NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Give Ryan Preece a short track and let him work his magic.
The former Whelen Modified champ attacks smaller venues with a surgeon’s precision—and the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro will be no exception.
Preece starts eighth and will have to race his way into the main event. But the Berlin, Connecticut native holds tremendous respect for the historic 625-mile track, particularly since it hasn’t been repaved since 1981.
“We’ve all known coming down here that this was going to be aggressive on tire wear and there was going to be fall off,” Preece said. “It’s everything I expected. It’s a short track and I think that we need more places like this. We need more on the schedule.
“I enjoyed practice, I enjoyed the 50 minutes to work with our team and to work on the race car and and try to make it better. That was nice to be able to change springs, try different things. That’s the first time we’ve really been able to do that since Phoenix, right?
“So I enjoy it. I enjoy everything about this. You feel like you’re at a race track. So, I’m a huge fan of it. I’m happy. They didn’t repave it. I’m glad they left the surface and are doing everything that they can do to put on one of the best events of this year. And I feel like it will be.”
At his father’s insistence, Preece decided to race a modified here last year. Initially, he planned to race elsewhere but his father’s fond memories from the ‘80s swayed his decision. Preece quickly discovered NWS is “its own animal.”
“We got the car ready and came here,” Preece said. “After four laps, I was like, ‘Man, this isn’t what I expected.’ It’s got a ton of grip. But at the same time, if you choose to take all that grip and go fast, you paid the price. So I think that was a combination of everything. That’s what’s badass about a modified. But it certainly gave me a totally different respect for this track.
“Even when I drive in here now, it has that same (allure). When I drive into Martinsville, all the stories I used to hear about it, North Wilkesboro has that same type of vibe. At the same time it’s just badass.”
Despite four seasons on the NASCAR Cup circuit, Preece is still fighting to secure a spot in the series. The driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford came out of the gate strong at the LA Coliseum, where he led 43 laps before finishing seventh. His three top-15 results since have been earned on tracks smaller than a mile-and-a-half.
Overall, the Fords have struggled in 2023. Only defending Cup champion Joey Logano has visited Victory Lane. Kevin Harvick is third in the point standings, but his 79 laps led ranks 12th among current drivers. Preece’s 141 laps led—including 135 circuits after winning his first career pole at Martinsville—ranks second behind Logano’s 217.
“We’re working to try and get our mile-and-a-half program where we want it to be,” Preece said. “It’s a never-ending process to be better, right? But from a short track standpoint, from a superspeedway standpoint, we’ve had phenomenal race cars. Martinsville, we got the pole. The Clash, I felt like we would have either finished top two or at least contended for that win until the fuel pump (failed). Still, there’s been a lot to be happy with.
“For me, as a driver, mile-and-a-halves have never been the strongest thing, but it’s also something that we we’re continuing to work on, find that speed. That all comes from qualifying, track position. We all talk about track position being the number one thing right now, especially with this car.”
Fortunately, Preece is scheduled to participate in a NASCAR test at his home track—New Hampshire Motor Speedway—on July 17 following the Crayon 301 Cup race. The extra time on the track should offer his team an advantage on the remaining shorter tracks.
Preece isn’t afraid of hard work. He built a solid—and winning—relationship with crew chief Chad Johnston in the truck series before coming to SHR. Now the pair must build a consistent feel for the driver in the car. Preece wasn’t thrilled that he didn’t qualify better on Friday for the Open. He knows track position will be pivotal on Sunday.
“There is such a thing as tire management, but at the same time it’s going to be tough to pass,” Preece said. “For a place that hasn’t been repaved, this has a ton of grip—a ton of grip…But you’re going to pay the price if you choose to go after it or not. That’s what I thought was very unique about this race track. It destroys tires. But at the same time, if you choose to go hard, you can go hard.
“This event, it’s sold out. With the atmosphere you have out front, people are going to love it. Hopefully, we can put on a show and everybody will be on their feet.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer.
