Ryan Preece will be back behind the wheel at Darlington Raceway just a week after surviving one of the most dramatic crashes in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Preece’s Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang was lifted into the air on lap 156 of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday and torn apart as it flipped 10 times before coming to rest upright.
Preece was alert when he got out of the car, but taken to a hospital for an examination and observation before heading home to North Carolina on Sunday.
“I’m good. It’s been quite a week, that’s for sure. But definitely, definitely really excited to have been given the OK to race this weekend at Darlington,†Preece said on Friday during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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“Because there’s nothing that I love more than my family and racing race cars. So to be able to go to Darlington this weekend and race with my 41 team, we’re excited and ready to get back out there.â€
Preece posted a video to social media showing the crash over an famous inspirational speech about winning that was given in 2021 by then-Georgia Tech Footbal strenght coach Lewis Caralla.
Preece said tests found that he didn’t suffer a concussion or any other serious injuries and credited the work done on the seventh-generation NASCAR Cup Series car, which was updated this year to improve its impact absorption after Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman were concussed in far less severe crashes last year.
Busch last week announced his retirement from full-time driving as he continues to recover from the injury and other ailments.
“I’m not downplaying the wreck by any means, because it was certainly probably the biggest wreck I’ve ever taken in my career, but I’m sitting here, I’m talking to you guys right now,” Preece said.
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“There’s nothing stopping me from racing this weekend. And I’m really ready to get to Darlington.â€
Preece did not qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but his teammate Kevin Harvick, who is retiring at the end of this season, will be in final 16 as the post-season kicks off with the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday night.