs Racing.
“We’re really looking forward to having Ryan join our team for the 2019 season,” Tad Geschickter said. “Ryan has an impressive list of accomplishments in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour … and is now being given a great opportunity to compete at NASCAR’s highest level full-time. We really believe in him and think he’s a great addition to the team.”
Preece has started 10 of 14 events this year on the Whelen Modified Tour with two victories and six top-five finishes. He has started five of the six SK Modified features this year at Thompson Speedway with one victory. He has also made three starts this year in the SK Modified division at Stafford Speedway.
Preece has won SK Modified championships at Thompson (2012, 2014) and Stafford (2011) and is a three-time Modified champion at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway. Preece was part of the “NASCAR Next” classes of 2013 and 2014, which recognize the top up and coming talent across the spectrum of of NASCAR divisions.
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Congratulations Ryan!!! Hard work, driving skill,taking a chance and a winning personality paid off!
I’ll miss our rides to the press box at TSMP, sorry if I scared you a few times. When Heather lets you
buy the GTR, I’ll race you with my AMG.
Best wishes to you and Heather and can’t wait till your NMC Champion.
BTW, could you recommend me to AL and Cathy for your old ride?
Best,
John P
Guess the owners missed that bone head move at Loudon taking out the 51… good luck. Is Showtime back in the 6 now?
Congratulations Ryan on this great opportunity! Here is a suggestion for the 31 team at Thompson; Derek Ramstrom would be a nice replacement!
Just another team hiring a young CHEAP driver to replace a high price veteran like Suarez, Bowman, Byron, Bubba Wallace, not to say he does not have talent but 47 is not JGR and running a full schedule will be interesting, I expect a tough 2019
Ryan will succeed, period.
Wmass, why the negativity? Ryan has succeeded to do what many modified drivers wish they could. JTG Dougherty isn’t a top team, but not a field filler either. Another announcement they made was they’re going to use Hendrick engines next year, and there are talks of a full Hendrick alliance in the works. The guy hasn’t even turned a wheel and the negativity has begun. Even a mediocre cup car beats a top modified. Speaking of Modifieds at New Hampshire it looked like Bonsignore came down, at the same time Ryan lost the nose, and went up over Bonsignore’s left rear. Just hard racing.
Gee Rob all I have to do is say Burt Myers and all u post is negative, go to you tube and watch the final turn of NMHS and that was NOT hard racing but a clear nothing to lose not running for points or even the car I normally drive run into the back of the 51, I am just calling as I see it for the 47, many drivers to choose from and Preece gets the call, don’t think its negative but just true. I again say he his tons of talent but sometimes he drives like an idiot or spins on purpose to bring a yellow out.
And how about that 3rd place finish by Burt at NHMS???
When it comes down to it. Almendinger wasn’t performing . Suarez is rumored to be going to the #95, which will switch to Toyota, with a Gibbs alliance ( worked out so well for Barney Vissar). Kurt Busch is going to the #1 with Monster. Newman to the #6. Hemric in the 31. Grayson in the Jr Motorsports 1. Ryan proved himself last year and this year, and earned the ride. With Hendrick engines, and possibly Hendrick alliance, he may surprise allot of people. Something also ironic, when Ron Bouchard moved to cup he drove the #47, now Preece ends up in the 47. Different team, but kinda cool. Hope he does well, and turns some heads, he’s doing what allot of guys will never get the chance to do.