Ryan Preece looked in complete control of his NASCAR Cup Series playoff destiny just two weeks ago. The RFK Racing driver sat 13 points above the postseason cutline. Now, with six races left in the regular season, he has slipped to 18th in the standings and finds himself 26 points behind. Despite the setback, Preece isn’t panicking. Instead, he relies on the mindset from the biggest financial gamble of his life.
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Ryan Preece says betting on himself years ago prepared him for moments like this
“When I think back to 2017, I risked a lot of money financially to bet on myself,” Preece said. “So I’m used to it, I’m numb to it. So moving forward, it’s just every week is an opportunity to go out and succeed. And I love when people bet against me. That’s what I live for. So I’m looking forward to the next few weeks.”
Ryan Preece has never been afraid of taking risks. Back in 2017, he made one of the boldest decisions of his career. Rather than continue chasing a full-time Xfinity Series season, Preece poured his own financial resources into a limited four-race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing. It was an all-or-nothing bet that could have ended his career.
The gamble paid off instantly. Preece finished second in his team debut at New Hampshire. A few weeks later, he broke through for his first NASCAR national series victory at Iowa Speedway. He followed that with a fourth-place finish at Kentucky and a fifth-place run at Homestead. The spectacular stretch turned an unsponsored short-track racer into a top garage prospect.
Those performances opened doors that eventually led him to a full-time NASCAR Cup Series opportunity. They also taught him how to handle intense pressure. Preece believes the NASCAR standings can change just as quickly as they did against him. The upcoming schedule heavily favors his driving style.
His first opportunity comes this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway, a short track where he expects RFK Racing to be competitive. After that come the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway. Now, these are two venues where Ryan Preece has recorded back-to-back top-five finishes in the last NASCAR season. Those results give him every reason to believe he can erase the current deficit before the regular season comes to an end.
Preece built his entire career by beating the odds. Betting on his own talent saved his future a decade ago. Now, with his championship hopes on the line, he expects to do it again.