For a driver running a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule, the opportunity to run for $100,000 is an opportunity that can’t be overstated.
That’s certainly the case for Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ryan Preece, who has already made the most of the two races he has run in the series this year. The modified ace finished fifth last Saturday at Texas Motor to earn eligibility for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus at stake in Saturday’s Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Preece will vie with three other eligible drivers—Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and Daniel Hemric—for the cash prize, which will go to the highest finisher among the four.
“To be honest with you, I’m used to running from anywhere to $2,000 races to $10,000 races, so to come here and to have a chance to win $100,000 is a big deal to me,” Preece said. “All of us do say it doesn’t matter if it’s at a go-kart track for a piece of plastic or for $100,000, we’re going to race each other hard – pretty hard.
“I would say that’s true, but at the same time, $100,000—I know what it’d do for me, and I’m going to race very hard to get that… Like I said last week, it would help me build more race cars, so that’s a big deal.”
It’s also a big deal for charity. Through its Internet Essentials program, Comcast will donate an additional $10,000 in conjunction with each of the four Dash 4 Cash races. The designated local charity for the Bristol race is the Quest Foundation for Washington County Schools.
Preece was third on the speed chart during opening NASCAR Xfinity Series practice—and fastest of the four Dash 4 Cash drivers.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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