Spreading the gospel of Modified racing is something NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece takes very seriously.
The 29-year old from Berlin climbed to the top of NASCAR’s ranks by exceling for over a decade in Modified racing. And since arriving as a full-time driver in the Cup Series before the 2019 season Preece has regularly made sure to showcase on the national stage the fact that his roots are in Modified racing.
And when it comes to this year’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway it will be Preece offering the chance to live out the Modified life for one of the most well known names nationally in short track racing.
Preece will field a Tour Type Modified for Senoia, Ga. driver Bubba Pollard, who is considered one of the most dominant forces in Late Model/Super Late Model racing over the last decade nationally.
Preece said the two struck up a relationship during the the 2019 World Series at New Smyrna.
“He was there last year running a Super [Late Model] and I was just talking to him here and there,” Preece told RaceDayCT. “I have a lot of respect for somebody like him because he’s a racer. In my book there’s a certain definition for that. I just wanted to be able to put somebody like him in my race car and race against him and have him have the opportunity to drive a Modifed.
“You’ve got guys that represent different cars around the country. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, they’re the dirt track, Sprint car, Midget car representatives. And I come from Modifieds, that’s where I’m from. That’s the part of the country where I’m from and I want to let other people have their time of driving one or whatever it may be. I want to give that chance to people that I respect and Bubba is one of those guys and I’m looking forward to making it all happen.”
The World Series runs Feb. 7 – Feb. 15 at New Smyrna with Tour Type Modifieds on the schedule for five consecutive nights from Feb. 10 – Feb. 14.
Preece said the plan is to run Pollard in the Tour Type Modified car he owns for the Feb. 10 50-lap event, the Feb. 11 35-lap event and the Feb. 14 Richie Evans Memorial 100.
Preece, who will begin his second season as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series with JTG Daugherty Racing in the Feb. 16 Daytona 500, will compete for the Ed and Connie Partridge owned TS Haulers team in New Smyrna. Preece said he expects to run Feb. 10, Feb. 11 and in the John Blewett III Memorial 76 on Feb. 12.
Preece said the possibility exists that Pollard could end up running all five Tour Type Modified events at New Smyrna.
“It could be all the nights,” Preece said. “If Monday and Tuesday are really good we can run the week. It really just depends on the people, the parts and how the week is going.”
Are you sure about this ? Bubba wasn’t on Doug’s official entry list. LOL What night is Harvick racing? The night TC and Newman went toe to toe was some of the best racing I’ve ever seen down there or anywhere.
To the chassis nerds out there Ryan clarified some stuff last Wednesday in his podcast.
-“I will say I have some pretty cool stuff coming out that I’ve been working on, the cars we run, these Chassis Dynamics race cars that aren’t of the other chassis brands are different.”
-“The part I like about racing is the part that other people don’t have and that’s something that Mike Paquette has helped me do.”
-“We run a traditional 4 link pretty much basically nobody else for the most part has the rear suspension that we end up having in our race car and that’s what I like about it.”
-“Anybody can go and put a kit car together and it’s just a lot more fun doing something like this coming up with different ideas. That’s what makes racing fun. Obviously that and winning.”
I’d speculate the Partridges as well as Preece are funding what appears to be at least two cars now based on the fact that one is the 6NY. Much of Ryans design with Mike’s input and much of Mikes fabrication with some of Ryans help. Not prototypes for eventual production, not experimental cars with ideas destined for the main stream necessarily and no threat to Fury or LFR/TFR More of a unique side gig.
This side story along with the entire Catalano clan coming down loaded for bear will make this yet another crackerjack start to the modified racing season.
This in my view is why Preece is just the coolest cat in this era coming out of our neck of the woods. He has zero reason to cram modified races into his busy schedule let alone build unique cars to do it.
THIS is very interesting. I only wish I was going down there. He will be in a good car, and from what I have seen he is not rough on equipment. This should make for good racing.
4 links, very temperamental. When Steffie drove the Beal & Bacon X6 they ran one. They definitely had it figured out as they dominated the tour with it.
First off, great to see Ryan giving another driver the chance to compete. As far as the chassis goes, when your trying to beat them, you do what they aren’t. Stefanik had great success running a 4 link car, as did TC, although not to the same degree. Now Ryan and Mike are experimenting with it again. Could explain Ryan’s choice of drivers in Pollard, as he is an accomplished and experienced driver who can provide them with feedback concerning the car. Wondering if the cars have the brackets to go back to 3 link easily if it’s deemed necessary. All that aside great to see Ryan competing in a modified, as well as giving another driver the chance. Best of luck.
Doug, how can you be so naive to think a chassis builder isn’t using this for R&D???
Naive and uninformed if we’re being honest Bernie. All I’m doing is showing what was actually said by a guy I follow and respect and the rest is dot connecting. Maybe future sales R&D is afoot and if so you perhaps could speculate to what end.
What I know is one car is owned by the Partriges and Preece is driving it. The other is Preece’s and Pollard is driving. I think both cars are prepared out of Chassis Dynamics by Mike Paguette but I don’t know it for sure. I know Preece’s car is a unicorn but I don’t know if the Partridge car is the old Troyer or something newer or Mikes work. I know they are using a four link but don’t know if they are experimenting with the Watts Z link setup as well. I don’t know what engines they are using. I know Preece had a cast iron block engine in his car at Stafford last year and perhaps Bubba will be using that. I don’t know that Preece is using fresh spec power or something with some laps on it.
I get a lot of people don’t really care. I do so if anyone knows what the details are it would be pretty nifty to share.
I’d also like to know what Gershow is doing bringing 3 cars to New Smyrna and what that’s all about so maybe someone knows the scoop on that as well.
It’s the TA2 bud link Ryan so saying that no one is running this is a false statement. Every Troyer TA2 has this rear suspension.
All this exciting news about New Smyrna. Should be a great 5 days of racing with plenty of story lines to follow.
The 15th is Wednesday, drop dead day for Thompson competitors to make their decision. Wonder what will happen in our own back yard?
2 J.R Bertuccio Franklin TN
2B TBA (Gershow Motorsports)
4 Jeffrey Gallup Feeding Hills MA
6 Ryan Preece Berlin CT
14 Brock Brown Shickshinny PA
17 Jeremy Gestner Tampa FL
21 Paul Townsend Guelph ON
21 Jimmy Blewett Howell NJ
21 Jim Gavek Effort PA
22 Eddie McCarthy Brick NJ
23 Joe Degracia Lyndhurst NJ
26 Bubba Pollard Senoia GA
27 Adam LaCicero, Lavallette NJ
36 David Sapienza Riverhead NY
41 Kevin Shea Mystic CT
45 Brett Meservey Brewsyer MA
45 Timmy Catalano Ontario NY
54 Tommy Catalano Ontario NY
56 Amy Catalano Ontario NY
58 Eric Goodale Riverhead NY
59 Teddy Cranmer North Hanover NJ
60 Matt Hirschman North Hampton PA
83 Mike Willis JR Grantham NH
07 Patrick Emerling Holland NY
24 so far. You’ve got your NWMT contingent, LI, upstate NY, NJ /Wall, northern New England.
TV coverage? Can’t tell. No fanschoice for sure. Will it be on NBC Sports Gold Track Pass/Nascar Roots Racing. I see the ARCA Menards East on the schedule but no tour modifieds at this stage.
Each year has a unique flavor. This year could be the showing by the NJ gang.