When you think about Ryan Preece’s rise back into NASCAR relevance, one name stands out as the catalyst: Carl Edwards. Preece admits he had moved back home and had no intention of trying to come back. But Edward’s sudden retirement triggered a chain reaction that opened the door, one seat vacated, setting off a domino effect that changed Preece’s Xfinity Series.

That decision, to act when the opportunity rose, led Preece from the sidelines to the spotlight. As he recalled, reaching out to Joe Gibbs Racing and landing races at New Hampshire and Iowa sparked a return that reshaped his career and eventually helped usher him into the Cup Series.

“I’m thankful every day,” says Ryan Preece on his return to NASCAR

Less than two months after narrowly missing the title at Homestead, due in part to a late caution, Carl Edwards surprised the motorsport world by stepping away in January 2017 at age 37. His 2016 season ended with three wins and another championship-contending season, advancing to the championship 4. He explained that the decisions stemmed not from frustration over the 2016 finale but from a deep sense of personal fulfillment and a desire to prioritize family and concerns over long-term health risks. By retiring while still healthy and satisfied with his career achievements, the NASCAR Hall of Famer ensured he left the sport on his own terms.

Ryan Preece’s return to NASCAR’s national spotlight truly began when Carl Edwards abruptly stepped away from full-time competition in the Cup Series. Daniel Suarez, who was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series, was moved up into Edwards’ vacant seat, and Preece seized the chance by calling team president Steve D’Souza, asking for rides. Despite others passing on races like New Hampshire, Preece jumped in, and the rest is history.

Speaking to Dale Junior on DJD, the RFK driver said, “When I moved home, I had no intentions of trying to come back. I was at that time until Carl Edwards retired. That triggered the domino effect, and that domino effect was Daniel Suarez moving up into the cup and leaving an open seat at Gibbs. Steve D’Souza was the president of the Xfinity side at Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Ryan Preece drove the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing part-time at New Hampshire and Iowa. His performance at the two tracks earned Ryan two additional races in 2017 and a further partial campaign in 2018 during which he compiled two wins, including a Dash 4 Cash victory at Bristol; he amassed 10 top tens and 15 starts and proved his ability to excel when given top-tier equipment. But it all started with one phone call that Preece made to JGR President Steve D’Souza.

Ryan went on to say, “So I end up calling Steve, saying, you know, ‘Hey, Ryan Preece, I don’t know if you know me, but I’d really like to know if you have any available races this year.’ And he tells me, you know, ‘We’re filling up pretty quick, but I think, you know, if you were able to commit now, these are the ones that we’d have open.’ And it ended up being New Hampshire, because nobody wanted to race New Hampshire. I’m like, ‘Hell yeah, that’ll be great. And Iowa.'”

But it was Iowa that made all the difference. Ryan Preece’s career-changing moment came at the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. In just a second start for Joe Gibbs Racing, he claimed the pole with a lap of 130.857 mph and led a race-high 141 laps. Despite late caution that set up multiple restarts, Preece stayed composed, holding off Kyle Benjamin in a green-white checkout finish to earn his first Xfinity Series win by just 0.054 seconds.

Preece explained, “And then we went to Iowa, qualified on the pole. We were fast in practice. I remember we were leading in stage three, and I’m getting loose, like real loose. And my thing was modified to that point in time, was I, was really damn good at burning a right rear off. And I am just driving my ass off, moving up, trying to get grip. And Kyle Benjamin’s coming, and we start getting cautions.”

On the final restart, he executed flawlessly and avoided getting loose, even as the track tightened behind him. That victory, punctuated by intense pressure and nail-biting tension, validated his decision to bet on himself with JGR and served as a clear signal that he belonged in Victory Lane at NASCAR’s national level.

“And those cautions ultimately, I think, saved that race for me. You know, that final restart comes, do everything right, clear Kyle, and win the race. I knew I had what it took to win races if I had the people around me. I’m thankful every day that I did what I did. As well as meeting Chris Gabehart, that whole deal changed my life.” Fast forward to 2025, and Preece’s performance hasn’t wavered. However, he is still winless, and that means no playoff spot for him as the NASCAR Cup garage heads to Iowa.

Chris Buescher vs. Ryan Preece: which teammate will qualify for the playoffs?

Bubba Wallace’s recent victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has shaken up the playoff picture, and Ryan Preece is feeling the impact. What was already a tight race for the final postseason spot has turned into an uphill climb for the RFK Racing driver, with Chris Buescher now holding the edge in the standings. Despite a strong Brickyard 400 run, Preece’s path to the playoffs has narrowed to one clear option: he needs to win before the regular season ends.

Preece delivered one of his strongest performances of the year at Brickyard, charging from a 23rd-place start to lead 12 laps and ultimately finish fourth. But even that standout effort was overshadowed by Wallace’s breakthrough win, which reshuffled the cut line. What had been a slim points deficit for Preece ballooned into a 42-point gap, leaving him chasing a victory rather than relying on consistency to secure a playoff berth.

Speaking to Frontstretch, Preece summed up the reality of the situation. He said, “I mean with how fast the 17 and the 48 are. I would say they’re gonna have to have some really bad luck and I don’t wish that on Chris, so we’re going have to win. Iowa is a track I feel I’d like to make a great memory at.”

Meanwhile, Chris Buescher, Preece’s teammate, is clinging to the 16th and final playoff slot, holding just enough points to stay ahead of the bubble. With only four races left in the regular season, the stakes couldn’t be higher for both drivers. For Preece, every lap matters as he looks for a way to close that gap, knowing his teammate is standing between him and the postseason. With the clock ticking down and pressure mounting, the play of battle between the two is set to become one of the defining storylines of the final stretch of the regular season. All eyes should be on Preece to see if he can tap into the Iowa magic.