Ryan Preece

Preece makes a full-time return to NASCAR's top division this season, after a 2022 campaign of part-time action which saw him race across all three upper divisions of NASCAR in some part. He's been promoted to drive Stewart Haas Racing's No. 41 Ford in replacement of the demoted Cole Custer. Preece made good, productive use of his time in the lower divisions capturing one win and nine Top-10 finishes in a half-schedule truck series effort and two more Top 10's in just three starts in the Xfinity Series. The results were likely what boosted Preece's stock and paved the way for him to rejoin the Cup Series. The 31-year-old driver's 115 Cup Series starts of experience will prove valuable for a No. 41 team that's coming off two down seasons of struggles under Custer's tenure.

This race team ran 14 events last season, but looks poised to run the full schedule in 2022. It was purely a driver rotation, but with some pretty experienced drivers in the mix. The conglomerate earned one win (Ryan Preece) and four Top-10 finishes in those 14 races. This season it appears that Preece will get seven starts in the No. 17 Ford, then a steady diet of youngster Gray from there on with eight or nine starts. The remaining races will be picked up by assorted veteran drivers. When you add it all up, it will likely be DGR's most competitive team and one with potential to challenge for some Top-5 and Top-10 finishes. Preece brings a lot to the table in terms of experience and skill, and Gray is still learning the ropes but obviously talented from his successful ARCA Series career.

The second full season of Cup Series racing saw Preece go sideways in terms of performance. The driver of the No. 37 Chevrolet posted two Top-10 finishes and saw his average finish grow from 23.1 to 24.3 over his 2019 campaign. It all added up to a 29th-place finish in the final driver standings, and somewhat of a disappointment over expectations. The 30-year-old driver has had tons of success in the lower divisions of racing, especially on dirt, but it has failed to translate to NASCAR's top division so far. Preece will return to this well-sponsored race team, and continue his pairing with crew chief Trent Owens. The short tracks seem to be in pretty good shape, but if Preece hopes to make any headway he has to improve his large and intermediate oval performance in 2021. A lot of things will have to come together if Preece is to improve and not stall once again.

Preece comes back for season two at JTG Daugherty Racing. This year he will pilot the team's No. 37 Chevrolet entry after the departure of Chris Buescher. Preece's rookie campaign held a modicum of success. He grabbed one Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes last year in the team's No. 47 Chevrolet. The larger ovals and superspeedways were really this driver and team's sweet spot and where Preece posted his best finishes. That should be the case again in 2020. He was slowed by 6 DNF's last season, and he'll need to lower that mark if he hopes to improve and climb the driver standings. Trent Owens will call the shots from atop Preece's war wagon. Owens guided Buescher to a 20th-place points finish last year, so there's good reason to hope Preece will improve under his guidance. There's good upside with this young driver and potential to climb higher in these rankings by season's end.

Preece takes over for the long-time veteran A.J. Allmendinger in the JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Chevrolet this season. The 28-year-old Rookie of the Year candidate has spent the last few seasons racing part-time in the Xfinity Series. He posted his best campaign yet in 2018 with one victory and 10 Top-10 finishes in just 15 starts for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 18 Toyota. Preece really carved out his reputation in his teens and early 20s racing well in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series. He grabbed 22 victories there and a championship in 2013 as well as four other occasions where he finished runner-up in the points. Preece has an appealing age and maturity that most teams are looking for in a driver, but he lacks the crucial experience racing in Cup cars that would make this transition easier. It's going to be an uphill and learning season for Preece in the No. 47 machine.

The No. 18 JGR Toyota team retains the top of the Xfinity Series rankings again this season. Even though Busch will have his slate reigned back to just seven starts. He should be good for three or four wins in those efforts. Youngster Preece will be in the driver's seat for at least 10 events. He nabbed one win and four Top-5 finishes in a very limited schedule for JGR last year. The remaining starts will be divided up by Gibbs' strong Cup driver lineup. The talent and team will again be the class of the Xfinity Series in 2018. It would not be surprising at all to see this team break into the six-or-seven-win range with about 25 or more Top-10 finishes. Despite the rotating driver lineup, this is about as good as it gets in this division of NASCAR.

Signed with JD Motorsports in February 2016 to race the full Xfinity Series season and contend for Rookie of the Year honors.