Every once in a while, a NASCAR driver is asked about their plans for their professional life if their racing career fails. The racing industry is brutal for those without direct family connections or strong financial support. For many drivers, their entire career trajectory hinges on one gamble. Fortunately for Ryan Preece, the gamble he took back in 2017 worked out in his favor.

But when asked what if that plan didn’t work out, as it turns out, Preece had a backup plan, but that came with baggage. While speaking to the media ahead of the Iowa race, he mentioned that he would have incurred a loss of $80,000. He’d probably switch to an HVAC business while continuing to race modifieds.

After a mediocre 2016 season, Ryan Preece wanted to bet on his talent and compete for a win in the O’Reilly Series. Come 2017, he contacted Joe Gibbs Racing’s top executive, Steve deSouza. He didn’t answer his call, but Preece left a voice note, and fortunately, he got a call back from JGR.

On his debut with JGR at New Hampshire, he finished second. And in the very next race at Iowa Speedway, he bagged his first career O’Reilly Series win. Nobody knew him back then, but he always wanted to be remembered as a winner. “I’m not a racer to just be out there. I’m a racer to be right here. To get those trophies, and be accomplished. And be remembered in this sport.”

Driving the No. 20 JGR Toyota for four races in 2017, Preece didn’t finish a single race outside of the Top 5. JGR backed him, and they ran 15 races in 2018. Once again, the driver would go on to win the race at Bristol. Preece’s performance wouldn’t go unnoticed, as he got promoted to the Cup Series to drive the No. 47 JTG Daugherty (now Hyak Motorsports) car in 2019.

His Cup Series journey has landed him at RFK Racing. And while he’s made a positive impact driving the No. 60 Ford, he has a big challenge to qualify for the Chase.

Preece has 4 races to keep his Chase hopes alive

The RFK Racing driver currently sits 17th in the points standings, just outside the Chase bubble. Thirty-eight points separate him from 16th-placed Austin Cindric. With four races left in the regular season, nothing but consistent top finishes or perhaps a win would keep his Chase hopes alive.

With back-to-back top-10s at North Wilkesboro and the Brickyard, there is positive momentum behind the No. 60 team. “We had some strong showings on the road courses out west, and we had a lot of things go our way the last couple weeks. I feel like our group is looking forward to these next [four] weeks and putting it all together,” Preece said ahead of the Iowa race.

The last time the Cup Series raced in Iowa, Preece ended up with a top-5 finish. And that is the kind of result he will be expecting this weekend. Although, at this stage of the season, the No. 60 team cannot afford mistakes or penalties. Also, a DNF would practically drop them out of Chase contention. So, execution is going to be key for Ryan Preece and his team over the remaining four races.