Pardus Racing Inc Bio
Pardus Racing Inc is a family-owned motorsports team based in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The organization is closely associated with driver Preston Joseph Pardus and fields part-time entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, racing Chevrolet Camaro SS cars with support from the Pardus family and sponsor Danus Utilities, Inc.
Early Life and Background
Pardus Racing Inc traces its roots to the Pardus family’s long involvement in American road racing and stock car competition. The team operates from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and is built around the racing career of Preston Pardus, who grew up in a family with established ties to competitive motorsports through his father, Dan Pardus.
The family ownership and local base have shaped the team’s approach, emphasizing hands-on preparation and road-course specialization. Danus Utilities, Inc., a family-owned underground utility company, provides primary sponsorship and logistical support for the team’s race efforts.
Path to MotorSports
Pardus Racing Inc developed alongside Preston Pardus’s progression through Sports Car Club of America competition into national-level stock car racing. The organization’s identity formed on the foundation of Spec Miata competition, where Preston achieved multiple national results that elevated the family team’s profile.
That SCCA experience opened opportunities into NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, initially with family-run entries and later via technical partnerships and occasional drives for established Xfinity teams. The team’s pathway has emphasized road-course programs and selective national starts rather than a full-season Cup or Xfinity commitment.
Pardus Racing Inc Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
The team’s first documented entry into the NASCAR Xfinity Series came in 2019 at Road America, when Preston Pardus made his Xfinity debut in equipment fielded by the family operation. That 2019 effort used a former Chip Ganassi Racing chassis, ran with an Earnhardt Childress Engines powerplant, and had Tony Furr serving as crew chief for the at-track effort.
Following the 2019 debut, Preston competed part-time in Xfinity and continued strong participation in SCCA competition. In 2020 Pardus drove for DGM Racing at select road-course events, producing his first top-ten Xfinity finish that season, and the family team remained active in preparing road-course machinery and supporting selective Xfinity entries.
SCCA Spec Miata Breakthrough (2017–2023)
Pardus Racing Inc’s foundations are closely tied to Preston Pardus’s success in Spec Miata. Preston won the Spec Miata class at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in 2017, and he later returned to claim additional Runoffs victories in 2020, 2021, and 2023. Those Runoffs successes established the Pardus name in national sports car competition and provided the competitive platform for the family team.
In 2020 Preston captured the SCCA Super Sweep in Spec Miata by winning the Runoffs, the point standings, and a major conference championship in the same season. The team also recorded regional success, including a season-opening Super Tour victory at Sebring International Raceway in 2019 and a Majors Southeast Conference championship that year, achievements that reinforced the organization’s road-course expertise.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2019–Present)
Pardus Racing Inc’s involvement in the NASCAR Xfinity Series has been primarily part-time and focused on road-course events. The team fielded entries under the family banner in 2019 and returned to running its own Xfinity car in 2023, adopting the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro SS, a number with family history in NASCAR competition.
When Preston and the family program have not run independently, he has driven for established Xfinity teams, including DGM Racing and SS-Green Light Racing, at select events. Across his Xfinity appearances, Preston recorded multiple top-ten finishes, with a best run of seventh place at the Charlotte Roval among his strongest stock car results to date.
Pardus Racing Inc Era (2023–Present)
The reestablished family program returned to the Xfinity Series in 2023 under the Pardus Racing Inc banner using the No. 50. The team combined family sponsorship from Danus Utilities, Inc. with Chevrolet equipment and focused on targeted road-course events where Preston’s SCCA experience offered a competitive advantage.
In 2023 the team entered events such as the Circuit of the Americas, the Chicago Street Course and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course while Preston also raced for other teams in parallel. The family-operated effort emphasizes measured participation and close on-site collaboration between driver, crew and family ownership rather than a full-season national schedule.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pardus Racing Inc’s competitive strengths reflect Preston Pardus’s road-course acumen developed in Spec Miata and regional SCCA competition. The program’s preparation and setup work are tailored for technical road courses, and the team leverages family continuity and direct involvement to optimize short-run program performance in part-time Xfinity entries.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key moments for Pardus Racing Inc include the team-backed Xfinity debut at the 2019 CTECH Manufacturing 180 at Road America and multiple SCCA National Championship Runoffs victories by Preston in 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2023. The family program’s 2019 regional championship and Sebring Super Tour victory are further highlights in its motorsports résumé.
Pardus Racing Inc Career Wins
Pardus Racing Inc’s most prominent competitive successes lie in the Sports Car Club of America Spec Miata class through Preston Pardus’s Runoffs victories and regional championships. On the NASCAR side, the team’s part-time Xfinity efforts have produced several top-ten finishes but no series wins to date.
SCCA Spec Miata Highlights
Preston Pardus secured Spec Miata class victories at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2023 while competing in Pardus-backed equipment. The team also claimed the 2020 Super Sweep in Spec Miata, an award given to a driver who wins the Runoffs, the national point standings and a major conference championship within a single season.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Regionally, Pardus Racing Inc-supported entries achieved notable success on the SCCA Super Tour and within the Majors Southeast Conference, including a season-opening win at Sebring in 2019 and a conference championship that same year. Those results underscored the team’s depth of experience on technical road courses and in concentrated regional series competition.
Pardus Racing Inc Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Pardus Racing Inc is owned and operated by the Pardus family, with racing lineage that includes Dan Pardus, who formerly competed in NASCAR-sanctioned series. The family structure provides sponsorship, technical support and operational leadership for the team’s selective national and regional programs.
Personal Life
The organization’s sponsorship is closely tied to the family business, Danus Utilities, Inc., which has sponsored cars fielded by the Pardus operation. The team maintains a presence on social platforms and operates an official website to coordinate racing programs and public communications from its New Smyrna Beach base.