Roush Fenway Keselowski driver Ryan Preece is 31 points behind 16th-place Shane van Gisbergen in the race for one of the final three spots in the Chase for the drivers’ championship.
In the Chase for the owners’ title, Preece’s No. 60 Ford is just six points behind van Gisbergen’s No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
The difference? A 25-point penalty Preece drew for a wreck that ended Ty Gibbs’ race at Texas Motor Speedway in May. A contributing factor was Preece’s vow on the team radio, “When I get to that 54, I’m done with him,” after Gibbs passed him with an aggressive move to the inside in Turn 1.
RFK Racing appealed the penalty but lost the appeal on a split 2-1 decision. That leaves Preece in an unusual situation. He could qualify for the owners’ Chase and miss out on the drivers’ championship.
His approach to Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, however, is simple.
“For me, when I come into this weekend, I just think about trying to win stages and win the race.” Preece said. “That, ultimately, no matter what situation it is, we would get our way into the playoffs, so, selfishly, I’d like to be in on the driver’s side, but I am fully aware, and I’ve been in the car owner points race before.
“Ultimately, I would love to get both in. I completely understand the situation and know that having a great day will get us in on the owner’s side, but the goal going into it before everything starts is to try and do both. There are a lot of unknowns right now, so just trying to be as prepared as possible.”
- Daytona is about to become NASCAR’s latest science experiment - August 28, 2026
- Ryan Preece faces NASCAR’s strangest Chase math problem - August 28, 2026
- Shane van Gisbergen was supposed to get swallowed by the ovals - August 28, 2026