“I f—— hate losing,” Ryan Preece declared after a frustrating 13th-place finish at Watkins Glen. His raw emotion reflected the pressure mounting as the NASCAR Cup Series regular season nears its end. With only two races left to secure a playoff spot, Preece’s performance at Richmond Raceway was nothing short of a statement.

On Friday night, Ryan delivered when it mattered most, clinching the Busch Light Pole Award for Saturday’s Cook Out 400. This marked his second career pole and first in two years. This achievement not only boosted his playoff aspirations but also revived RFK Racing’s momentum as they entered the final stretch.

Ryan Preece shows gratitude to crew chief amid pole position at Richmond

With the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs looming, Ryan Preece knew the importance of a strong performance at Richmond Raceway. RFK Racing’s driver soared to the Busch Light Pole Award ahead of Saturday’s race at the Virginia short track. Preece’s lap of 121.381 mph secured his second career series pole and his first since Martinsville Speedway 2023. This marks the first pole for RFK Racing since Texas in 2022 and the first for the No. 60 since Boris Said at Daytona in 2006. Reflecting on his achievement, Preece expressed gratitude, saying, “ What a great car.”

With two races remaining in the regular season, Ryan remains 34 points below the playoff cut line. A win would secure an automatic berth, making his pole position even more significant. Tyler Reddick, who can look into the 16 Driver playoff, failed on points with a strong result Saturday and qualified second. AJ Allmendinger will start third despite his No. 16 Chevrolet failing pre-race inspection twice, resulting in a loss of pit stall selection and the ejection of car chief Jaron Antley.

“Great adjustments by Derrick (Finley, crew chief) and everybody with this Kleenex Kroger Ford Mustang. I can’t thank RFK (Racing) enough for the opportunity and, boy, what a race. We might not have showed up in practice early on for the last lap, but it did in qualifying,” said Preece post-qualifying.

Sweeping the top three starting spots, Preece, Reddick, and Allmendinger were joined by six other winless drivers qualifying in the top 15. RFK teammate and co-owner Brad Keselowski qualified sixth, with Alex Bowman at ninth, Michael McDowell at 10th, Austin Dillon at 11th, followed by Chris Buescher and Carson Hocevar at 15th. It will be a tougher log to get to the front for Ty Gibbs, who starts 22nd, and Kyle Busch, who starts 28th.

Three-time cup champion Joey Logano, a two-time winner at Richmond, will start last in the 38-car field after being unable to turn a lap in qualifying. Logano hit the Turn 4 wall in practice because of a right front tire problem on his No. 22 Ford. Starting position is critical at Richmond, which tends to have long green stretches when it is easy to fall a lap down. Last August’s race had only three caution flags, which is tied for the fewest on a short track since the 2022 debut of the next-gen car.

More interestingly, Ryan Preece’s post-Watkins Glen race rant has finally paid off with his pole position as he earns an upper hand on his teammate, Chris Buescher.

Ryan Precee’s chances of a playoff seat look better than teammate Chris Buescher

As the NASCAR Cup Series playoff bubble looms, the internal tension at RFK Racing has reached a boiling point, particularly between Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece. Buescher currently holds the 16th and final transfer spot with Ryan breathing down his neck, just 23 points behind in the regular season. Their rivalry isn’t just rhetorical; it is a high-stakes battle for postseason survival, with every race potentially determining which Ford must sit it outcome playoff time.

At Watkins Glen, Chris Buescher gained a crucial edge, tallying 44 points to Preece’s 33, swinging the gap to 34 points. That question, while narrow, put Chris temporarily in control, but with Richmond ahead, the balance could easily shift as both drivers look to capitalize on short-track prowess and RFK’s improving performance. RFK Racing has found speed at the top of the short track, with Chris nabbing a third-place finish at the site in 2022 and winning at the venue in 2023.

Despite Chris’ 12th-place starting position, Ryan carries his own momentum into the weekend. Clinching the pole position speaks to his speed and track acumen. Coupled with RFK’s setup upgrades and the confidence from nailing a pole when it mattered most, Ryan enters the race with a tangible advantage. Clear track position, fresh morale, and belief that he can not only compete but leapfrog his teammate and punch his ticket to the playoffs.