Ryan Preece told the garage he was going all in to win at Daytona. Sure enough, a spirited performance, combined with just the right slice of luck, saw him emerge victorious in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and secure a spot in The Chase. It’s his first-ever postseason appearance, and after years of fighting for opportunities, the RFK Racing driver now has a chance to build on that breakthrough.

It was also Preece’s first-ever points-paying win at this level, with his only previous trip to Victory Lane coming at the season-opening Clash in Bowman Gray earlier this year. And now that he has tasted success, he has made one thing clear.

“I don’t race to just tell people that I’m a NASCAR Cup Series driver, that’s really cool, and I love it, and I love being in this position. But I want to win, and I wouldn’t do it to just run 30th every day or every week,” Preece told veteran journalist Bob Pockrass.

Preece’s path here has not been straightforward. For years, he grinded away in lower and mid-tier equipment, which made it difficult to fight for top-20 finishes. He finally earned a full-time Cup Series opportunity with JTG Daugherty Racing in 2019 and spent the next three seasons with the team. However, consistent front-running results remained hard to come by, with Preece managing just two top-5 finishes.

He then joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023 and spent two seasons with the now-defunct organization, recording seven top-10 finishes. But a Cup Series win continued to elude the Connecticut native.

RFK Racing provided Preece with much better equipment than he had ever had in the Cup Series, and he stayed in the Chase hunt throughout 2026. In fact, had it not been for his 25-point penalty for wrecking Ty Gibbs in Texas, he might have secured his spot in the Top 16 much earlier.

Winning at Daytona and proving his doubters wrong was the biggest moment of the 35-year-old’s career. Now, he wants to build on it. After winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400, he said, “Two years ago, keyboard warriors saying I was nothing, but we just kicked their b** tonight.”

Even RFK Racing president Chip Bowers is pumped. Both Preece and Chris Buescher from his team are in the Chase, and their goal is not just to participate but to challenge the front-runners for the championship.

Judging by Preece’s comments, he has no intention of treating the Daytona win as the destination. For Preece, it is another opportunity to prove that he belongs among the drivers fighting for victories, rather than simply another season spent trying to survive in the Cup Series.

Ryan Preece’s RFK Racing Future Heading into 2027

Earlier in July, RFK Racing exercised its contract option on Ryan Preece, securing the driver of the No. 60 Ford for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season. That decision gave Preece some much-needed stability after years of uncertainty surrounding his place in the series. Owner Brad Keselowski said in a statement that they would be keeping him in their “family for a while”.

That said, keeping Preece also creates an interesting situation for RFK Racing. The organization currently owns only two permanent Cup Series charters, used by Keselowski and Buescher. Preece’s No. 60 entry operates with a third charter leased from Rick Ware Racing. That arrangement will not continue into 2027.

NASCAR’s rules place limits on how charters can be leased across seasons, while Rick Ware Racing’s charter is set to move elsewhere, with Legacy Motor Club acquiring one for 2027.

RFK Racing, however, has remained firm on its plans. Team president Chip Bowers and co-owner Keselowski have made it clear that the organization intends to field three full-time cars next season. If RFK cannot purchase or acquire another charter before February 2027, the No. 60 could instead run as an unchartered Open car.

The bigger obstacle is the charter market itself. Available charters are limited, while asking prices have made acquiring one a significant investment.

For Preece, though, the situation could ultimately matter less than what happens on the racetrack. He now has his first Cup Series win, his first Chase appearance and a confirmed RFK seat for 2027.

The organization clearly sees enough potential to keep investing in him. The next challenge is making sure that commitment comes with a competitive car capable of turning Preece’s breakthrough into more consistent results.