Preston Pardus Bio
Preston Joseph Pardus (born February 15, 1997) is an American professional racing driver who has built a versatile career across road-racing and stock-car disciplines. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro SS for his family-owned Pardus Racing Inc. team. Pardus is also a multi-time champion in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), with several Spec Miata national titles to his name. Beyond his driving, Pardus comes from a long racing lineage as the son of former NASCAR competitor Dan Pardus.
Early Life and Background
Preston Pardus was born on February 15, 1997, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, a community with deep roots in American motorsports. Growing up in Central Florida placed him near iconic racing venues, including Daytona International Speedway, and helped nurture an early interest in competition. He is the son of Dan Pardus, a former NASCAR driver who competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and the ARCA Re/Max Series, giving Preston direct exposure to the sport from a young age.
Pardus graduated from Spruce Creek High School in 2015, a school well known in motorsports circles for producing talented young racers. He balanced his education with grassroots racing in the SCCA, where he honed his skills behind the wheel of Spec Miatas. These early experiences in club racing gave him a strong technical foundation and a feel for road-course racing that would later define his professional trajectory.
Path to NASCAR
Pardus made his name in the SCCA, capturing the Spec Miata class at the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs with a dramatic last-lap pass. His performance caught the attention of Mazda Motorsports, which selected him as a finalist for the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout later that year, a program designed to identify promising young road-racing talents. In 2019, he opened the SCCA Super Tour with a win at Sebring International Raceway and went on to claim the SCCA Majors Southeast Conference Championship, beating a field of more than 150 entrants.
That same year, Pardus transitioned to NASCAR, making his Xfinity Series debut in the 2019 CTECH Manufacturing 180 at Road America. The start came with his family team, Pardus Racing Inc., although the operation borrowed an older Chip Ganassi Racing chassis, ran an Earnhardt Childress Engines powerplant, and was led at the track by crew chief Tony Furr. The move to stock cars marked a major step in his development and gave him a platform to compete against top-tier national talent.
Preston Pardus Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Pardus began establishing himself as a rising road-racing talent in 2017, when he won the Spec Miata class at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. That breakthrough earned him recognition from Mazda Motorsports and placed him on a development track toward higher-profile motorsports opportunities. He continued to build his résumé through the SCCA Majors and Super Tour programs, demonstrating consistency and race craft across a demanding schedule.
In 2019, Pardus balanced SCCA competition with his first NASCAR national-series start at Road America. Although he was new to stock cars, the experience offered valuable seat time on one of NASCAR’s most technical road courses. The year concluded with the SCCA Majors Southeast Conference Championship, a title that underlined his standing as one of the top club racers in the country.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2020–2022)
Pardus returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in July 2020 for the Pennzoil 150 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, this time driving for DGM Racing. Starting nineteenth, he brought the car home in tenth, earning his first top-ten finish in NASCAR and signaling his arrival on the national stage. Later that year, he captured his second SCCA National Championship Runoffs title in Spec Miata, avoiding an early-race incident and taking the lead on the final lap to secure the Super Sweep award for the 2020 Spec Miata division.
In 2021, Pardus continued his partnership with DGM Racing, focusing once again on the Xfinity Series road-course events. After early setbacks related to owner points, he posted a strong seventh-place finish at the Charlotte Roval, his best result of the season. The campaign helped him build relationships within the NASCAR garage and sharpened his stock-car race craft.
Pardus Racing Era (2023–Present)
Pardus returned to driving for his own family team in 2023, re-launching Pardus Racing with the No. 50, a number famously used by his father Dan in the 1999 NASCAR Cup Series. The team’s first Xfinity Series race of the season was at Circuit of the Americas, followed by additional entries at the Chicago Street Course and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He also made selected starts with SS-Green Light Racing during the year, broadening his experience with multiple organizations.
Operating as a small, family-owned team backed by family business Danus Utilities, Inc., Pardus has continued to develop his program while balancing full-time work off the track. The team’s grassroots setup has not stopped Pardus from chasing competitive finishes on some of the most demanding circuits on the Xfinity calendar.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pardus is best known for his road-course expertise, an area of the NASCAR schedule that demands precise car control and tire management. His background in Spec Miata competition has given him a strong feel for mechanical sympathy and consistent lap times over long runs. Working alongside experienced crew chiefs, he has steadily translated his club-racing pace into respectable stock-car results.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among his career highlights, the 2020 Pennzoil 150 at Indianapolis stands out as his first NASCAR top-ten finish, while the Charlotte Roval produced a career-best seventh-place run in 2021. His 2017 and 2020 SCCA National Championship Runoffs victories, sealed with last-lap passes, remain defining moments of his career. Each of these performances has reinforced his reputation as a determined and adaptable racer.
Preston Pardus Career Wins
Pardus has built an impressive résumé of victories in SCCA club racing, including four Spec Miata class wins at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2023. In 2020, he added the SCCA Super Sweep award in the Spec Miata division, a distinction given to a driver who wins the Runoffs, a major conference championship, and the national points standings in the same season. While he has yet to record a victory at the NASCAR national-series level, his top-ten finishes demonstrate his growing competitiveness.
SCCA National Championship Highlights
Pardus’ first SCCA National Championship Runoffs victory came in 2017, a thrilling last-lap pass that announced his potential on a national stage. He doubled up in 2020, again winning on the final lap to claim his second Runoffs crown and complete the Super Sweep. He followed that with additional Runoffs titles in 2021 and 2023, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished Spec Miata drivers of his generation.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Runoffs, Pardus captured the 2019 SCCA Majors Southeast Conference Championship and opened the 2019 Super Tour with a win at Sebring International Raceway. He has also been a finalist for the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout, a respected talent identification program for aspiring Mazda-backed racers.
Preston Pardus Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Preston Pardus comes from a family with deep roots in American motorsports. His father, Dan Pardus, is a former NASCAR competitor who raced in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and the ARCA Re/Max Series. Dan famously carried the No. 50 in the Cup Series in 1999, the same number Preston would later use when re-launching Pardus Racing in the Xfinity Series.
Personal Life
The Pardus family owns Danus Utilities, Inc., an underground utility company in Florida, where Preston works when he is not at the track. Danus Utilities has also served as a sponsor of his race cars, helping to fund the family team’s NASCAR efforts. Pardus graduated from Spruce Creek High School in 2015 and continues to be based in his home state of Florida.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign marked another part-time effort for Preston Pardus, who continued to balance his racing program with his work at family-owned Danus Utilities, Inc. Driving the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Pardus Racing Inc., he focused on road-course and select oval events where his skill set has traditionally shone. The team has emphasized steady progression, building infrastructure and learning from each start.
Pardus entered the season aiming to translate his road-course strengths into stronger overall finishes, while continuing to develop the family team’s competitiveness. Although a 67th-place season standings position reflects the limited schedule typical of a small, independent operation, his experience at circuits like Road America, the Indianapolis road course, and the Charlotte Roval has provided valuable data for future campaigns.
Looking ahead, Pardus and Pardus Racing remain focused on incremental improvement, deeper partnerships with sponsors, and a long-term vision of growing the team into a more consistent Xfinity Series presence. With a strong SCCA pedigree and a clear development path, he continues to be a respected part-time entrant on the NASCAR road-racing circuit.
