For a lot of drivers, bad days on the track seem more tolerable when their better halves or family members share consoling words. But seldom do they get a harsh reality check at home from someone who truly understands the importance of constant improvement. Ryan Preece is lucky on that front, and recently revealed why.
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Preece is in the midst of one of the strongest seasons of his Cup career since joining RFK Racing and while success still dodges him and the playoffs remain out of reach, his three top-five and eleven top-ten finishes speak volumes about his perseverance. However, he vowed to keep pushing until he breaks through and joins the ranks of race winners at NASCAR’s top level. And though the numbers keep him grounded, his wife, fellow racer Heather DesRochers, makes sure reality hits even harder when needed.
Preece and DesRochers first crossed paths in 2009 at Stafford Motor Speedway. She shared his passion for racing, having grown up around it, as her father, a racer himself, had purchased the same style of car Preece was working on at the time. Preece helped fine-tune the car during testing, and sparks soon followed.
By 2011, both were behind the wheel in the SK Modified Series, going toe to toe on the track. That season, Preece captured the championship while DesRochers claimed Rookie of the Year honors. The same year, they began dating. DesRochers was also part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program in 2010 and 2011, paving her own way in the sport. After six years together, the couple tied the knot in 2017.
That shared racing background comes with its perks and its pitfalls, it seems. Appearing on Kenny Wallace’s show, when asked whether marriage was easier with a racer wife, Preece didn’t mince words. “Hell no!” he said. “I mean, it doesn’t make it harder, but it makes it… because they get the other side. What I don’t always want to say, but is definitely the truth, is Heather’s seen both sides, and she’s not the type of wife that is going to look at me and just tell me what I want to hear…”
“We call her Heather Happiness, but she can definitely give you something that you don’t want to hear. But that’s the nice part about it. And what I will say is there was nights during 2011 when we would get done racing and her and I would be heading home. I could feel those eyes looking through the side of me, and you look home. But yeah. No, I mean it’s definitely it made it fun.”
For Preece, having a partner who speaks his language on and off the track is invaluable. “You can carry a conversation about racing. So, that’s the fun part about it. The unfun part about it is she definitely sees if I do something wrong, she will call me out on it,” he said. He admits she not only understands the intricacies of the sport but also doesn’t hesitate to hold him accountable, a mix of support and straight talk that keeps him sharp.
Now, the couple’s focus extends beyond racing. They recently welcomed their second child, a son named Bentley Ryan Preece, joining their daughter Rebecca Marie, born on August 7, 2023. Announcing the news on social media, Preece wrote, “Rebecca Marie & Bentley Ryan. Our world is complete.”
As he prepares for the next race, Preece now carries fresh motivation behind the wheel, racing not just for pride, but for his growing family waiting at home.
