Ryan Preece To Run SMART Tour Event Saturday At Franklin County Speedway

Ryan Preece: (Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Short Track Scene reported today that former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and current NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece will run Satuday’s Southern Modified Auto Racing Teams event at Franklin County Speedway in Callaway, Va.

It will mark Preece’s first start at the .375-mile bullring. Preece will be in action with his JTG Daugherty Cup Series team on Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The Saturday event at Franklin County Speedway marks Preece’s second SMART tour start of the season. He won in the division’s visit to South Boston (Va.) Speedway on April 3.

Saturday’s event will mark Preece’s third start in a Modified over a nine day span. He ran the Whelen Modified Tour Spring Sizzler 150 at Stafford on April 30 and the Tri-Track Open Modified Series Wonder Casino 100 on May 1 at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H.

“I like racing,” Preece told Short Track Scene.  “If I had a Super Late Model, I’d race that too.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  Modifieds are easily accessible.  It’s something I’ve been doing since I was a kid.  I enjoy racing and having the opportunity to win.  I remember talking to Steve Park and asked him if he missed racing, and he said he missed winning.  Every racer, when they think about it, that’s what they love to do so that’s what I continue to try and do.”

Comments

  1. How do I say this? Of all the unique small tracks modifieds race at this has to be one of the most unique. In the Appalachian Mountains they make no bones about the fact they’re pure country and kind of proud of having the fewest rules that allow anyone to race there. No traditional grandstands as such you can sit on or put your lawn chair on the cement slabs to view the race. Some question as to whether the ambulance that is clearly displayed is for show or actually has the capability of treating someone that’s injured and locating the EMT’s can be challenging.
    Welcome to Moonshine Capital Promotions and Franklin County Speedway. Ryan Preece may be in a state that hosts NASCAR Cup races but this is about as far from Cup racing and as close to the grass roots of racing he’s ever going to get. We that have a Speed51 subscription are not going to want to miss this one if for no other reason then the atmosphere.

  2. Moonshine will also burn as a fuel…or light up your Life with a few shots…!!!!!

  3. Fast Eddie says

    Suitcase, as the Three Stooges said, “Pick you right up…And knock you right back down again too!” If you haven’t seen it yet, you should watch the Dale Jr’s “Lost Raceways” episode “In the Still of the Night”. Great stuff about a racetrack with a moonshine business from an underground still near turn 3! And speaking of Jr., great “Dale Jr Download” episode with Bentley Warren. I think aired new yesterday, keep an eye out for replays, great stories from him!

  4. I saw that episode about the track with the underground still. 😝😝😝😝😝

  5. Timothy Kelly says

    Doug was right! Just seeing the atmosphere was great! Watched on speed 51! Awesome! Announcer said full field of cars…8! Little kid in infield running towards accident in turn 2 as parents stop tire off car in incident! Beavis, butthead, hacksaw jim duggan and hillbilly jim all spotted at race. At least 20 people with no shoes! Pick up football game in turn 1 area! Fight on pit road! In the words of the great chris farly!
    That
    Was
    Awesome!

  6. Did you listen to the pre-race trackside interview with Preece? He sounds like a native North Carolina Appalachian hillbilly!!!!! When did that happen????

  7. wmass01013 says

    SAME ole James Civali in the HILLBILLY 79 taking out alll to get to the front, was a great race and a nice lil 3/8 mile, last lap pass by John Smith, Bobby Labonte and Burt Myers on the Civali take out list, wow WHAT A RACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  8. wmass01013 says

    AND i forgot to add PREECE AND Chris Flemming banging cars under caution BOWMAN GRAY STYLE and yes the POLICE breaking up fights on pit road, YESSSSSSSSSSSS

  9. How Spartan is Franklin County Speedway. They roll out a yellow light and place it in the middle of the track for cautions.
    Worst view of the best modified race of the season. Mostly because there are no stands with elevation to put a camera on.
    Is James Civali the bad guy? I’m not so sure. He drove Myers a little high but Myers still well within the outside yellow line where he lost it on his own. Did Civali drive up into Labonte’s left rear or was the 25 a little lower then he should have been? Then there is John Smith getting into Civali in 2 of the last lap to get him squirrelly that eventually got him the win and Civali wasn’t complaining. I see it all a couple times and it just looked like good hard racing on a narrow track to me. Very good hard racing that looked like passes could be made high or low on a regular basis.
    In the end Myers was the most vocal about what happened which is to be expected. No doubt he knew he had a winning car which he did and disappointed it slipped away.

  10. That was some undercard!!!!!! [MAJOR SARCASM]. Both undercard races should have been run at the same time.

    Wild and crazy race Mod, as expected by a southern hoedown. How many Myers were in that race?

    Good to see the SMART series operating, more importantly, to get that many cars at that track. It is 85 miles from the home base of southern modified racing, Bowman Gray, and we know they do not like to travel across the street to race. That was quite the trek for those mod teams. BRAVO!!!! Hey, do you think the SMART series would like to travel up north and show us what they can do?

    How much was admission to get into Franklin County Speedway?

