Multiple sources have confirmed to RaceDayCT that NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Ryan Preece will attempt to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the New England 200 on July 13 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Ryan Preece celebrates a recent SK Modified division victory at Thompson International Speedway
Preece, of Berlin, is expected to race a car owned by Tommy Baldwin Racing. Team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. is a former Whelen Modified Tour crew chief and the son of late Whelen Modified Tour competitor Tom Baldwin Sr.
Preece, reached Monday evening, said that he could not confirm or deny that he would be on the entry list for the event at NHMS. Reached Monday, Baldwin would only say that he has had some talks with Preece about the possibility of doing something together.
A formal announcement is expected Tuesday.
In addition to running regularly on the Whelen Modified Tour, Preece also competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway and in the Tour Type Modified division at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway.
It’s another accolade in a short span for the 22-year old Preece, who was one of 13 drivers announced last Friday to be part of the 2013 NASCAR Next program.
The NASCAR Next program is an initiative by NASCAR to spotlight rising stars in stock car racing and help mold them for futures at the higher levels of the sport.
Preece was also named recently as one of ten finalists vying for a possible driver development contract with Michael Waltrip Racing through the Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge driver search.
Preece has been competing full-time on the Whelen Modified Tour since 2007. He finished second in the Modified Tour standings in 2009 and 2012. He has five victories and 34 top-five finishes in the division over 83 career starts and sits second in the standings this year after two events.
He was the SK Modified division champion at Stafford in 2011 and currently leads the division’s standings there. He won the SK Modified division title at Thompson in 2012 and is currently third in the standings there.
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So excited to see Ryan wheel a Nationwide car around Loudon! Go PREECE LIGHTENING!
Good luck
Good luck man!
I bet New Hampshire Motor Speedway is rooting for him to get that Nationwide Ride…With him in the Tour Race and a ride in the NATIONWIDE race on the SAME DAY (They Run BOTH races on Saturday)…That is going to make for probably a RECORD attendance for the Saturdays Event Attendance!!! It is already a GREAT show with the modifieds and then the Nationwide Race…But with PREECE in a Nationwide Car…EVERYONE is going to wanna see that!!!! I hope he does GREAT and really turns some heads in the ELITE NASCAR DIVISIONS….
You’re the MAN, Ryan.
Good luck kuhn! We are cheering for you.