Ryan Preece Bio
Ryan Jeffrey Preece, born on October 25, 1990, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing. Over the course of his career, Preece has built a reputation as a versatile short-track racer who has progressed from regional Modified events to the top level of stock car racing in the United States.
A veteran of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Preece captured the series championship in 2013 after finishing as the runner-up in both 2009 and 2012. He has also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and the ARCA Menards Series West, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished Modified racers to transition to the national NASCAR ranks.
Early Life and Background
Ryan Jeffrey Preece was born on October 25, 1990, in Berlin, Connecticut, to parents Jeff and Jodie Preece. He is the youngest of three sons and grew up in a household with strong ties to the Northeastern short-track racing scene. Preece graduated from Xavier High School in 2009, balancing his education with a rapidly developing racing career.
From a young age, Preece was exposed to the world of short-track racing through his family and the vibrant Modified community in New England. He began his racing journey in 2007, competing in the Northeastern Midget Association with the Bertrand team, where he finished 32nd in the championship standings. A year later, he earned his first career podium with a third-place finish at Monadnock, signaling the arrival of a promising young talent.
Path to NASCAR
Preece’s path to NASCAR ran through the storied Modified ranks of the Northeast. In 2011, he won the SK Modified Series championship at Stafford Motor Speedway, a key early achievement that helped establish his credentials. That same year, he scored his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory, dominating the Made In America Whelen 300 at Martinsville.
He continued to refine his craft in the Whelen Modified Tour, finishing as the runner-up in 2009 and 2012 before claiming the series championship in 2013 with four wins in fourteen races for Flamingo Motorsports. These results opened the door to opportunities in NASCAR’s national touring series, beginning with his Xfinity Series debut in 2013 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing.
Ryan Preece Career
Early Career (2007–2013)
Preece’s early career was defined by success in the Modified and Midget ranks of the Northeastern United States. After his initial Northeastern Midget Association campaign in 2007, he moved into the SK Modified Series at Stafford Motor Speedway, where he won the 2011 championship. During that same season, his future wife, Heather DesRochers, was named the SK Modified Series Rookie of the Year.
His breakthrough on a larger stage came in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, where he earned his first victory at Martinsville in 2011. Preece then finished as the series runner-up in 2009 and 2012 before capturing the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour championship with four wins. These early results cemented his status as one of the top Modified drivers in the country and prepared him for the transition to NASCAR’s national series.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Breakthrough (2013–2019)
Preece made his Xfinity Series debut in 2013 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, finishing 24th for Tommy Baldwin Racing. He returned for additional starts in 2014 and 2015 before joining JD Motorsports for a full-time Xfinity Series campaign in 2016, driving the No. 01 Chevrolet. He came close to qualifying for the inaugural Xfinity playoffs that season.
His first Xfinity Series victory came in 2017 at Iowa Speedway, driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Preece held off teammate Kyle Benjamin on a late restart to take the checkered flag. Later that year, he added a second win at Bristol Motor Speedway, collecting the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus. In 2019, Preece joined JR Motorsports for a part-time Xfinity schedule, recording four top-ten finishes with a best result of fourth at Pocono.
Cup Series Debut and JTG Daugherty Era (2015–2021)
Preece made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2015 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, driving the No. 98 Chevrolet for Premium Motorsports in partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing. On September 28, 2018, he was announced as the full-time driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet for JTG Daugherty Racing beginning in 2019, replacing A. J. Allmendinger.
He moved to the No. 37 car in 2020 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took over the No. 47, and he continued in the No. 37 through 2021. Highlights during this period included a third-place finish at Talladega in 2019, his career-best Cup result at the time, and a pole position via field inversion at the 2020 Toyota 500 at Darlington. The No. 37 was shut down after the 2021 season, leaving Preece without a full-time Cup ride.
Stewart–Haas Racing Era (2022–2024)
On January 6, 2022, Stewart–Haas Racing hired Preece as a reserve and simulator driver, while also fielding him in select Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series events. He won his first career NASCAR Truck Series pole and race that year at Nashville Superspeedway, becoming the fifth driver in series history to win in his first career start.
