“I’d Be Dead”- Thankful Ryan Preece Commends NASCAR’s Timely Safety Upgrades for Saving His Life at Daytona

Since the tragic accident of Dale Earnhardt, Ryan Preece‘s crash last year at Daytona probably sent the most chills down everyone’s spine. Picture this: Preece’s car took a wild flight and tumbled over more than ten times before it finally came to a halt. Miraculously, he climbed out of that wrecked beast on his own two feet, seemingly unscathed. He did spend a night under the watchful eyes of hospital staff, and they kept tabs on him throughout the week, just to be sure he was really alright.

Recently, ahead of the Daytona race, Preece had a sit-down with the press. He took the opportunity to tip his hat to NASCAR for all they’ve done to keep the drivers safe in these reckless races.

Ryan Preece, reflecting on his harrowing crash, remarked, ‘You just kind of black out’

Ryan Preece was jockeying for position around the 15th when his ride got tangled with Erik Jones and took a wild turn. The moment his car hit the shift from grass to pavement, it took flight and went on a terrifying tumble. But thanks to NASCAR’s beefed-up safety gear, like the top-notch helmets introduced after Dale Earnhardt’s Daytona tragedy, Preece walked away with his life.

He recalled an interview of Ricky Rudd earlier that week, saying, “I watched Ricky Rudd’s interview earlier this week. And what he said about after the first roll, you just kind of black out. That’s the truth. I mean, you’re spinning so fast that before you know it, you’re getting out of the race car and you’re fine. So, but I mean, it just shows you like racing. It’s still a dangerous sport. Like, I’d imagine that if I had what they had in the 1980s, going as fast as we were and the way it wrecked like that, there’s a possibility I’d be dead. So obviously I’m– pretty thankful for everything we have, and them making us keep up with our equipment every two years.”

But NASCAR’s not stopping at just gear upgrades. The buzz is that the grass played a villain in Preece’s airborne scare. They’re setting their sights on replacing some grassy patches with asphalt. One’s already done, and two more are in line after the Daytona 500 frenzy. “With the incident we had with the 41 car at Daytona II, we have, you see in yellow there, re-asphalted that area. Post Daytona 500, we will asphalt the green area.” Sawyer shared from the NASCAR think tank.

In a bid to nail down the cause, NASCAR recreated the crash scene, pointing fingers at the road course’s bus stop chicane and the grassy stretch for the lift-off and ensuing chaos. It’s a science, really. A NASCAR machine blitzing at 180 mph packs a wallop akin to 2.2 lbs of TNT. That’s a mountain of energy, mostly kept in check by friction’s embrace. When a car spins out, slamming the brakes, it’s that friction that’s the unsung hero, fighting back, no matter the direction. And grass? It just doesn’t cut it on the friction front.

However, it’s not just Daytona getting the safety facelift. Nashville’s track also got some attention, especially after Ryan Blaney shared his own rough ride in a post-race debrief.

NASCAR puts on more cushioned safety for the drivers

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The 2023 Cup champ, Ryan Blaney, had his run at Nashville Superspeedway cut short when his car kissed the wall hard during the 146th lap. Caught by surprise with a tap from the back, Blaney’s ride spun out and smacked into a wall by the pit road exit, a spot missing any kind of soft landing, which left him feeling rattled with symptoms that screamed concussion.

The word on the street from NBC Sports, courtesy of Dustin Long, is that NASCAR’s rolling up its sleeves and adding some extra cushioning.  “NASCAR says tire packs will be placed over concrete wall inside Turn 1 at Nashville. Last year, Ryan Blaney hit the concrete wall there.”

Read More: How Ryan Preece’s Scary Crash Forced NASCAR’s Hand to Change Daytona International Speedway

Looks like the spills from Ryan Preece and Blaney have lit a fire under NASCAR’s safety squad, pushing them to dial up the protection for the drivers.