Ryan Preece striving for NASCAR wins with RFK Racing has taken on new energy this season, as the veteran driver finds himself contending for playoff spots and race victories after a period of career uncertainty. With the NASCAR Cup Series regular season intensifying, Preece and RFK Racing are in a tight battle for postseason berths, driven by a renewed sense of purpose and opportunity.
Preece’s Path from Struggles to Opportunity with RFK Racing
Midway through the 2024 Coca-Cola 600, Ryan Preece was mired at the rear of the field, marking another setback during his time with Stewart-Haas Racing. Initially seen as a coveted seat, his time behind the wheel of the No. 41 car, which once boasted Daytona 500 victories, instead became an exercise in frustration, as the organization‘s decline left him carrying extra burdens not just as a driver but also as an on-the-fly crew chief and source of motivation during tough races.
During a radio exchange after a caution, the tensions within the team became apparent.
“I’m gonna go with that did not wake the front up, and it didn’t do what we need to,”
Preece stated.
“So, I don’t care how much track position we lose right now, I can’t even maintain what I have.”
His crew chief, equally exasperated, replied,
“OK, but everything that I do that is the direction that I think is wrong. So, I can pick a direction on the front, but I don’t know that it’s gonna be right because everything else that I’ve done is wrong.”
Preece pushed back, insisting,
“Well, you need to be right now the leader — like I know you can be — and let’s figure it the f–k out. Because we’ve got 600 miles, 220 laps to pull this together. Let’s make a direction and figure it out.”
Following Stewart-Haas Racing’s shutdown and asset sale at the close of 2024, Preece landed a new ride with RFK Racing, piloting the new No. 60 Ford. This fresh start provided not only new machinery but also a rejuvenated atmosphere and leadership under car owner Brad Keselowski. Through the first sixteen races, Preece has scored six top-10 finishes—a personal best—bringing him squarely into the playoff mix and sparking hopes of that elusive first Cup Series win.
Embracing Change and Open-Minded Growth
Preece credits much of his progress with RFK Racing to a willingness to embrace new perspectives and trust the team‘s process.
“I went in with an open mind of ‘I’m gonna work on me, I’m gonna trust the process and I’m gonna continue to push myself.’ And that comes with doing more listening than I do talking, having a different perspective going into the weekends, and really just having a big, open mind when it comes to a lot of things,”
he explained. He acknowledged that sometimes knowing too much about the technical side can provide distractions and that getting back to simply driving has helped him excel.
Preece added,
“There’s certainly times where you can help find the direction of what you need to make the car better, but right now it’s just trying to focus on the little areas that I need to be better at, and then maximizing and using the strengths that I have in the right opportunity.”
This mental shift has allowed Preece to harness lessons from his ascent through the racing ranks—from the Whelen Modified Tour, up through Xfinity competition and less competitive Cup rides. By trusting the roadmap and advice laid out by Brad Keselowski, Preece has elevated both his own performance on track and his role as a leader within his RFK Racing team.
Close Calls, Playoff Battle, and the Drive for Wins
The pursuit of a maiden Cup win continues to define Preece’s year. Earlier in 2025, he nearly clinched victory at Talladega, finishing second in a dramatic photo finish before a post-race disqualification due to a rear spoiler violation. The emotional significance of getting so close was not lost on him.
“The past five, six years I’ve done a lot of friggin’ losing. I feel like the dues are paid and I’m putting in a lot of…”
—Ryan Preece, Driver. Enduring challenging seasons, Preece has developed a deep sense of determination, driven by past disappointment to finally breakthrough as a race winner and playoff contender.
As the regular season enters its home stretch, the competition for playoff positioning has intensified. Going into the Mexico City event, Preece was tied for the last playoff spot with Kyle Busch. Despite winning a stage and managing a solid 15th-place finish as Busch crashed out early, a surprise victory by Shane van Gisbergen, a road course specialist, shifted the playoff cutline, resulting in Preece dropping 19 points outside the cut.
This setback has not diminished his fight.
“I thrive off pressure. I enjoy it,”
said Preece.
