North Wilkesboro Speedway pulsed with intensity during the NASCAR All-Star Open, a 100-lap crucible of dreams and heartbreak. For Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 60 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing, this was more than a race—it was personal. He’d set up a prime viewing spot for his wife, Stacey, and daughter, Rebecca, to watch him chase a spot in the All-Star Race, a $1 million clash of NASCAR’s best. But a brutal choose cone violation turned hope into fury, sparking a viral outburst and a dramatic act that defined the night.

Preece was all in. His No. 60 Mustang was a rocket, arguably the fastest car on track. Shane van Gisbergen owned the first 50 laps, and Carson Hocevar surged after a two-tire stop at halfway. Preece, opting for four tires, played the long game. It paid off—he found lines others couldn’t, running clean track and climbing to P2. With only the top two finishers and fan vote winner advancing, he was in prime position. Hocevar, leading, was set to give Preece the inside lane on a late restart. Then, disaster. NASCAR flagged Preece for crossing the choose cone—a painted V on the track to determine which lane will be taken on a restart—too early. The penalty was ruthless: sent to the rear, his All-Star hopes shattered.

Ryan Preece struggles to come to terms with his predicament

Preece’s reaction was electric. Climbing from his car, he marched to the infield, grabbed a traffic cone, and planted it on the inside wall—a defiant jab at the invisible painted V. Track crews were soon spotted repainting the ‘choose cone,’ a direct response to the chaos. After the race, he let out his emotions in a conversation with Frontstretch on FOX.

Here’s the full exchange: “I think it’s a cone that’s nonexistent. So, if you’re gonna, I don’t know…can’t even see it right now,” Preece said, “A rule is a rule, I understand that, but I mean, at the end of the day, I made a mistake. So, just frustrated with the outcome or the decision.” Preece’s frustration was palpable. So much so that he couldn’t even answer the next question without getting his mind off the incident. Preece continued, “Ultimately, we had a fast… Ford Mustang. Sorry, I’m just really, really f—– pissed. So, I mean that, at least we coulda, a rule’s a rule, but…I don’t know.” The track itself was a culprit. The NASCAR Whelen Modified race earlier laid down heavy rubber, obscuring the choose cone.

He wasn’t alone in struggling to see it, but he paid the price. Finishing P11 after charging from the back—outpacing drivers like Todd Gilliland, Shane van Gisbergen, and Ty Gibbs—showed his car’s speed, but it was no consolation. On his four-tire strategy, Ryan Preece was candid: “They really weren’t [helping]. I just went where they wouldn’t and found cleaner track. So, ultimately, right sides were still a good choice. Just wish it didn’t work out that way.” For Preece, it was a day filled with frustration and heartbreak, but for a driver that Preece claimed “has no respect for his equipment” at Texas, it was a perfect day. Yes, we’re talking about NASCAR’s latest villain, Carson Hocevar!

Carson Hocevar won the Open, earning his All-Star berth with John Hunter Nemechek, who took second, and fan vote winner Noah Gragson. “It’s super big for this team,” Hocevar said. “It’s great to win, especially being challenged by tires there. I had my hands full. We definitely have to go to work here on our race car because I didn’t really like it. But it’s a good sign that we didn’t like it, and we were still pretty quick there.”

While Carson Hocevar rejoiced at his shot at a million dollars, Ryan Preece is focused on bigger things. This season, Preece has been a revelation, sitting in the playoff picture with a career-best campaign. The No. 60 team is close to clicking. But his rage was universal—months of grind, family in the stands, all for a shot stolen by rubber and rules. His cone-planting moment wasn’t just a meme—it was every underdog’s roar against a bad break, and it’ll echo long after the track’s repainted.

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Preece is making headway

Ryan Preece got a fighting chance in the 2025 season. A shocking penalty to Chris Buescher’s No. 17 team for unapproved car modifications—specifically, tampering with the underwing, rocked the standings, propelling Preece past Buescher. He now stands at 15 with 251 stage points and 1 playoff point. Buescher’s team was hit with a 75-point deduction, docking both driver and owner standings, plus a $75,000 fine and a two-race crew chief suspension. For Preece, it’s a rare stroke of luck in a career marked by persistence. His recent performances—like that Las Vegas top-5—now carry extra weight, pushing him into playoff contention.

The timing couldn’t be more critical for Preece, who’s been grappling with a gut-punch of uncertainty since Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) closed after last season’s end. “I feel like Josh (Berry) and I, we’ve gone through our careers not really knowing what’s going to happen at the end of the year,” said Preece. Preece confessed, the weight of doubt clear in his words. The shutdown of SHR, his home since 2023, left him and teammate Josh Berry staring down a terrifying void. Landing the No. 6 Ford with Keselowski’s RFK Racing was a lifeline, and he’s making the most of it.

He’s 34, a Connecticut native who’s clawed his way through short tracks and modifieds to NASCAR’s elite. Seeing him overcome SHR’s collapse and now this standings surge looks like things are finally going his way. Every lap he runs is a chance to prove he’s not done yet, to secure a seat for next year. With the playoffs looming, Ryan Preece isn’t just racing for points—he’s racing for his future.