Preece Nearly Claims First Cup Series Win at Talladega
Talladega, AL — Ryan Preece narrowly missed his first NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday, finishing just 0.022 seconds behind Austin Cindric at Talladega Superspeedway. This result marks Preece’s career-best performance in the Cup Series and his second top-five finish in the last six races with RFK Racing.
In the closing laps, Preece and Cindric maintained a two-by-two formation after the final pit stops with fewer than 20 laps remaining. The pair dominated the field while the other competitors jostled for position. On the final lap, Preece held a slight edge in the outside lane, but Cindric utilized a crucial draft from lap cars Kyle Busch and Josh Berry to reclaim the lead.
Reflecting on the race, Preece stated, “I wish I didn’t have to shade up so much and maybe side-draft Austin to pull him back. But ultimately, thank you to RFK, BAM, Kroger, Celsius… because without this opportunity, I’d probably be back in Connecticut racing modifieds.”
Preece led for six laps and expressed pride in his team’s execution throughout the race. “We did all we could. I felt like we executed Stage 3 exactly like we needed to,” he noted. He acknowledged the challenges faced at superspeedways, recalling past incidents but highlighting his recent improved performance, having finished three of the last six events at Daytona and Talladega.
As Preece looks forward to the remainder of the season, he conveyed his eagerness for continued success, driven by support from his team and sponsors.