On November 16, 2022, SHR announced that Preece would replace Cole Custer in the No. 41 Ford starting in 2023, with Chad Johnston as his crew chief. The 2023 season included his first career Cup pole at Martinsville and a frightening airborne crash at Daytona, where his car barrel-rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its wheels. Preece escaped under his own power and returned the following week. In 2024, Stewart–Haas Racing announced it would shut down its NASCAR operations at the end of the season.
RFK Racing Era (2025–Present)
On November 19, 2024, RFK Racing announced that Preece would drive the No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse full-time beginning in 2025, with Derrick Finley serving as his crew chief. His 2025 season was highlighted by a third-place finish at Las Vegas, tying his career-best Cup result, and a second-place run at Talladega that was later overturned after post-race inspection.
Preece opened the 2026 season with a victory in the Cook Out Clash, one of NASCAR’s premier non-points events. He finished the 2025 Cup Series campaign ranked 18th in the final standings, recording 32 career top-ten finishes and two pole positions at the Cup level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Preece is widely regarded as a strong short-track and intermediate-track racer with a deep background in Modified competition. His aggressive style and ability to manage tire wear have made him competitive on a variety of track types, while his partnership with crew chief Derrick Finley at RFK Racing has provided additional strategic stability.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Preece’s signature moments are his 2013 Whelen Modified Tour championship, his first Xfinity Series win at Iowa in 2017, and his first career Truck Series victory at Nashville in 2021. He has also recorded a Cook Out Clash win in 2026 and back-to-back top-five Cup finishes at Talladega in 2019 and 2025.
Ryan Preece Career Wins
Ryan Preece has compiled victories across the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series West. He is a former Whelen Modified Tour champion and has added two Xfinity Series wins, two Truck Series wins, and one ARCA Menards Series West victory during his national-series career.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights
Preece has two career Xfinity Series wins, scored in 2017 at Iowa Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. His first win at Iowa came in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, while his Bristol victory also included the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus. He has accumulated 21 top-ten finishes and one pole position across his part-time and full-time Xfinity campaigns.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Preece won both of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Nashville Superspeedway, with his first victory coming in 2021 and his second in 2022. He also earned his first career Truck Series pole at Nashville in 2022, leading 74 of 150 laps and winning Stage 2 en route to the checkered flag.
Other Wins and Performances
In the ARCA Menards Series West, Preece scored one win at Sonoma Raceway in 2023, paired with a pole position and a top-ten finish. He is also a three-time World Series of Asphalt Tour-Type Modified Champion (2015, 2016, 2017) and has won prestigious Modified events including the Spring Sizzler, the Islip 300, the Turkey Derby, and the North-South Shootout.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 2 | 21 | 1 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 2 | 11 | 1 |
| ARCA Menards Series West | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Ryan Preece Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Preece was raised in Berlin, Connecticut, by his parents, Jeff and Jodie Preece, and is the youngest of three sons. His family has deep roots in the Northeastern short-track racing community, which helped shape his early introduction to competitive racing.
Personal Life
Preece married his longtime girlfriend, Heather DesRochers, in 2017. DesRochers is also a racing driver and was a participant in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity combine in 2009 and 2010. The couple met at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2009 and competed against each other in the SK Modified Series in 2011, when Preece won the championship and DesRochers was named Rookie of the Year. Together, they have two children: daughter Rebecca Marie, born in 2023, and son Bentley, born in 2025.
2025 Season Performance
Ryan Preece’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season marked his first full-time campaign with RFK Racing, driving the No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse alongside crew chief Derrick Finley. After an early airborne incident at the Daytona 500 in which he escaped uninjured, Preece posted a third-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, tying his career-best Cup result from Talladega in 2019.
He added another strong run at Talladega, finishing second to Austin Cindric by 0.022 seconds before being disqualified in post-race inspection for a spoiler violation. Despite the setback, Preece’s consistency throughout the year helped him finish 18th in the final Cup Series standings, establishing a solid foundation for the RFK Racing program heading into 2026.
Looking ahead, Preece opened 2026 with a victory in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, providing early momentum for the new season. With continued support from RFK Racing and Finley, Preece is positioned to build on his growing list of top-ten finishes and pursue his first career Cup Series victory.
