Ryan Preece left everyone holding their collective breath for a few moments Thursday night at Kansas Speedway.
On the first lap of a restart on lap 182 of the NASCAR Cup series race, Christopher Bell running just outside the top 15 got loose just out of turn 2 in front of Ryan Newman and both slid across the track.
The ensuing melee swept up Preece who was sent rocketing down into the inside wall; his Chevrolet hit nearly nose first into the inside SAFER barrier with such force that it went airborne before coming to rest on all four wheels. NASCAR immediately threw the read flag to stop the field on the frontstretch.
Despite fearing the worst, Preece quickly exited the car under his own power.
“To be honest with you, we had a fast race car right there at the end,” Preece said. “It’s frustrating for all of us at JTG Daugherty because we’ve been working really hard and probably had a top-10 car there at the end. I’m alright, just ready for this year to turn around. Thanks to Bush’s Beans, the No. 37 and JTG Daugherty – we’ll be back next week.”
Chris Buescher was also swept up and was out of the race joining Preece.
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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