No Entry: Ryan Preece Not Participating In Whelen Modified Tour Event At Beech Ridge

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

Despite his name being promoted as an expected to competitor, NASCAR Cup Series competitor Ryan Preece will not be running the Whelen Modified Tour Rumble at the Ridge 200 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine on Saturday.

Preece has run six of nine Whelen Modified Tour events this season, but he confirmed to RaceDayCT Wednesday that he will not be participating in the event at Beech Ridge.

Preece has a commitment to make an appearance for sponsor Kroger in Ypsilanti, Michigan on Saturday afternoon leading up to the Cup Series event he will participate in Sunday for JTG Daugherty Motorsports at Michigan International Speedway.

NASCAR’s pre-event “Pit Box” race preview released Monday promoted Preece as a part-timer in the event who was “sure to be competitive”

Saturday’s event at Beech Ridge is being promoted by JDV Productions, which is operated by former Thompson Speedway general manger Josh Vanada. JDV Productions distributed a press release on Tuesday also promoting that Preece was expected in the field.

“NASCAR provides the entry list,” Vanada told RaceDayCT Wednesday “We shared what was published.”

NASCAR posted its entry list for the Beech Ridge event publically Wednesday afternoon with Preece listed as one of 23 drivers expected for the event at Beech Ridge.

Preece’s crew chief, Stephen Kopcik, said no entry was filed with NASCAR for Preece to run in the event.

Whelen Modified Tour series director Jimmy Wilson said Wednesday evening that entries are filed and managed through NASCAR’s membership department and that information regarding entries for the event could not immediately be confirmed.

Preece has Whelen Modified Tour wins this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 17) and Stafford Motor Speedway (Aug. 6).

Comments

  1. Preece has posted on Twitter that this weekend is a double header… Stafford and MI.

  2. So looking like 22 cars.

  3. Ken L,
    21 cars actually. KLM Motorsports and Timmy Solomito split up. Team will not be going to Beech Ridge. Read more at RaceDayCT.

  4. Capt Mike Qbvious says

    Talk about a mess. Assuming Ryan and Stephen Kopcik are being truthful — and I personally don’t have a reason to doubt them — then one has to wonder how Ryan’s name ended up on the entry list. One also has to wonder whether NASCAR and the event promoter simply made a good-faith error, or if they knew behind the scenes that Ryan wouldn’t be there even as they were using his name in promotional materials. Either way, it’s a bad look for everybody involved.

  5. Shawn. I actually saw that later. In today’s market, teams just don’t seem to want to travel too much. Economic decisions are being made.

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