  11. Impressive little track, with two working grooves. The high line seemed to be the preferred line, unless you wanted to shovel another car out of the way. It looked like Preece, who is a master at running a low line, couldn’t get used to running a high line, and it cost him getting hung out on the inside line.

    It was a race of gladiators and the strong survived, the rest perished.

  12. I am rooting for the SMART Series to be Successful …… There is plenty of ROOM down SOUTH to bring in the SERIES to Local Tracks with the Ability to Have Former Cup Champion in the Field, A Current Cup Driver to show up only peaks more Interest …… Civali should have been put to the rear twice at a Minimum!!! Hit everything but the PACE TRUCK coming from 16TH, Ran Burt Myers out of racing groove ran Him into Outside Wall. Civali Then just outright dumped LaBonte when Terry had him 3/4 passed on the outside groove.. Piss pour Officiating … Make the calls.. [Everyone but Doug].. could clearly see, including the Announcer, That Civali was rough riding anyone trying to make a CLEAN PASS he either ran them up or drove into them to protect His Lead at ALL Costs… !!!!! Terry will take note : Pass Him on inside next time…. There were alot of People giving Civali the ONE FINGER SALUTE along the Fenceline….LOL Well plenty of Drama going forward with at least 3 Drivers feeling like they owe Civali some payback…Next race will be very interesting…..

  13. wmass01013 says

    I have watched all 4 SMART races and i must say they have been very good, nice car counts and crowds have been good for SOUTHERN races, COST was $20 for adults under 10 Free at Franklin County, as for CIVALI not being the blame,listen to the announcer saying how high hes running the 2nd Myers and Labonte, i think if this was Bowman Gray Myers would have done the drive around slow and when Civali tried to pass the MATT KENSETH move would have happened.

  14. Well first of all they did not penalize Civali so there’s that. As far as the reference to Myers getting pushed to the wall that never happened. He never crossed the outer white line. The car broke free as he was trying to correct and that’s when he hit the wall but by that time Civali was long gone. With regard to Labonte being dumped he surely wasn’t saying he was. He viewed it as hard racing and I agree with him.
    Nor did I see an inordinate amount of constant rough riding from Civali regardless of whether “everyone” saw it or not. Everyone being a lot of people that so have not weighed in here yet although I admit “everyone” has a nice ring to it.
    What I did see is hard nose racing on a tight track including John Smith popping Civali coming out of two that helped get him the win. Maybe “everyone” missed that as well.

  15. James Civali Facebook post
    “Coming to the white getting all I could get trying to win the race, over drove turn one and hit the curb and caught Bobby lobante in the left rear.
    Hate it for him I really did and for all his guys.”

  16. See this is what I like about all this video. Instead of debating dependent on recollections we can just view the race again.
    I’ve posted Civali’s take on the Labonte dust up and stand corrected on that.
    We all have different thresholds of what we think is fair game or not. In the end it’s what they call or don’t.
    What I am not sympathetic to is broad statements implying drivers are a menace and whining about officials not calling stuff you don’t like. I also don’t like broad declarations like “everybody” agrees with me nonsense when it’s obvious from reading posts on Facebook not “everybody” agrees on Civali and his driving style.
    Civali drove Myers up the track a completely acceptable move and Wmass knows this remembering Bonsignor doing it to Beatty at Riverhead a few years ago. The announcers did not say it was dirty or illegal in any way. They used the common reference for it that Civali was making his car as wide as possible.
    I encourage those that are offended by Civali’s style to watch the race again. It was a brawl and Civali was not the cause of it all. Preece and Fleming got into the wall, Preece was really ticked about it and it had nothing to do with Civali. Civali was getting popping on a fairly consistent basis and drove through it. There was an enormous amount of contact in that race you can watch out for if you view it again.
    If you watch the laps leading up to Myers hitting the wall you’ll see Civali doing exactly the same thing, Myers right at that outer white line on the outside and no wreck because he backed out of it. Then he didn’t, he lost control and kissed the wall. They can argue about it in the pits but it’s a perfectly legal move.
    The entire problem is the straights at Franklin Country are narrow. You have to be tight if you’re on the outside in the corner because the wall comes up quick. Myers hung in there, it was a mistake knowing exactly what Civali was doing and he paid for it. Credit Myers for making the outside move but poor judgement in that he should have been banging Civali low like Smith was doing that eventually won him the race.
    You guys say Civali played too rough and should have been panelized for it. You’re not wrong but if they don’t call it it is what it is. I’m saying that race was terrific in part because of James Civali and his hard charger driving style.
    I’m not missing a SMART race that’s on Speed51 again that’s for sure.

  17. wmass01013 says

    OK Doug i will say this, while i am not a fan of the push the outside guy up in the turn to make him lift method of racing that so many use todaY LIKE THE 51 did to Beatty there is a difference in that and body slamming a guy who has a 3/4 car length lead in the corner as Civali did to Myers, ok the Labonte takeout was because he hit the curb and yes i get the driving hard to get a W which have been few and far between for Civali, he had a fast car as his charge from 16th to the front at the start showed but with his reputation from Don King’s 28 on i am glad Smith did what he did to win, I like the Hillbilly team, wish they still ran the WMT, but overall it was the best Mod race of any series so far

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