Ryan Preece‘s NASCAR breakthrough in 2025 has been turning heads across the racing world, with the Connecticut driver making big gains in performance and consistency for RFK Racing. Preece’s journey, marked by persistence and hard work, now sees him in the spotlight as he aims for continued success in motorsport’s elite series.
Pushing Past Setbacks to Reach the Top
Ryan Preece’s path through NASCAR has never been a typical story. After entering the Cup Series in 2015, he endured years bouncing among different teams, facing setbacks and uncertainties about his place in the sport. Now, with a new opportunity in 2025, Preece’s determination is finally paying off and the difference is striking at tracks like Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he qualified the No. 41 for the Brickyard 400 and showed marked improvement during the season.
Reflecting on how far he has come, Preece expressed just how special his current situation feels:
“You know, as far as having a job, doing this, this isn’t real. This is a dream I get to live,”
Ryan Preece said earlier this year as he began his new chapter with RFK Racing. The 35-year-old’s sense of gratitude encapsulates the endurance required to finally break through at the Cup level.
Preece’s journey has demanded resilience, as he was forced at one point to step back in order to prove his continued value to NASCAR teams. While his earliest days were riddled with part-time rides and missed opportunities, 2025 has shifted the narrative. After the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing ended his previous stint, Preece landed with RFK Racing, teaming up with seasoned drivers like Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher. This new environment helped refocus his ambitions and propelled his results.
The Role of Team Atmosphere in Preece’s Turnaround
Preece’s notable progress this season can be traced to a unified team approach at RFK Racing. He described the mood shift by sharing,
“I feel like we had some pretty good moments early on in the season and certainly were really consistent,”
a statement that sums up the turnaround seen from his car. By notching notable results—third at Las Vegas, ninth at Homestead, and seventh at Martinsville—he demonstrated a visible step forward from previous campaigns.
Underpinning this momentum, Preece highlighted how every weekend brings new growth and adaptation, saying,
“Every week is a process and learning those things.”
The leadership of Brad Keselowski, together with a core group of dedicated teammates, has given Preece both practical and emotional support, helping him extract the most from each race week. The chemistry with crew chief Derrick Finley has been especially critical; Preece credited the partnership, stating,
“I started to find what I’m looking for and Derrick and the guys are doing a great job on giving it to me.”
The difference in his record is clear. In 2025, Preece captured three top-five finishes, tallied thirteen top-10s, earned a pole, and led 133 laps. These statistics represent a stark improvement from 2024, when he finished the season winless, managed only a single top-five, and led just two laps the entire year.
Discussing the perseverance behind his breakthrough, Preece admitted,
“I’ve been grinding at this for six years, right? And sometimes you got to keep fighting and swinging. I’m glad this opportunity with a great group of guys is finally here.”
This determination has been the foundation of his career revival.
Family Relief and the Rewards of Determination
Preece’s rise didn’t come on the back of a well-established NASCAR legacy; unlike contemporaries such as Chase Elliott or Dale Earnhardt Jr., he relied on humble family roots. Growing up in Connecticut, Preece watched his father manage a small plumbing and HVAC shop. The family went above and beyond to nurture Ryan’s racing dreams, even as it often meant sacrificing financial stability.
Recalling those sacrifices, Preece said,
“I saw the financial burden that it was… And as you know, racing’s expensive. So, I didn’t want my father or my family to go broke because we were racing,”
an honest acknowledgment of the pressures behind the scenes. These experiences shaped his relentless work ethic—whether fabricating ductwork or laboring on icy rooftops, Preece showed he would do whatever was necessary to keep his racing future alive.
With stability in his career finally secured, Preece’s optimism is unmistakable.
“I feel confident. We’re heading down a path, one that I’m excited about, and yeah, it’s all really good stuff,”
he explained, crediting his transformation to perseverance and the cohesive spirit of his team. The critical question now is whether he can maintain this momentum and solidify his place among NASCAR’s elite for seasons to come.
Preparing for Another Challenge: The 2025 Snowball Derby
While many NASCAR Cup Series drivers are counting down to the off-season and a well-earned break, Ryan Preece keeps his focus firmly on competition. Instead of resting, he’s returning to his racing roots with an ambitious entry in one of America’s foremost short track events—the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway, scheduled for December 4–7.
Preece, a former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, is putting the finishing touches on a new Super Late Model for the 58th running of the event. The build, according to him, stretched across nearly a year rather than the usual month.
“I actually just fired it up last week before Martinsville,”
he revealed.
“Usually, I’ll put a car together in three or four weeks, but between racing and family life, this one took from mid-December to October to get ready. Once the season ends, I’ll be in the shop finishing setup and getting ready to test.”
His desire to chase victories at every level remains undiminished. In just this year, Preece has appeared at tracks like Bowman Gray, Richmond, Thompson, and Stafford, even beating Greg Biffle to capture the Cleetus McFarland New England 900. Racing, he explains, isn’t just a job; it’s a passion.
“For some people, golf is their thing,”
Preece said.
“For me, it’s racing. Whether it’s a Modified or a Super Late Model, I just love doing it, working on the cars, building them, being around it all.”
Preece is no newcomer to the Snowball Derby, either. He has previously competed three times, narrowly missing the podium in 2023 with a fourth-place finish behind Chandler Smith. This year, however, brings added uncertainty.
“I’m not entirely sure how it’s going to go,”
Preece admitted.
“In the past, Chris Gabehart helped me, but this year I’m going with friends I trust. We’ll make the best calls we can and have fun doing it.”
The 58th Annual Snowball Derby begins Sunday, December 7, at 1 p.m. CT at Five Flags Speedway, as Preece embraces yet one more challenge before looking forward to next NASCAR season.
The Impact of Preece’s Revival for NASCAR’s Future
Ryan Preece’s 2025 season represents more than just personal redemption. His renewed performance with RFK Racing, the backing of skilled teammates like Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher, and the crucial bond with crew chief Derrick Finley demonstrate that resilience and teamwork can translate to results at the sport’s highest level. From his modest beginnings in Connecticut to outdueling prominent racers at tracks across America, Preece stands as an example for aspiring drivers facing hardships on and off the track.
As the current season comes to a close and the field turns its eyes toward the next, Ryan Preece’s NASCAR breakthrough shows the power of perseverance, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of progress. Fans and pundits alike will watch closely to see if the building momentum can translate into victories and perhaps a long-term place among NASCAR’s true contenders.
