Ryan Preece finds himself in a tight battle for the final spot in NASCAR’s playoff chase, sitting 50 points behind Shane van Gisbergen with just two races left in the regular season.
Home‑field advantage
The New England native spent the past week on the road with his family‑owned operation, taking part in a handful of minor‑league events and spending Saturday behind the wheel of a Modified Series car at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Preece, who has long championed the idea that experience on the track trumps endless analysis, says that after years of competing on the same circuits he can anticipate opponents’ moves almost instinctively.
The New Hampshire factor
At the 1.058‑mile flat oval in Loudon, New Hampshire, Preece’s résumé is extensive — 40 NASCAR starts compared with van Gisbergen’s two — and his career highlight remains a Modified Series victory in 2021. He is now eyeing his first Cup Series win on a track where Ford drivers have dominated, leading 275 of 301 laps a year ago and occupying three of the top four finishing spots.
Beyond the statistics, the weekend carries a local flavor. Preece’s crew includes characters nicknamed ‘John the Plumber,’ who have backed him since his teenage years, and the whole operation is steeped in New England pride.
Tradition and odds
The race will also see the continuation of the ‘Loudon the Lobster’ trophy tradition, a quirky award that Ryan Blaney will receive on Sunday after his September victory, a custom started by teammate Joey Logano in 2009. Oddsmakers currently list Blaney as the favorite at +425, with Logano and Christopher Bell close behind at +475. Bell’s team, fresh after a mid‑season break that included a second off‑week, feels rejuvenated and ready to contend.
Hendrick Motorsports, which last captured a New Hampshire victory in July 2012, will be watching closely as the action unfolds, hoping to add another chapter to a track record that has yielded 118 wins across 28 different circuits.
With the points battle tightening and the historic oval poised to deliver another unpredictable finish, all eyes will be on Preece as he attempts to translate his New England roots into a decisive Cup Series breakthrough.