“We Have Fast F**king Cars.” NASCAR Driver Refuses to Lose Hope as Playoff Frustration Boils Over

Ryan Preece’s night at Daytona International Speedway ended in disappointment, crossing the line in 14th after a strong run that saw him battling up front in the Coke Zero Sugar 400. This regular-season finale was his last shot at the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, where a win was essential for the RFK Racing driver sitting outside the cutline on points. Preece’s season has been marked by close calls without that elusive victory. But as the checkered flag fell, questions lingered about what went wrong in those final laps.

Entering Daytona, Preece knew the stakes; 591 points weren’t enough without a trip to Victory Lane, especially after an earlier disqualification at Talladega for a rear spoiler violation cost him valuable ground. He led segments of the race, positioning his No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse competitively amid the pack racing chaos. Yet, the 14th-place result sealed his fate. With the playoffs kicking off next at Darlington, Preece’s post-race emotions hinted at deeper frustrations brewing.

Ryan Preece’s raw post-race emotion

In a candid post-race interview captured by Matt Weaver, Ryan Preece didn’t hold back on the chaos that unfolded in the closing laps at Daytona. He described feeling confident about securing his first Cup Series win, only to see it slip away due to team dynamics beyond his control. “Man, I felt like we were going to win that race. You want to talk about having the best scenario play out for how we wanted you to. I was just leaving the 7 there, 17, doing a great job, just letting them stay there, and nothing you can do,” Preece said, referring to Justin Haley in the No. 7 and his teammate Chris Buescher in the No. 17, who were aligned with him initially.

Ryan Preece on a scenario that was both the best and worst case pic.twitter.com/Il1BGugO4r

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) August 24, 2025

This setup seemed ideal for the 34-year-old Connecticut native, who has been grinding since his Cup debut in 2015 without a victory, building on a career that includes strong runs in lower series like the Whelen Modified Tour, where he claimed a championship in 2013. The boiling point came when Hendrick Motorsports drivers prioritized their own, leaving Preece isolated. He explained the frustration stemmed from two Hendrick cars behind him focusing on protecting Alex Bowman, who risked being bumped from playoff contention if a non-winner like Preece triumphed.

“In that situation? No. I mean, I had 2 Hendrick cars behind me, and they’re worried about keeping their teammate in more than pushing me to a win or staying in line, right?” Preece noted, highlighting how he managed lanes perfectly but couldn’t counter the split that sent him tumbling back. This echoes his tough 2023 season, marred by a violent flip at the same track that sidelined him briefly, yet he bounced back with RFK in 2025, showing improved consistency, averaging a 16.5 finish despite the playoff miss.

Even amid the anger, Preece’s resolve shone through, emphasizing his team’s potential despite repeated near-misses. He pointed to this being the second time in 2025 they’ve been on the front row with two laps left without closing the deal, underscoring a need for better alliances on track. “Yeah, I mean, we have fast fu—-g cars, so it pisses me off, and this is the second time that we’ve been on the front row with two to go and didn’t win, so. We just gotta we need more friends behind you,” he vented, refusing to dwell solely on the loss. This mindset reflects his journey from part-time rides with teams like JTG Daugherty (now Hyak Motorsports) to a full-time gig at RFK, where speed has been evident, but execution in pack racing has faltered.

Preece’s comments also touched on strategic regrets, like wishing Buescher had been directly behind for a stronger push, but he stood by his choices. “If I had Chris right behind me, or yeah, if I could have gotten the same line, yeah, I think that would have been the best-case scenario,” he added, acknowledging the unpredictability of superspeedway racing, where teammate loyalty often trumps individual bids. With 10 races left in the non-playoff schedule, his hope rests on that raw speed to finally break through, turning frustration into fuel for future battles.

While Preece’s overall rant targeted team strategies, one specific move stood out as the tipping point. It set the stage for deeper scrutiny of how Kyle Larson’s actions played a pivotal role in derailing what could have been a breakthrough moment.

Larson’s late-race maneuver ignites Preece

Kyle Larson‘s bold decision in the final stages left Ryan Preece fuming, as it directly contributed to his slide from contention. Positioned behind Preece, Larson, along with Chase Elliott and William Byron, opted for a three-wide push that isolated the No. 60 Ford, allowing others to surge ahead in the pack. This came at a critical juncture when Preece was vying for the lead, needing the win to leapfrog into the playoffs from his 13th position in points.

Larson’s focus was on his own bid, finishing sixth while helping secure Hendrick’s interests, but it effectively ended Preece’s night in 14th as Ryan Blaney charged to victory by a mere 0.031 seconds over Daniel Suarez. Preece didn’t mince words on the impact: “If I had a Ford behind me, we would’ve f—–g won that race! I mean, I know why they did it,” calling it a scenario where rivals prioritized internal goals over fair racing.

Though he avoided direct barbs at Larson in some comments, the frustration was clear in how the move echoed broader issues with alliances at superspeedways. Larson, a three-time winner in 2025, later admitted to pushing hard for a win to aid Bowman, saying he was “Like I said, it’s stress. I’m racing my a– off trying to win for myself, but it’s also stressful knowing that you’re surrounded by guys who haven’t won yet, and if any of them win, he’s out of it. So, it’s just crazy at the end.” This left Preece reflecting on what might have been, especially after leading laps and aligning with Haley and Buescher earlier.

The incident underscores the cutthroat nature of cutoff races, where drivers like Larson, already playoff-bound, can influence outcomes for bubble contenders. For Preece, it compounded a season of highs, like his third at Las Vegas and second at Talladega before the DQ, but no ultimate payoff. As the series heads to Darlington for the playoff opener on August 31, Preece’s bid remains on hold, but his candidness highlights the human side of these high-stakes battles.