Last week Ryan Preece closed out a struggle filled second season running full-time for JTG Daugherty Racing with the NASCAR Cup Series.
Saturday the Berlin native got the chance to put the frustrations of Cup racing in 2020 behind him and find his way back to victory lane at a place where he was once a regular.
Preece won the fourth Islip 300 Tour Type Modified event Saturday at Riverhead Raceway.
Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, ran regularly at Riverhead before the primary focus of racing career took him down south with NASCAR’s national divisions.
Preece, driving for the Ed & Connie Partridge TS Haulers team, scores a first place purse of $7,000. It was his second time winning the event.
Craig Lutz of Miller Place, N.Y. was second and 2020 Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore was third.
Preece’s day started with bad news after he found out his expected spotter for the event, Shawn Waddell, had been involved in an early morning highway crash in Southington, CT and would not make it to the event.
Awesome, just as I expected.
Not Surprised! “Preece Lighting” Is That Talented!! I Really Think Give Him The Right Team , He Will A Few Cup Races.
Soper was tough and loved the under car LED lights. Bonsignor ran a smart race, Rocco came from the back after a dust up with Ronnie Williams and Sap made a charge as well. Lutz did everything right except win.
This day however belonged to Preece in the car his dad helped rebuild after Stafford. He was magnificent racing the wheels off it with a good pit and tire strategy all the time staying near the front. Like Dowling at Stafford.
Good news on the Cup ride as well. Seems he will be back in the bigs with JTG Daugherty next year. His late season run from oblivion didn’t get much press but showed just how good he is at exactly the right time.
Betting the Turkey Derby that practiced today is canceled but fingers crossed.
Just as we all expected dareal would say, “just as I expected”.
Doug, where did this news about Preece in the JTG ride next year come from? Shawn, have you heard any rumblings?
CONGRATS to Ryan Preece and the #6 T.S. Haulers team. Great win. Hope all is ok with Waddell.
Earl,
Nothing to report on that yet.
Thanks for clarifying that for us Shawn.
https://sportsnaut.com/ryan-preece-jtg-daugherty-racing/
“According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern”
In addition to this the announcers at the Islip 300 repeated the fact twice yesterday that Ryan would be returning. One said “it appeared” then the other said “would be”. I assumed they may have talked to Ryan him being there and all.
Not an official announcement and that’s what my “seems” meant to imply. However the scale of likelihood is tipping firmly toward a return. I guess a few folks here aren’t that convinced the JTG team is that great and it isn’t his best opportunity in Cup. I wouldn’t be agreeing with that at all.
Preece, Lutz and Bonsignor. The invaders won the podium.
Then Riverhead home boys Soper, Rogers, Fortin, Turbish, Beatty. Stafford based Rocco and Galko round out the top 10.
13 cars finish on the lead lap. That’s about as many as they have at regular shows and after 300 laps on a tiny track. Shows how great the rules were equalizing the field.
Someone has said the last race is usually the best because it’s the freshest in the mind. That’s true but this race was one of the best of the season in a season of good races regardless of how fresh it was memory wise. Movement through the field especially in the last 100 laps with pitting adding to the drama. The announcers called the Bonsignor miss on pit stop timing and he confirmed it in post race interviews. Those Riverhead guys are tough as nails. Beatty got in a couple dust ups losing position and ends up in the top 10. It was everything I’d hoped it would be.
And Preece won. So many misses in drop ins to local modified racing as his Cup season is falling apart and redemption on every level if the rumors on his return to Cup hold up. Couldn’t have scripted a better ending.
ACCORDING to Bob Finan and other sports OUTLETS that Preece was EXPECTED to return to JTG
More WMT domination.
The Preece “expected” signing is so last week’s news. The guy earned another year. Drove his tail off the last half of the year. Brad D is a modified fan too.
JBon is a Riverhead graduate. Preece ran Riverhead often enough to be granted Honorary Riverhead Local status.
I’m only here to help.
Appeared, expected is not will, shall. I am sure Shawn will break the news here when it becomes official.
The Williams crew should be ashamed of themselves for how they acted in the pits, that was racing, end of story, if it was anybody’s fault it was Williams the baby maybe he should stick to hockey instead of racing, leave it to the drivers to figure it out, can’t wait till next year going to be fun, hey Ronnie boy maybe you should going to driving school, instead of crying like a sissy😈
JTG commented on their driver’ win at Riverhead yesterday via Jayski. Stenhouse won too out west.
We had a great time at Riverhead yesterday. Took the ferry with a bunch of race fans from all over. Plates in the lot from Vermont, Maine, Mass, Rhode Island and plenty from CT. Place was packed. From what I could see the Riverhead fan is way more passionate than the typical CT track fan. Not just your typical old fat white race fans either. There were tons of college aged kids there having a good time. The amount of beer being sold was ridiculous. The beer line was long throughout the whole day and evening. I’m not a Riverhead regular so I couldn’t say if this was the norm or Corona fatigue. I can say for sure though if Dafella had seen it he’d be spitting up his fruit loops.
