As we inch closer to the end of the regular season, there are several drivers who are yet to secure themselves a spot in the playoffs. One such driver in the race is Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Preece. He currently occupies the 25th spot in the standings, and would definitely require a win to secure himself in the top 16 this season.
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After being bumped back into the Cup Series this year in place of Cole Custer, Preece had a lot of expectations on his shoulders to prove himself right. Recently, while speaking with the press, Preece elaborated on his realistic chances of making it into the playoffs later this year.
Ryan Preece talks about his chances of getting a win to make the playoffs
Speaking with journalist Bob Pockrass, Preece stated, “I think we’ve gotten better. We’ve gotten consistent. But not nearly where we wanna be. I would say we have consistently been around the 15th spot. And the next goal is top 10s, top 5s.”
Ryan Preece on New Hampshire being one of the best places for him to get a win and dealing with the pressure that he’s 25th in the standings and needs a win to make the playoffs: pic.twitter.com/FQPQwRqT5D
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 14, 2023
He then added, “This week at Atlanta I feel like we have been bringing closer cars. We have been bringing cars that I’m feeling really comfortable with… This is the weekend I feel like, similar to Martinsville. We bring a really fast race car. I do my job and we do everything right, we can sneak one in.”
“I don’t think we are not capable of winning, we are certainly able to do that. So I would say, New Hampshire, Richmond, is somewhere that I am looking forward to go into and some of these road courses. There’s a lot of opportunities to try and be off on strategy and execute and win. I think that’s really the goal,” the Stewart Haas Racing driver concluded.
How has Preece’s career been so far at Stewart-Haas Racing?
Preece has not had anything spectacular to look forward to so far in his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing. With Kevin Harvick departing the team at the end of the current season, can he take the reigns and lead the team thereafter? Or will the newcomer Josh Berry outshine Preece in his first year?
There is a lot of speculation surrounding this. Although, at the moment if we take a look at Preece statistically, he has managed to finish in the top 15 a total of six times. So in a way, he does showcase consistency.
Everything said and done, only if he is able to score a win in the remaining races, will he make it into the playoffs.