“There’s people that when it comes time for the Championship 4 or whatever — I haven’t been in that situation in the Cup Series, so I can’t speak on that. But what I can speak on is life-changing moments that I’ve had, and in those moments I’ve succeeded. And that’s because when someone’s back is against the wall, I’m not somebody that’s gonna curl up in a corner and just take what I get. I’m gonna fight.”
With consistently smart and aggressive driving, he outlined his approach to the final races.
“For me it’s approaching every weekend like it’s my last and trying to win. And not doing something stupid — I feel like I’m always pretty smart about the decisions that I make behind the wheel. I definitely have a checklist of things that we’re continuing to work on, I’m continuing to work on. When we nail it all down, I’m ready to go to war.”
—Ryan Preece, Driver
Competing on the Track and in the Team
The playoff fight is not just between Preece and the rest of the field. His own RFK Racing teammate, Chris Buescher, is also pursuing a must-win mentality to secure his spot, even with a strong points position. Preece echoed this mindset, emphasizing the balance between risk and reward:
“If you’re in our situation or anybody below us, I think you’re at that point where you need to think about winning,”
he said.
“Now, you can’t do it at the sacrifice of ‘Am I gonna take this risk and finish third, but at the same time I have the potential to finish 30th?’ Because you kind of have gotta do both. You need to put yourself in position to have great days, but take the opportunities to win the race when you can.”
Preece went further in highlighting how a single victory can transform a season:
“Because you’ve seen it, there’s some people that run 28th and then Daytona or a road course, if things go your way, you don’t even think about the other 17 or however many races that you may have not ran very well, but had one win and it changes your entire season or outlook on that season. Our goal is to win and win multiple times.”
—Ryan Preece, Driver
The dynamic between Preece and Buescher underscores the competitiveness at RFK Racing and the urgency permeating both drivers as the playoffs approach. Their efforts, whether during green flag pit stops or on-track battles, reflect a collective desire to bring RFK Racing into championship contention for the first time in several seasons.
Brand Partnerships, Fan Engagement, and a New Era for RFK Racing
Off the track, marketing opportunities have grown for Preece and his team. Last weekend in Mexico City, the Colgate brand was featured prominently on Preece’s Ford during a major national advertising campaign, developed through RFK Racing’s partnership with Kroger and BAM Marketing, led by Tad Geschickter. In a NASCAR landscape increasingly dominated by business-to-business sponsors, this collaboration with consumer-facing giants like Colgate marks both a professional and personal milestone for Preece.
“I brush my teeth every day, I use mouthwash every day,”
remarked Preece.
“And obviously having a partner like Colgate, being able to do some of the commercials we do along with the other brands that Kroger and (BAM Marketing and Tad Geschickter) bring to the table, it’s a lot of fun for us. Because we not only are easily able to promote those things outside of just driving the race car, we’re also able to relate and push all the different ones that we use every day, and get our race fans that are loyal to us to go buy them too.”
—Ryan Preece, Driver
This consumer branding connection hints at a throwback to an earlier era of NASCAR, where fan affinity often paralleled the products carried on drivers’ cars. The visible presence of Colgate at the racetrack and in broadcast ads adds an extra layer of public visibility to Preece’s playoff pursuit.
Outlook: The Weeks Ahead for Preece, RFK Racing, and the NASCAR Playoffs
For Ryan Preece, the next few races loom large, both for personal milestones and for RFK Racing’s ambitions. With every pit strategy call, on-track skirmish, and sponsor event, the stakes heighten as the Cup Series edges closer to its postseason cut-off. At Pocono, Daytona, and beyond, Preece will have more opportunities to capitalize on the speed, teamwork, and leadership that have defined his breakout year with RFK Racing.
While the battle for a first Cup win continues, Preece has shown he can contend at the front and thrive under pressure. The mentorship of Brad Keselowski, the boost from consumer brands, and his own determination position him as one of the sport’s rising stories. Whether chasing a win at a superspeedway or strategizing through chaotic pit stops, Preece’s campaign is an evolving showcase of how persistence and the right environment can transform a career and a team‘s trajectory within NASCAR’s premier series.