“Place was packed.”
That probably falls somewhere between poetic license and fiction.
So, what’s left? The Turkey Derby at Wall Stadium, provided it’s not cancelled. Think Preece will try to go 2 for 2? Seems he just might have a handle on that CD creation, if indeed that’s the car he was driving.
Ryan was driving a Troyer TA2
Call it what you want Doug. I’m going out on a very large limb here and guess that you weren’t there.
You said “it was packed” at Waterford when state guidelines mandated a 50% capacity and you’re saying it here when NY had capacity limits as well so we’ll start there. It may have been “packed” based on your subjective interpretation but the fact is in neither case was either track approaching capacity as the word “packed” implies.
Anyone that watched the race on RiverheadRaceway.TV had multiple views including from an overhead drone that no person attending the race could have had. I have the race on another screen right now as I type this wondering why you play this game and mislead the forum audience. It’s clearly approaching 50% in total which is what it should be. There’s clustering of groups evident in some sections which is exactly the way it was supposed to be. The crowd appears maxed out given the limits in place which is exactly the best thing that could have happened. The announcers at the end of the race thanked the fans in attendance as well as the streaming audience of which I was happily a part so apparently the track doesn’t have the contempt for streaming viewers many here seem to have.
If you combine the track audience with the streaming audience it may very well be the track reached capacity goals or may have exceeded them. People in attendance at the track not even close. Why you feel you have to make it better then what happened which is pretty good I just don’t know. Maybe to elevate yourself for being there and sticking it to others that weren’t. like the ” typical old fat white race fans” that go to races north of Long Island Sound I guess. Yup, that’s what we are up here north of the Long Island Sound, passionless, old white race fans right 2020?
How many were in the pits? Did the cameras or drone show that? Just asking and please don’t blow a gasket.
Did it come off that way? I didn’t mean it to. I’m simply saying the race with a crowd at about 50% didn’t need to be hyperbolized as approaching capacity to be successful which it clearly was. If it had a few more viewers like you Earl it would have been even more successful for the Partridges. Sorry to see you couldn’t see your way clear to spend the $35 and support the teams and owners.
I can say the pit stands during the feature were some of the most crowded as were the standing area’s near the track. That’s usually the case at feature time isn’t it? The drone had a terrific view of the pits while pitting was in progress.
So tell me Earl do you think we’re old, fat and lack passion like 2020 said. Old maybe for sure but fat and passionless?
I have been to Almost every track in New England,,, BUT never got to attend Riverhead… I was wondering what are the Logistics of getting there,????? how ?? where?? Prices ?? do you take car over too or Uber when arriving ??? Just Curious because Next year We are entering retirement and I wanna visit a bunch of tracks that WE haven’t been to yet. Winchester, Bowman Grey , etc.. Thank you in advance for the Logistics of attending Riverhead…
Jake the two ferry options are New London or Bridgeport. Prices vary 40-70 for car and driver. Much less if you don’t take your car. Uber would probably work from the ferry to the track but I’ve never tried it. Problem is getting home. The ferry doesn’t run late night. At that point you either stay overnight and catch the first morning ferry or drive all the way around.
Jake, everything 🌈🦄 said. Take whatever ferry works for you, or drive.
For me, the drive and ferry options turn out to take almost the same time, so no big difference, just cost of the ferry is a decision. Depends if I want to go through western Long Island during the day for the drive out there or take a relaxing ferry ride. The eastern forks of Long Island are pretty nice.
But like 🌈🦄 said, you either stay overnight or expect a late night drive home. Make it a weekend thing, there’s beaches and stuff to do.
Highly recommend you experience Riverhead.
Sounds like it was a packed house no matter where the people were at the track and that’s good because it sounds like they got their money’s worth. Been by Riverhead many times in my travels but never attended a race. Definitely on the top of my list along with Martinsville for a WMT race.
Doug, fortunately none of the three, LOL. I am far from being fat, in my mid 60’s and have plenty of passion left. 2020 just ain’t got a clue.
Are the crate motor modifieds what we would consider SK Lites?
I think so Rob. Only difference is they run skinny tires like what Wall speedway has as sportnans.
*sportsman’s
I think so Rob. Only difference is they run skinny tires like what Wall speedway has as sportsman’s.
Thanks, 2020
Rob p, the crate mods are like 2020 said an SKL on 10” tires. The good thing about the division is you buy the 602 crate engine from the track sealed and you are not allowed to touch the internals. When the engine is worn out you buy another one from the track. From what I understand they last about 2 seasons. Go on the Riverhead site and look at the engine rules. Cost effective and well controlled in my opinion.
Thanks for the info Earl.