(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
Ryan Preece will return to the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, he confirmed on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday.
Preece is in the midst of his first full-time season at SHR, his fourth full-time campaign at the sport’s highest level. Through 30 starts in the No. 41 Ford, Preece notched a season-best finish of fifth in July at Richmond Raceway and is set to return for another year at the four-car outfit.
“I’m gonna be here with the 41 at SHR next year,” Preece told SXM’s Dave Moody. “I’m definitely looking forward to it, and we’ve made a lot of gains.”
Preece began his Cup career with Phil Parsons Racing’s No. 98 car in 2015 when he made five part-time starts but joined the ranks full-time in 2019 with JTG Daugherty Racing. The Berlin, Connecticut, native competed for three seasons with JTG before the team downsized to one car, leaving Preece without a ride.
Preece, 32, spent the 2022 season working as a simulation and reserve driver for Stewart-Haas Racing, making two starts with Rick Ware Racing in the process. He moved back to the driver’s seat full-time this season, replacing Cole Custer in the No. 41 Ford.
The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, Preece has just one top-10 finish this season but is confident in the progress Stewart-Haas Racing is making as the 2023 campaign winds to a close.
“I like the direction of the things that we’ve been working on here at SHR,” Preece said. “And it makes me optimistic going into not only Talladega because we have such fast superspeedway cars, but going to Las Vegas – our mile-and-a-half stuff, it’s never been really my strong suit, but some of the things that we’ve worked on, I feel really, really eager and excited to get to Las Vegas. And obviously when we go to Martinsville and Phoenix, those are two of our stronger tracks so we have a good couple races coming up.”
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) for the second race of the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs.
GREAT NEWS !!!! I am relieved, Now go out and Kick some ass the rest of the Season.!!!! Still hoping for a Win at Martinsville !!!! I am very happy Ryan can stay in Cup..!!! He is in with the best drivers in the World with FENDERS on …. F1 is another LEVEL as Jimmy Johnson found out …. Ryan can move up the Ranks and gain Respect among the Current Drivers in Cup… Once he gets that all important FIRST WIN it will propel His career in a big way..!! Ryan has to make the MOST of this Opportunity !!! He has to, along with the TEAM get everything clicking right out the gate in 2024 …. Truly a make or Break Year in 2024 !!!
Why wouldn’t he be resigned. Harvick is retiring and Preece’s competition on the team are Amirolo at 22nd in points and Briscoe at 30th. It’s not like the team is fielding top ten quality cars. Does Stewart even have his eye on the ball? Isn’t he spending a lot of time fielding top fuel dragsters for his super hot, 17 years his junior, wife at the height of drag racing season? In fact instead of calling him Smoke shouldn’t they be calling him manure because he’s spread all over the field of racing these days. CUP, Xfinity, NHRA, SRX, track ownership, video games it’s exhausting trying to figure out how many things he’s into.
“I’ve raced over 44, 45 years now and you know really quick if it’s a group of people you enjoy working with,” Stewart says. “I knew I had that with them right out of the box. They’ve made racing fun again for me.”
See that, he’s phoning in his CUP effort. In the thick of a NHRA points battle now 4th in points. They provide the fun, CUP is on auto pilot.
Oh look, remember that team we liked to think was second rate and that Preece needed to move on from to be successful JTG Daugherty? 14th in CUP points go figure.
Stewart-Haas is the CUP equivalent of the Pat’s now aren’t they? Firmly established as a mediocre team. Got the big name in Tony Stewart but it’s pretty clear at this stage that’s all frosting, no cake.
Ruh-ro a super speedway coming into focus. Please, please Ryan be careful if that’s even possible in the equivalent of a motorized tornado.
Speaking of confections I’m reading talk in another thread that Preece is a cupcake getting pushed around on a regular basis. Have a really hard time believing that can be true but if it is thank goodness he has another season to give some other drivers an attitude adjustment on that score.
Of course Preece was signed for another year. He’s a good driver, works hard, a team player and a great promoter of products. We miss him in a modified but his focus on CUP paying dividends it would appear.
Ryan Preece in the cup series is good for me. It keeps me somewhat interested in the big leagues of motor sports. I agree the Stewart Haas team hasn’t been very good this year but it has been across all the drivers not just one or two. No one is getting results. I was kind of hoping Preece would run the modified a little more frequently. Perhaps some success in the open wheels would bring some confidence to the cup ride. Running in the back most of the time has to wear on your confidence no matter who you are.
There are rumors that Tony Stewart is in negotiations to sell his 410 ALL Star Sprint series to the Kyle Larson High Limit series. Assuming that goes through that will be one thing off of Stewarts plate. Eldora is printing money from what I have seen from their shows on Flo. SRX seems to be going well with their move to Thursdays and ESPN. I have no idea on the drag racing stuff, I don’t follow it at all. I am pretty sure most people would agree, The cup team needs attention.
We have been saying it for a while here. While haas a good organization, they are not elite. (Anymore)
While i think they have the tools to improve, i’m not entirely sure about the brain trust. I only say that because for me, they lost a step and never caught up, when gen 7 arrived.
Its funny, 3 years ago, I’d have said on the ford teams, haas before rousch- fenway. And heck. Front row motorsports would not have even been a part of the conversation. Now look.
One could say the penske fords aren’t what they were, and I could not argue with that. But as far as the Ford teams go, right now, I have all above Ford teams, ahead of Haas. I don’t think its lack of money, lack of ford backing, or lack of driving talent. I don’t think that it’s all in crew cheifs either, although they may as a group, be part of a collective problem. But it takes a lot and all thinks need to go right.
For me, i’ve always thought, It’s gen 7 kicking their butts across the board imo. Just have not gotten the handle on it like other teams seem to have done. Not sure where that buck stops. Better brain trust? Maybe. Just hope they figure it out. Not only for Ryan’s sake, but for the sport in general. Be nice to have another legitimate threat week in and week out to the other top 3-4 team juggernaut. Yeah, maybe conjecture, maybe not, but jmo.
And when you finally get that monkey off your back ryan, as I think Haas et al; will eventually figure it all out, you will have sure as s—t earned it with a very high price of paying your dues. And even if it’s not you Ryan, it would be great to see another win by Brisco, Almirola, or Happy Harvick, on his way out the door! Good luck!