A horrifying crash on lap 155 Saturday night at Daytona saw Ryan Preece, who was running 15th at the time, barrel roll down the backstretch. Coming out of Turn 2, Preece in the outside lane and was shoved by Erik Jones. Preece’s Ford was turned down clipping his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Chase Briscoe who started from pole and led a race high 67 laps to that point.
Both cars slid down into the infield grass and the Ford of Preece seemed to catch the edge of some pavement and was sent flipping and barrel rolling more than 10 times. Preece climbed out of the car under his own power and medics placed him on a stretcher.
Shortly after the race ended Preece was taken to a local hospital for precautionary checks. Briscoe’s car sustained too much damage and he was forced out of the race. NASCAR said later Preece was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
Ryan later posted to his social media account:
If you want to be a race car driver, you better be tough.
Dammit. Fast @racechoice @FordPerformance Mustang. I’m coming back.
— Ryan Preece (@RyanPreece_) August 27, 2023
In the early-morning hours of Sunday, Stewart-Haas Racing provided an update on Preece’s condition:
“NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece will remain overnight at Halifax Health Medical Center for continued observation,” the team said in a statement. “The driver of the No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing is awake, alert and mobile and has been communicating with family and friends. Preece will undergo another evaluation by medical personnel later this morning. An update will be provided in the afternoon.”
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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