RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece didn’t climb the racing ladder on the back of a family legacy like Chase Elliott or Kyle Busch. He came from much humbler beginnings.
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His father ran a modest plumbing and HVAC business in Connecticut, employing around ten people. Despite lacking motorsports pedigree, he fully backed Preece’s ambitions behind the wheel.
While others might have spent their summers at the track, Preece got his hands dirty, fabricating ductwork as a tin knocker and, in the winter, scaling icy rooftops in biting cold. But even then, he carried the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Aware of how steep racing costs can run, he refused to let his dream drain the family’s finances.
Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Preece reflected on that crossroad, saying, “I saw the financial burden that it was… And as you know, racing’s expensive. So, I didn’t want my father or my family to go broke because we were racing.”
He added, “Now, my father, when things were really good or even right now, we can go race modifieds, but we weren’t going to be able to go do ARCA or K&N East or Xfinity or any of those things. Like financially, just we weren’t that (rich). And I guess at an early age, I just didn’t want to see my family struggle.”
“I wanted to figure it out for myself at that point. So, I guess I don’t necessarily think that I was separating. I think I said separating from my father, but I wanted to find my own way, I wanted to build it up without (anyone suffering financially),” he explained.
Preece knows what it means to earn it the hard way, which is why he even once joked that sponsor events are a breeze compared to breaking a sweat in the attic crawlspaces or shivering on rooftops in winter. For him, fulfilling commitments and prepping for race day comes with the territory, not a chore, but part and parcel of the job.
The No. 60 Ford Mustang driver doesn’t believe in punching out early. He’s always been wired to dig deep and go the distance, believing that success hinges not only on what happens on the racetrack but also on building meaningful partnerships. To him, it’s just part of the grind. Same race, different tools.
Carrying that grit to the front lines, Preece has made the most of the opening 22 races this season, with two top-five finishes and nine top-10s, climbing to P14 in the driver standings. That run of form has made 2025 the best of his eight-year Cup Series career.
