“My commitment is taking someone like Ryan and putting him in that spot where he can win in and with the right resources.” Brad Keselowski was crystal clear when the announcement for his new driver dropped a day ago. Ryan Preece has been winless in 187 starts, including the last 72 races he drove under Stewart-Haas Racing. So a cloud of doubt looms over the driver as he prepares to drive for RFK Racing, a stellar Cup Series team.

Yet Preece may have more to him than readily apparent. He owns two Xfinity wins and two Craftsman Truck Series wins in just a handful of starts. So Keselowski has the utmost faith in his Cup Series future, as sponsor Kroger also jumped aboard to support its former JTG Daugherty driver. Despite the fans’ resounding criticism, Preece may just bring a spark to the No. 60 Ford.

Ryan Preece – an unsung hero?

When Brad Keselowski jumped ship from Team Penske in 2023, he knew what he was doing. The 39-time Cup race-winning veteran sought to revive a once glorious team from its dilapidated state. He was more than successful – Chris Buescher won three races en route to the Round of 8 last year, while Keselowski himself won a race to enter the 2024 playoffs. So Keselowski understands that a team or a driver can be restored with the right resources at hand, and wishes to rejuvenate Ryan Preece in the same way. He alluded to Joey Logano’s career in 2012 when many veterans opined that he did not deserve a Cup ride. Now, the Team Penske star’s three Cup titles sorely embarrassed those people.

What is more, Ryan Preece has a glittering background, as NASCAR expert Eric Estepp pointed out in a recent video. “He’s a highly successful Modified driver from the North East – he’s won a NASCAR Modified championship.” Then his numbers in NASCAR’s developmental series are also impressive. “Ryan Preece has made 26 Xfinity Series starts in good equipment…spread across 4 different seasons…He has two wins, 20 top-tens, and 13 top-fives. Those are fantastic numbers… His Truck Series career, again, he’s never been full-time, he’s only made 12 Truck starts. Guess what, he has two wins, both at Nashville. His average finish in those 12 Truck starts is 4.7. His worst career Truck finish is 11th.”

Ryan Preece’s Cup Series ventures have never been so hunky dory. As Keselowski emphasized the “right resources,” Estepp continued that Preece lacked precisely that in recent years. “When Ryan Preece has been in good equipment, he’s looked like a top prospect. Ryan Preece has never been in a good Cup Series car…JTG Daugherty was not really good. Stewart-Haas Racing fell off a cliff when Ryan Preece got there…at the start of 2023…Nobody won a race – not Preece, not Chase Briscoe, not Almirola, not even Kevin Harvick! …He was a Round of 16 exit. Preece finished 30th in points that year, Preece was 23rd.”

Despite the evidence offering brownie points to Preece, fans are not so convinced.

NASCAR community pours down on new recruit

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Well, Ryan Preece’s 2024 statistics indeed downplay any future hopes of success. As driver of the No. 41 SHR Ford, Preece tallied one top-five and five top-10s in 2024. Dating back to 2015, Preece has compiled four top-fives, 16 top-10s, and 176 laps led in his Cup Series career. So fans were particularly harsh when they expressed their doubts about Preece’s prospects. “Continue to suck like always,” somebody savagely attacked the new RFK recruit. A one-word comment was enough for one fan who is convinced that Ryan Preece will do no better, even with Brad Keselowski‘s better equipment: “30th.”

Keselowski has invested vast amounts of money, time, and other resources in rebuilding the RFK Racing team. He went down to the details – like revamping the work culture – to revive the winning status of Jack Roush’s team. So one fan is sad that Ryan Preece might end up being a burden. “Same ole Preece. He will probably end up costing Brad a lot of money.” On top of that, RFK Racing pulled in Kroger, a grocery enterprise, as one of their sponsors. So somebody else was sad to see such a huge sponsor supporting Preece, who has shown lackluster results. “I’ll be totally honest: I don’t understand why Ryan Preece gets top rides when he hasn’t shown anything to me out on the track. I mean Kroger is a big-time sponsor, and they wanted…. Ryan Preece.”

Another top prospect for Keselowski’s team would have been a Spire Motorsports rookie. Zane Smith embarked on his Cup Series journey this year – although he finished 30th in points, notable finishes like top-fives in Nashville and Watkins Glen stood out. So somebody opined that the 2022 Truck Series champion would have been a better choice over Preece. “I was hoping for Zane Smith.”

Despite the loud roars of criticism, Ryan Preece is driving for RFK Racing next year. As for his prospects, we will only know once he hits the tracks in 2025.